The genesis of the American materia medica : including a biographical sketch of "John Josselyn, gent," and the medical and materia medica references in Josselyn's "New-Englands rarities discovered," etc., and in his "Two voyages to New-England," / with critical notes and comments by Harvey Wickes Felter.

  • Felter, Harvey Wickes, 1865-1927.
Date:
[1927]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The genesis of the American materia medica : including a biographical sketch of "John Josselyn, gent," and the medical and materia medica references in Josselyn's "New-Englands rarities discovered," etc., and in his "Two voyages to New-England," / with critical notes and comments by Harvey Wickes Felter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    been given, we also reproduce some brief notes on fatalities en voyage when he came to America; and include some of his chronological data having a bearing upon diseases and mortality. Not alone does he give us the diseases that afflicted the people, but the pests which prey upon the skin of man and make his life miserable. Finally, we shall conclude with his tribute to the plants of the new world which he so greatly admired, and, in a foot-note, allude to a great number of medicinal plants he listed but for which he men¬ tions no uses. First, let us have his graphic description of the Indians.—F.] Description of New England Indians [Title Ours]. [Pp. 124-128] : “As for their persons they are tall and handsome timber’d people, out-wristed, pale and lean Tartarian visag’d, black eyed which is ac¬ counted the strongest for sight, and generally black hair’d, both smooth and curl’d wearing of it long. No beards, or very rarely, their Teeth are very white, short and even, they account them the most necessary and best parts of man; And as the Austreans are known by their great lips, the Bavarians by their pokes under their chins, the Jews by their goggle eyes, so the Indians by their flat noses, yet are not so much deprest as they are to the Southward. “The Indesses that are young, are some of them very comely, having good features, their faces plump and round, and generally plump of their Bodies, as are the men likewise, and as soft and smooth as a mole-skin, of reasonable good complexions, but that they dye themselves tawnie, many prettie Brown- etto’s and spider finger’d Lasses may be seen amongst them. The Vetula’s or old women are lean and uglie, all of them are of modest demeanor, consider¬ ing their Savage breeding; and indeed do shame our English rusticks, whose rudeness in many things exceedeth theirs. “Of disposition very inconstant, crafty, timorous, quick of apprehension, and very ingenious, soon angry, and so malicious that they seldom forget an injury, and barbarously cruel, witness their direful revenges upon one another. Prone to injurious violence and slaughter, by reason of their bloud dryed up with overmuch fire, very lecherous proceeding from choller adust and melan¬ choly, a salt and sharp humour; very fingurative or theevish, and bold impor¬ tunate beggars, both Men and Women guilty of Misoxenie or hatred to strangers, a quality appropriated to the old Brittains, all of them Cannibals, eaters of humane flesh. And so were formerly the Heathen-Irish, who used to feed upon the Buttocks of Boyes and Womens Paps; it seems it is natural to Savage people to do so.”18a [Pp. 127-128] : “Wives they have two or three, according to the ability of their bodies and strength of their concupiscence, who have the easiest labours of any women in the world; they will go when their time is come alone, carry- 18a An instance where Josselyn seems to lose his usual balance and becomes credu¬ lous of the tales of wagging tongues. (Felter.)