The Still Room
- The Original Recipes (as collected in the 13th century)
On our herb farm, we grow many herbs and make various products. Here are the remedies that you will receive as part of your valued membership of our Community Supported Agriculture scheme.
I. Creams and Conditioners
Skin
To prepare a green healing salve.
Take wax, rosin, clarified honey, betony, violet, borage, and ribwort plantain. Let the meltable articles be molten, and the herbs ordered well and boiled therewith. Let them be on the fire for a short while, then remove and strain through a clean cloth, and let it cool, when it should be kept.
For cutaneous erruption
Take the leaves of the lily ground ivy, pound them wel together, then take mutton suet and fry the whole combined, express through a cloth and anoint the part therewith.
Hair
To cause the hair to grow.
Take the barberry and fill an iron pot therewith, fill it up with as much water as it will contain, then boil on a slow fire to the half. With this water, wash your head morning and evening. Take care that the wash does not touch any part where hair should not grow.
To produce golden hair.
Take the bark of rhubarb and infuse in white wine wash your hair therewith, dry with a fine clean cloth then by the fire, or in the sun if it be warm. Do this once and again and the oftener you do it the more beautiful your hair will become, and that without injury to your hair.
Body
For all minor aches in the thighs, feet, arms, or any of the joints.
Take a small quantity of blossom flowers, lily flowers, eryngo leaves, and red dock leaves; pound them well and make an ointment of them with butter, then anoint the diseased part therewith, and it will be cured.
Mouth
To cure fetide breath
Take rosemarry leaves and flowers, if to be had, and boil in white wine with a little myrrh and pelletory of the wall, and you shall witnes a wonderful result if you gargle your mouth therewith frequently.