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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$ARCHANGEL. of hard labour in child-birth. It makes \ White Archangel hath divers square barren women fruitful. It cleanseth the \ stalks, none standing straight upward, but womb if it be foul, and strengthens it ex- j bending downward, whereon stand two ceedino-ly ; it provokes the terms if they be \ leaves at a joint, larger and more pointed stopped, and stops them if they flow imniode- \ than the other, dented about the edges, and rately; you can desire no good to your | greener also, more like unto Nettle leaves, womb, but this herb Avill effect it; there- \ but not stinking, yet hairy. At the joints fore if you love children, if you love health, \ with the leaves stand larger and more open if you love ease, keep a syrup always by | gaping white floAvers, husks round about you, made of the juice of this herb, and the stalks, but not with such a bush of leaves sugar, (or honey, if it be to cleanse the \ as flowers set in the top, as is on the other Avomb) and let such as be rich keep it for i Avherein stand small roundish black seeds; their poor neighbours; and bestoAv it as \ the root is Avhite, Avith many strings at it, freely as I bestoAv my studies upon them, or | not growing doAvnAvard but lying under the else let them look to answer it another day, i upper crust of the earth, and abides many when the Lord shall come to make inquisi- | years increasing; this has not so strong a tion for blood. * scent as the former. 1 YelloAv Archangel is like the White in ; the stalks and leaves; but that the stalks To put a gloss upon their practice, the \ are more straight and upright, and the joints physicians call an herb (which country peo- \ with leaves are farthera sunder, having lon- j)le vulgarly know by the name of Dead \ ger leaves than the former, and the floAvers Nettle) Archangel; whether they favour \ a little larger and more gaping, of a fair more of superstition or folly, I leave to the 1 yellow colour in most, in some paler. The judicious reader. There is more curiosity I roots are like Avhite, only they creep not so than courtesy to my countrymen used by \ much under the ground, others in the explanation as Avell of the * Place.~\ They grow almost every Avhere, names, as description of this so AA^ell knoAvn t (unless it be in the middle of the street) the herb; Avhich that I may not also be guilty of, | yelloAv most usually in the Avet grounds of take this short description first of the Red \ Avoods, and sometimes in the dryer, in divers Archangel. This is likcAvise called Bee j counties of this nation. Nettle. I Time.^ They floAver from the beginning DescriptJ] This has divers square stalks, I of the Spring all the Summer long* somewhat hairy, at the joints Avhereof groAv x Government and virtues.^ The Archangels tAvo sad green leaves dented about the edges, \ are somewhat hot and drier than the sting- opposite to one another to the loAvermost \ ing Nettles, and used Avith better success upon long foot stalks, but Avithout any to- | for the stopping and hardness of the spleen, ward the tops, Avhich are somewhat round, ! than they, by using the decoction of the yet pointed, and a little crumpled and \ herb in Avine, and afterAvards applying the hairy; round about the upper joints, A\Lere \ herb hot into the region of the spleen as a the leaves groAv thick, are sundry gaping | plaister, or the decoction Avith spunges. flowers of a pale reddish colour; after which j FloAvers of the White Archangel are pre- come the seeds three or four in a husk. ; served or conserved to be used to stay the The root is smaller and thready, perishing \ Avhites, and the flowers of the red to stay every year; the A\diole plant hath a strong \ the reds in Avomen. It makes the heart scent but not stinking. j merry, drives aAvay melancholy, quickens$