[Theriacs in charity books, during the 17th and the 18th centuries].

"Charity books" were books containing formulas of remedies, which were easy to prepare and not too expensive. Their purpose was to cure poor people who had not enough money to have access to official Medicine or who lived too far away from medicine doctors and apothecaries. They were then useful for charitable people such as country priests or charitable Ladies. Great Theriacs were very expensive and too difficult to prepare to be described in this kind of books for non-professional people. Simplified formulas were then proposed. They contained much less products and were quite cheaper. Some of these medicines are described in this article.