Culpeper's complete herbal : consisting of a comprehensive description of nearly all British and foreign herbs; with their medicinal properties and directions for compounding the medicines extracted from them.

Nicholas Culpeper

Date:: [1900?]

Credit: Culpeper's complete herbal : consisting of a comprehensive description of nearly all British and foreign herbs; with their medicinal properties and directions for compounding the medicines extracted from them. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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$VALEEIAN (WATER.)—(Valeriana Aquatica.) Descrip.—The roots are long, slender, and creeping, sending out a few small white fibres. The leaves which spring from them are almost round, but somewhat point- ed. The leaves which grow on the stalks, are like those of the garden kind, bat less. We have two species of this Vale- rian, one rises higher than the other, having three pairs of leaves set opposite; the umbels grow closer, and the iiow- ers are a great deal smaller than the other, which rise not so high, and has but two pairs of leaves on the stalks. The flowers are much larger, and like the garden Valerian, but of a ])ale purple colour, as are also the former. Place.—They grow promiscuously in marshy grounds and moist meadows. ^me.—They flower in May. VALEEIAN (TRUE WILD.)—(Valeriana JSylvesiris.) Descrip.—This has a root divided into several white thick strings, of no scent when taken out of the ground, but smelliug very strong when dry. The stalks rise about a yard high° hollow, and channelled, having several long winged leaves, whose pinnae are long, sharp-pointed, and serrated about the edges, high-veiued, and rather hairy ; the leaves which grow on the stalks are narrow. The flow- ers are of a purple colour ; both flowers and seeds are shaped like the garden Valerian. It grows in woods and dry places ; and flowers in May. Place.—It is found on dry heaths and in high pastures. Virtues.—The root has a strong and disagreeable smell, warm to the taste, bitter, and a little acrid. In habitual costiveness, it is an excellent medicine, and will loosen the belly when other purgatives prove ineffectual. It is excel- lent against nervous affections, such as head-aches, trem- bling, palpitations, vapours, and hysteric complaints. VEEVAIN {COMM.O'i^.)—(Verbena Officinalis.) Descrip.—This has broad leaves next the ground, deep- ly gashed about the edges, of a blackish green colour oa the upper side, somewhat greyish underneath. The stalk is square, branched into several parts, rismg about two feet hio-h, with a long spike of flowers of a blue colour and white intermixed, after which come small round seeds m Bmall rather long heads ; the root is small, but of no use.$