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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    To kill lice, boil the roots of Hellebore in milk, and anoint the hair of the head therewith or other places/’ “Sarsaparilla 67 [p. 77] or rough bind-weed (see the rarities of New England). The leaves of the Sarsaparilla there described pounded with Hogs grease and boiled to an unguent, is excellent in the curing of wounds.” “Live for ever68 [p. 78], it is a kind of Cud-weed, flourished all sum¬ mer long till cold weather comes in, it growes now plentifully in our English Gardens, it is good for Cough of the lungs, and to cleanse the breast taken as you do Tobacco; and for pain in the head the decoction, or the juice strained and drunk in Bear, Wine, or Aqua vitae,69 killeth worms. The Fishermen when they want Tobacco take this herb being cut and dryed.” Water-lillys 70 [p. 80] : “The black roots dryed and pulverized, are wondrous effectual in stopping of all manner of fluxes of the belly, drunk with wine or water.” Herba-paris 71 [p. 80] : “One berry, herb true love, or four-leaved night¬ shade, the leaves are good to be laid upon hot tumours.” as “Sorrel” and the Oxalis family as “Wood Sorrel,” it is more than likely that Josse- lyn had the last named in mind. However, as only the common name is given and no description, in “Voyages,” we are left in the dark as to the author’s species. The fact that he mentions “Sorrel” in one instance in “Rarities” and “Wild Sorrel” in another gives some light, and would seem to indicate that he might have meant some other plant than the white or the yellow species of Oxalis in this connection. However, as all of tne sorrels and wood sorrels are acid vegetation, any one of them might have served equally in the treatment of scurvy. (Felter.) 66 A kind of cress, of the mustard family, of which several species have been called Scurvy-grass. Particularly the plant Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia officinalis L.) or Spoon- wort growing in northern Europe and Arctic America, “was highly prized by Arctic explorers for food and as a remedy for scurvy” (Standard Diet.). Possibly this was the plant called by Josselyn “Sea-scurvie grass.” Barbarea verna (Mill) Asch. (Early Winter Cress), introduced from Europe and naturalized from Massachusetts south¬ ward, according to Gray’s Manual (fourth ed.), is somewhat cultivated as a winter salad, under the name of Scurvy Grass. (Felter.) 67 In “Rarities” Josselyn mentions Sarsaparilla [as Sarsaparilia], two plants, one thornless and the other with thorns. Tuckerman assumed the first to be Arkilia nudi caulis L., known as Wild Sarsaparilla, and the second as Aralia hispida Vent., the Bristly Sarsaparilla or Wild Elder. The plant here referred to as Rough Bind-weed would seem to be the latter. (Felter.) 68 Antennaria margaritaceae (L.) Br. Everlasting. (Felter.) 69 Aqua vitae. Either Brandy or Whiskey is probably meant by Josselyn. Accord¬ ing to Hooper (Medical Diet., 1850), “ardent spirit of the first distillation has been dis¬ tinguished in commerce by this name;” Gould (Practitioners’ Med. Diet.), “Brandy or spirit;” Dorland (Med. Diet.), “Braridy.” In the latest (seventh) edition of Reming¬ ton’s Pharmacy (1926) we are told that we have “no definite record of strong alcohokc liquors prepared by distillation until Arnold of Villanova, who wrote in the latter part of the thirteenth century, and who called such a product aqua vini or aqua vitae. (Felter.) 70Nymphaea advena Aiton (Nuphar advena Ait.). Yellow Pond Lily or Spatter- dock. (Felter.) 71 Most likely Cornus canadensis L. Bunch-berry or Dwarf Cornel. (Felter.)