and darkened Raleigh's prospects of life and freedom considerably.
No known authentic formula of the cordial exists, but Charles II was curious about it, and his French apothecary, Le Febre, on the king's command, prepared some of the compound from data then available, and wrote a treatise on it which was afterwards translated into English by Peter Lebon. Evelyn records in his diary the demonstration of the composition given by Le Febre to the Court on September 20, 1662.
The cordial then consisted of forty roots, seeds, herbs, etc., macerated in spirit of wine, and distilled. With the distillate were combined bezoar stones, pearls, coral, deer's horn, amber, musk, antimony, various earths, sugar, and much besides. Vipers' flesh, with the heart and liver, and "mineral unicorn" were added later on the suggestion of Sir Kenelm Digby. The official history of this strange concoction is appended.
Confectio Raleighana was first official in the London Pharmacopœia of 1721. The formula was—
Rasurae C. Cervi lb. i.
Carnis viperarum c. cordibus et hepatibus, 6 oz.
Flor. Borag., rosmar., calendulae, roris solis, rosarum rub., sambuci, ana lb. ss.
Herb. scordii, cardui benedicti, melissæ, dictamni cretici, menthæ, majoranæ. betonicæ, ana manipules duodecim.
Succi Kermis, Sem. card. maj., cubebarum, Bacc. junip., macis, nuc. mosch., caryoph., croci, ana 2 oz.
Cinnam. opt., cort. lign. sassaf., cort. flav. malorum citriorum, aurantiorum, ana 3 oz.
Lign. aloes, sassafras, ana 6 oz.
Rad. angelic., valerian, sylvest., fraxinell, seu dictamni alb., serpentar. Virginianæ, Zedoariæ, tormentillæ bistort., Aristoloch. long., Aristoloch. rotund., gentianæ, imperatoriæ, ana 1-1/2 oz.
These were to be cut up or crushed, and a tincture
made from them with rectified spirit. The tincture was
