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
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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.

    49/500 (page 29)
    colour of it: Hurt-sickle, because it turns : the edge of tlie sickles that reap the corn; Blue-blow, Corn flower, and Blue-bottle. Descript.'] I shall only describe that which is commonest, and in my opinion most useful; its leaves spread upon the i ground, being of a whitish green colour, i somewhat on the edges like those of corn- i scabions, amongst which rises up a stalk i divided into divers branches, beset with i long leaves of a greenish colour, either but : very little indented, or not at all; the i flowers are of a blueish colour, from whence i it took its name, consisting of an innumera- : ble company of flowers set in a scaly head, not much unlike those of knap weed; the ; seed is smooth, bright, and shining, wrapp- ed up in a wooly mantle; the root perishes every year. P/ace.] They grow in corn fields, amongst all soits of corn, (pease, beans, and tares excepted.) If you please to take them up from thence, and transplant them in your garden, especially towards the full of the moon, they will grow more double than they are, and many times change colour. Time.'] They flower from the beginning of May, to the. end of harvest. Government and viHues.] As they are naturally cold, dry, and binding, so they are under the dominion of Saturn. The powder or dried leaves of the Blue-bottle, or Corn flower, is given with good success to those that are bruised by a fall, or have broken a vein inwardly, and void much blood at the mouth; being taken in the water of plaintain, horsetail, or the greater comfrey, it is a remedy against the poison of the scorpion, and resists all venoms and poison. The seed or leaves taken in wine, is very good against the plague, and all in- fectious diseases, and is very good in pes- : tilential fevers. The juice put into fresh or green wounds, doth quickly solder up the ! lips of them together, and is very eftectual to heal all ulcers and sores in the mouth. The juice dropped into the eyes takes away the heat and inflammation of them. The distilled water of this herb, has the same properties, and may be used for the effects aforesaid. BRANK URSINE. Besides the common name Brank- Ursine, it is also called Bears-breech, and Acanthus, though I think our English names to be more proper; for the Greek word Aca7ithus, signifies any thistle what- soever. Descript.] This thistle shoots forth very many large, thick, sad green smooth leaves on the ground, with a very thick and juicy middle rib; the leaves are parted with sundry deep gashes on the edges ; the leaves remain a long time, before any stalk ap- pears, afterwards rises up a reasonable big stalk, three or four feet high, and bravely decked with flowers from the middle of the stalk upwards ; for on the lower part of the stalk, there is neither branches nor leaf The flowers are hooded and gaping, being white in colour, and standing in brownish husks, with a long small undivided leaf under each leaf; they seldom seed in our country. Its roots are many, great and thick, blackish without and whitish within, full of a clammy sap; a piece of them if you set it in the garden, and defend it from the first Winter cold, will grow and flourish. Place.] They are only nursed in the gardens in England, where they will grow very well. Ti?ne.] It flow^ers in June and July. Government and virtues^ It is an excel- lent plant under the dominion of the Moon ; I could wdsh such as are studious w^ould labour to keep it in the gardens. The leaves being boiled and used in glisters, is excellent good to molify the belly, and make the passage slippery. The decoction drank inwardly, is excellent and good for the bloody-flux : The leaves being bruised,