etc. Fifty years later valerian alone was thought to be as effective.
Human fat was regarded as an excellent remedy in rheumatism. Pomet (1694) complains that at that time the business of the apothecaries in this luxury was seriously crippled by the competition of the public executioners. But he points out that the article provided in the pharmacies was incomparably superior to that which came from the scaffolds, because it was prepared with aromatic herbs.
Human excrement and human urine were strongly recommended by many of the chief authorities. Mme. de Sévigné, writing to her daughter on June 13, 1685, says:—"For my vapours I take 8 drops of essence of urine, and contrary to its usual action it has prevented me from sleeping." There are other references to this delicate remedy in some other of her letters. Apparently she took a special combination of the essence with the Baume Tranquille.
Culpepper says: "That small triangular bone in the skull of a man called Os Triquetum, so absolutely cures the Falling Sickness that it will never come again, saith Paracelsus." Culpepper also states that "the fat of a man is exceeding good to anoint such limbs as fall away in the flesh." Lemery explains how to make a plaster from the blood of a healthy young man, after drying it, which was useful in old ulcers.
Paracelsus had a "Primum Ens Sanguinis," which was fresh blood from a healthy young person. Crollius gives a recipe for an eye salve, which was to divide a human brain into half; mix one half with honey and apply it at night; dry and powder the other half and apply it in the morning.
