great a Vogue this Pill had for some time, that infinite people resorted to him, and purchased them for their lives, both for themselves, and Families, and (as I have heard) for their posterities too.  Though a common Chimney in a little time would have made enough of it to have served the whole Nation for some years to come, and that at very small charges.  But Experience, the Tutor of too many, hath in a short time brought these Pills into a dis-use, if not a total Oblivion, even amongst the vulgar.

A second cryed up Medicine was Mathews’s Pills, made of Opium (to which the virtue of the whole Composition must be attributed) of white Hellebor Roots, and Oyl of Turpentine, whereto some add Salt of Tartar, which will puzzle the most knowing Naturalist to declare why these should be thus jumbled together; unless to obscure the Opium.  ’Tis indeed a very cunning Composition, for by giving rest and ease it may easily decoy people into the use of them, though by long taking of them, diseases become far more uncurable then they are in their own Nature.

A third Universal Medicine was Hughes’s Powder, sold by him at 10 s. the Grain, and 3 l. 10 s. the Dose, made doubtless of Gold and Quicksilver.  The tast and weight of it manifestly discover the former to be an ingredient into it, and the effect, viz.  Salivation proves the latter to be part of the compound.  Besides I have made of these two dissolved, and digested in their peculiar Menstruums, in no long space of time, a Medicine that had the same effect with his, and in the same Dose, and having a View of his Cabinet left after his Death, containing a large quantity of the said Powder (being all he left behind him) there was found crude Gold, and Quicksilver in the same Cabinet.  Now these three Notorious Universal Medicines were put to sale by most ignorant persons.  Add hereunto the forementioned Mr. De-laun’s Pill, whereof I shall say nothing, being mentioned under the Name of the Pilule ex duobus, in the London Dispensitory, though some make them of the Extract of Coloquintida.  The last of any Fame with us, were Dr. Goddard’s Drops, a good Medicine, but not so universal, and superlative as he would have made the World believe, and was nothing else but what some Physicians many years since enjoyed.  I well remember that in the late troubles, a Person then in great Authority, having cryed up this above all the Medicines in the World, a round wager was offered, that the Doctor should not distinguish his own from two others that should be brought him, both which were but Spirit of Harts-horn.  But the wager would not be accepted of.  Furthermore, that this Medicine of his was Spirit of Harts-horn, some relations plainly argue; One whereof was the following.