What is surfeit water?
Surfeit water is a medicinal liquid designed to alleviate the effects of overindulgence in eating or drinking. The essential ingredients in these concoctions are alcohol, usually in the form of brandy or Aqua Vitae, dried fruits and poppy flowers. Believe it or not, Papaver Rhoeas (corn poppy, field poppy, and red poppy) were often used. This might not seem unusual at first, but it should be noted that this variety of poppy does not contain the alkaloids found in other opium producing varieties. Evidence does suggest that there may be some mild sedative properties imparted by this particular species of poppy, which is probably one of the reasons it was used in this particular remedy for digestive discomfort. Surfeit water was generally an aid prescribed by your local barkeep, not by your doctor. The earliest documented use of the term surfeit water dates back to 1633. It should be noted that during that century, there was very little distinction between a doctor and a barkeep. The mode
