Last night, I experimented with the “tooth water” listed in the Boke of Nurture by John Russell. It has a very interesting smell and texture.
The excerpt from the manual is below:
I will aduertise you by foure
rules of importance how to keepe your teeth white and
vncorruyt (mc), and also to haue a sweete breath. First,
wash well your mouth when you haue eaten your
meat : secondly, sleepe with your mouth somewhat
open. Thirdly, spit out in the morning that which is
gathered together that night in the throate : then take
a linnen cloth, and rub your teeth well within and
without, to take away the fumositie of the meat and
the yellownesse of the teeth. For it is that which
putrifieth them and infecteth the breath. But least
peraduenture your teeth become loose and filthy, I
will shew you a water farre better then ponders, which
shall fasten them, scoure the mouth, make sound the
gums, and cause the flesh to growe againe, if it were fallen
away. Take halfe a glasse-full of vineger, and as much
of the water of the mastick tree (if it may easily be
gotten) of rosemarie, myrrhe, mastick, bole Armoniake,
Dragons herbe, roche allome, of each of them an
ounce ; of fine cinnamon halfe an ounce, and of foun-
taine water three glassefulles ; mingle all well to-
gether and let it boile with a small fire, adding
to it halfe a pound of honie, and taking away the
scumme of it ; then put in a Kttle bengwine, and
w^hen it hath sodden a quarter of an houre, take it
from the fire, and keepe it in a cleane bottle, and wash
your teeth there withall as well before meate as after ;
if you hould some of it in your mouth a little while, it
doth much good to the head, and sweetneth the breath.
I take this water to be better worth then a thousand of
their dentifrices.
The redacted recipe is:
½ glass vinegar
½ glass of mastic water (if available)
1 oz rosemary
1 oz myrrh
1 oz mastic
1 oz Armenian bole
1 oz tarragon
1 oz rock alum
½ oz cinnamon
3 glasses of water
½ lb honey
A pinch of benzoin
Combine vinegar, mastic water, rosemary, myrrh, mastic, Armnian bole, tarragon, rock alum, cinnamon and water and bring to boil. Add honey, and simmer, removing the scum from the top. Add benzoin, and simmer for 15 minutes. Store.
I found some difficulties in recreating this recipe. First, I had no mastic water, so I used more water instead. The second, and glaringly obvious problem was I don’t know how large a glass is. So, I took a start water glass, and used it as a measure. More research is necessary to ensure I am using the correct amount of liquid. The third was the recipe does not specify if I am to use whole or ground ingredients. I opted for ground.
My modern sensibilities cannot imagine anyone wanting to use the resulting concoction .
I started by putting whole herbs in the pot with everything but the honey and benzoin. I stirred to combine, and got most of the lumps out.
I brought the mixture to a boil and added honey. I skimmed the scum from the top as best as I could, and once it had boiled for a few minutes of boiling, I added the benzoin and reduced the heat to a simmer.
As you can see by the photo above, the mixture coated the wooden spoon. It had a pungent and wholly overpowering odor. The color, caused by the ground cinnamon and clay, added to its general unpleasantness.
I simmered it, removing scum every 2-3 minutes. Once it had simmered for the allotted time, I removed the rosemary and tarragon stems and leaves (as much as possible) and poured the mixture into glass containers and let them cool completely.
This morning, it was still had liquid, but a thick liquid, with a gravy like consistency. It had also separated slightly.
So, for the next try, I am going to use whole ingredients and get more specific information on a typical glass size. I may also strain it through cheesecloth to remove any loose materials.
ight, I experimented with the “tooth water” listed in the Boke of Nurture by John Russell. It has a very interesting smell and texture.
The excerpt from the manual is below:
I will aduertise you by foure
rules of importance how to keepe your teeth white and
vncorruyt (mc), and also to haue a sweete breath. First,
wash well your mouth when you haue eaten your
meat : secondly, sleepe with your mouth somewhat
open. Thirdly, spit out in the morning that which is
gathered together that night in the throate : then take
a linnen cloth, and rub your teeth well within and
without, to take away the fumositie of the meat and
the yellownesse of the teeth. For it is that which
putrifieth them and infecteth the breath. But least
peraduenture your teeth become loose and filthy, I
will shew you a water farre better then ponders, which
shall fasten them, scoure the mouth, make sound the
gums, and cause the flesh to growe againe, if it were fallen
away. Take halfe a glasse-full of vineger, and as much
of the water of the mastick tree (if it may easily be
gotten) of rosemarie, myrrhe, mastick, bole Armoniake,
Dragons herbe, roche allome, of each of them an
ounce ; of fine cinnamon halfe an ounce, and of foun-
taine water three glassefulles ; mingle all well to-
gether and let it boile with a small fire, adding
to it halfe a pound of honie, and taking away the
scumme of it ; then put in a Kttle bengwine, and
w^hen it hath sodden a quarter of an houre, take it
from the fire, and keepe it in a cleane bottle, and wash
your teeth there withall as well before meate as after ;
if you hould some of it in your mouth a little while, it
doth much good to the head, and sweetneth the breath.
I take this water to be better worth then a thousand of
their dentifrices.
The redacted recipe is:
½ glass vinegar
½ glass of mastic water (if available)
1 oz rosemary
1 oz myrrh
1 oz mastic
1 oz Armenian bole
1 oz tarragon
1 oz rock alum
½ oz cinnamon
3 glasses of water
½ lb honey
A pinch of benzoin
Combine vinegar, mastic water, rosemary, myrrh, mastic, Armnian bole, tarragon, rock alum, cinnamon and water and bring to boil. Add honey, and simmer, removing the scum from the top. Add benzoin, and simmer for 15 minutes. Store.
I found some difficulties in recreating this recipe. First, I had no mastic water, so I used more water instead. The second, and glaringly obvious problem was I don’t know how large a glass is. So, I took a start water glass, and used it as a measure. More research is necessary to ensure I am using the correct amount of liquid. The third was the recipe does not specify if I am to use whole or ground ingredients. I opted for ground.
My modern sensibilities cannot imagine anyone wanting to use the resulting concoction .
I started by putting whole herbs in the pot with everything but the honey and benzoin. I stirred to combine, and got most of the lumps out.
I brought the mixture to a boil and added honey. I skimmed the scum from the top as best as I could, and once it had boiled for a few minutes of boiling, I added the benzoin and reduced the heat to a simmer.
As you can see by the photo above, the mixture coated the wooden spoon. It had a pungent and wholly overpowering odor. The color, caused by the ground cinnamon and clay, added to its general unpleasantness.
I simmered it, removing scum every 2-3 minutes. Once it had simmered for the allotted time, I removed the rosemary and tarragon stems and leaves (as much as possible) and poured the mixture into glass containers and let them cool completely.
This morning, it was still had liquid, but a thick liquid, with a gravy like consistency. It had also separated slightly.
So, for the next try, I am going to use whole ingredients and get more specific information on a typical glass size. I may also strain it through cheesecloth to remove any loose materials.
Last night, I experimented with the “tooth water” listed in the Boke of Nurture by John Russell. It has a very interesting smell and texture.
The excerpt from the manual is below:
I will aduertise you by foure
rules of importance how to keepe your teeth white and
vncorruyt (mc), and also to haue a sweete breath. First,
wash well your mouth when you haue eaten your
meat : secondly, sleepe with your mouth somewhat
open. Thirdly, spit out in the morning that which is
gathered together that night in the throate : then take
a linnen cloth, and rub your teeth well within and
without, to take away the fumositie of the meat and
the yellownesse of the teeth. For it is that which
putrifieth them and infecteth the breath. But least
peraduenture your teeth become loose and filthy, I
will shew you a water farre better then ponders, which
shall fasten them, scoure the mouth, make sound the
gums, and cause the flesh to growe againe, if it were fallen
away. Take halfe a glasse-full of vineger, and as much
of the water of the mastick tree (if it may easily be
gotten) of rosemarie, myrrhe, mastick, bole Armoniake,
Dragons herbe, roche allome, of each of them an
ounce ; of fine cinnamon halfe an ounce, and of foun-
taine water three glassefulles ; mingle all well to-
gether and let it boile with a small fire, adding
to it halfe a pound of honie, and taking away the
scumme of it ; then put in a Kttle bengwine, and
w^hen it hath sodden a quarter of an houre, take it
from the fire, and keepe it in a cleane bottle, and wash
your teeth there withall as well before meate as after ;
if you hould some of it in your mouth a little while, it
doth much good to the head, and sweetneth the breath.
I take this water to be better worth then a thousand of
their dentifrices.
The redacted recipe is:
½ glass vinegar
½ glass of mastic water (if available)
1 oz rosemary
1 oz myrrh
1 oz mastic
1 oz Armenian bole
1 oz tarragon
1 oz rock alum
½ oz cinnamon
3 glasses of water
½ lb honey
A pinch of benzoin
Combine vinegar, mastic water, rosemary, myrrh, mastic, Armnian bole, tarragon, rock alum, cinnamon and water and bring to boil. Add honey, and simmer, removing the scum from the top. Add benzoin, and simmer for 15 minutes. Store.
I found some difficulties in recreating this recipe. First, I had no mastic water, so I used more water instead. The second, and glaringly obvious problem was I don’t know how large a glass is. So, I took a start water glass, and used it as a measure. More research is necessary to ensure I am using the correct amount of liquid. The third was the recipe does not specify if I am to use whole or ground ingredients. I opted for ground.
My modern sensibilities cannot imagine anyone wanting to use the resulting concoction .
I started by putting whole herbs in the pot with everything but the honey and benzoin. I stirred to combine, and got most of the lumps out.
I brought the mixture to a boil and added honey. I skimmed the scum from the top as best as I could, and once it had boiled for a few minutes of boiling, I added the benzoin and reduced the heat to a simmer.
As you can see by the photo above, the mixture coated the wooden spoon. It had a pungent and wholly overpowering odor. The color, caused by the ground cinnamon and clay, added to its general unpleasantness.
I simmered it, removing scum every 2-3 minutes. Once it had simmered for the allotted time, I removed the rosemary and tarragon stems and leaves (as much as possible) and poured the mixture into glass containers and let them cool completely.
This morning, it was still had liquid, but a thick liquid, with a gravy like consistency. It had also separated slightly.
So, for the next try, I am going to use whole ingredients and get more specific information on a typical glass size. I may also strain it through cheesecloth to remove any loose materials.