Spoonful of Sugar

On Friday, the Folger Shakespeare Library launches what looks to be an incredibly interesting exhibit, Beyond Home Remedy: Women, Medicine, and Science. The Folger's description: "This exhibition highlights women at all levels of society--from the Countess of Kent and Lady Castleton to Hannah Woolley and Mrs. Anne Coates--who were known to practice medicine. Manuscript, text, and image from the Folger's collection bring the work of these women to life, while natural history specimens and instruments from the Smithsonian help to demonstrate the elaborate nature of the recipes women constructed and shared with one another." On the exhibit's webpage, a host of recipes is offered (plague water, anyone?), as well as images of the rare volumes form which they are taken, for example, Woolley's The compleat servant-maid; or, The young maidens tutor. London, 1683. They've also posted a short video on making the syrup of violets: