Culpeper's complete herbal ... To which are ... annexed his English physician enlarged, and Key to [Galen's Method of] physic ... to which is also added ... receipts selected from the author's Last legacy / Nicholas Culpeper.

Nicholas Culpeper

Date:: 1814

Credit: Culpeper's complete herbal ... To which are ... annexed his English physician enlarged, and Key to [Galen's Method of] physic ... to which is also added ... receipts selected from the author's Last legacy / Nicholas Culpeper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$hollow, long flowers, of a blueish purple colour, with small white spots upon the lips that hang down. The root is small with strings. P/ace.] It is commonly found under hedges, and on the sides of ditches, under houses, or in shadowed lanes, and other waste grounds, in almost every part of this land. Time^ They flower somewhat early, and abide a great while; the leaves continue green until Winter, and sometimes abide, except the Winter be very sharp and cold. G&veimment and virtues.'\ It is an herb of Venus, and therefore cures the diseases she causes by sympathy, and those of Mars by antipathy ; you may usually find it all the year long except the year be extremely frosty; it is quick, sharp, and bitter in taste, and is thereby found to be hot and dry; a singular herb for all inward wounds, exul- cerated lungs, or other parts, either by itself, or boiled with other the like herbs; and being drank, in a short time it eases all griping pains, windy and choleric humours in the stomach, spleen or belly; helps the yellow jaundice, by opening the stoppings of the gall and liver, and melancholy, by opening the stoppings of the spleen; ex- pelleth venom or poison, and also the plague; it provokes urine and 'womens* courses; the decoction of it in wine drank for some time together, procureth ease to them that are troubled with the sciatica, or hip-gout: as also the gout in hands, knees, or feet; if you put to the decoction some honey and a little burnt allum, it is excellent good to gargle any sore mouth or throat, and to wash the sores and ulcers in the privy parts of man or woman; it speedily helps green wounds, being bruised and bound thereto. The iuice of it boiled with a little honey and verdigrease, both wonderfully cleanse fistulas, ulcers, and stayeth the spreading or eating of cancers and ulcers; it helpeth the itch, scabs, wheals, and other breakings out in any part of the body. The juice of Celandine, Field-daisies, and Ground-ivy clarified, and a little fine sugar dissolved therein, and dropped into the eyes, is a sovereign remedy for all pains, redness, and watering of them; as also for the pin and web, skins and films growing over the sight; it helps beasts as well as men. The juice dropped into the ears, wonderfully helps, the noise and singing of them, and helps the hearing which is decayed. It is good to tun up with new drink, for it will clarify it in a night, that it will be the fitter to be drank the next morning; or if any drink be thick with removing, or any other acci- dent, it will do the like in a few hours. ALEXANDER. It is called Alisander, Horse-parsley, and Wild-parsley, and the Black Pot-herb ; the seed of it is that which is usually sold in apothecaries* shops for Macedonian Parsley- seed. Descript.'] It is usually sown in all the gardens in Europe, and so w'ell known, that it needs no farther description. Time.] It flowers in June and July ; the seed is ripe in August. Govermnent and virtues^ It is an herb of Jupiter, and therefore friendly to nature, for it -warms a cold stomach, and opens a stoppage of the liver and spleen; it is good to move womens* courses, to expel the after- birth, to break wind, to provoke urine and helps the stranguary; and these things the seeds wall do likewise. If either of them be boiled in wine, or being bruised and taken in wine, is also effectual against the biting of serpents. And you know Avhat ; Alexander Pottage is good for, that you may no longer eat it out of ignorance, but out of knowledge. THE BLACK ALDER-TREE. Descript^ Tins tree seldom groweth to any great bigness, but for the most part$