Stirling Council Archives November 2011 Document of the Month

Murray of Polmaise Collection example
Kippering a 20lb salmon and a cure for  Biliousness.
Two archival documents linked by possible cause and effect! GD189/12/46 (Murray of Polmaise Collection) is a recipe for Kippering a 20 lb Salmon.  The second document is a ‘Medicine for Bilious Complaints’, PD1/63.  The active ingredient is presumably the Soda, rather than the ‘grains of Rhubarb’ and the as yet unidentified‘Columberioch’.  Any ideas about the identity of this ingredient?  Please let us know!  Both documents are undated, but appear 19th C in origin.
(Chosen by Pam McNicol, Stirling Council Archivist)'.

A cure for Biliousness PD1/63

A medicine for what are called Bilious comp-plaints, but which are generally occasioned by an Acid generated in the stomach. 
Take five grains of Columberioch, five grains of Rhubarb; and five grains of salt of Soda, mix the whole with cold water, and take the dose a quarter of an hour before dinner, either every day or every second day, as the case may require. If the medicine purges, put less Soda in it. It is not bile from the liver but an Acid generated in the Stomach itself which occasion the greater part of those Stoma=tic Disorders, which are so ruinous to the health.  The medicine described neutralizes that acid, and preserves the health, by rendering it innocent.  This is particularly necessary to secure that object before eating otherwise, the acid mixes with the food, gets into the blood by the internal obserbents & occasions one half of the disorders
 with which the human race is afflicted.  Such as Pains of the Stomach, bowels, belly and back, and as also violent nervish convulsive disorders which often terminate in fits which is recon-ed only to affect those who are of a strong constitution it may be given with Safety to any person who are Severly troubled with vo-miting as it is very often from this complaint that vomiting arises –

To Kipper a Salmon GD189/12/46

To Kipper a Salmon of
Twenty Pounds weight
Cut the fish first down
the back & take out the
bone as cleanly as possible
 then lay your fish on a flat board.  If a very thick fish score The skin at the back & rub in some salt Then take 10 Table Spoonsful of Salt & 10 of brown sugar Rub this Mixture well into the fish Next Morning rub well in 5 more spoonsful of salt & also of sugar - &the same the following day.
On the fourth day the

To Kipper a Salmon pt 2 GD189/12/46

Kipper may be hung up & used immediately The same rules apply In a lesser fish observing The proportions according to the type of the fish A little pepper an improve -ment when liked –  and also preferable to eat the Kipper from the board always having any of the liquid rubbed into the fish – 
The head Sh[oul]d be Cut off as apt to Spoil. Fish should be only wiped clean & rubbed with the Salt.