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]
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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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    “Umbilicus veneris 72 [p. 80], or New-England daisie, it is good for hot humours, Erisipelas, St. Anthonie's fire, all inflammations.” Glass-wort 73 [p. 80], “a little quantity of this plant take for the Dropsie, but be very careful that you take not too much, for it worketh impetuously.” “Water-plantane 74 [p. 80], called in New-England water Suck-leaves, and Scurvie-leaves, you must lay them whole to the leggs to draw out water between the skin and the flesh.” “Coraline75 [p. 81], laid to the gout easeth the pain.” “Avens 76 [p. 79], or herb-bennet; [you have an account New England rarities] but one thing more I shall add, that you may plainly perceive a more masculine quality in the plants growing in New-England. A neighbor of mine in Hay time, having overheat himself, and melted his grease, with striv¬ ing to outmowe another man, fell dangerously sick, not being able to turn him¬ self in his bed, his stomach gon, and his heart fainting ever and anon; to whom I administered the decoction of Avens-Roots and leaves in water and 72 Tuckerman believes this undoubtedly to be the Virginian or Early Saxifrage (Saxifraga Virginiensis Michaux). He adds that the properties he assigns here (see others in “Rarities, p. 58) are those attributed in Johnson’s edition of Gerarde’s Herball to Great navel-wort or Wall pennywort (Cotyledon umbilicus Huds.). In “Rarities” Josselyn names it “New England Daysie, or Primrose” ... a “kind of Navel Wort.” (Felter.) 72 Salicornm europaea L. (Salicornia herbacea L.) (Felter.) 74 Alisma Plmitago-aquatica L. Water plantain. (Felter.) 75 Coralline, “a submarine, semicalcareous or calcareous plant, consisting of many jointed branches” (Webster’s Diet.). Parkinson (“Theatrum Botanicum,” pub. 1640) discourses in his intimate and entertaining manner upon “Huscus marinus Corallina flictus, Hard Sea Mosse or Coralline,” devoting a whole chapter to the subject. He takes note of and describes six species. Of the first or Common White Coralline he writes: “The ordinary Coralline which is used in the Apothecary shoppes, is a sort of white, hard or stony Mosse, growing usually on the Rocks in or neere the Sea, rising either from the stones thereof, or the shells of Scallops, Oysters, or the like, and groweth not above an handfull high, spreading sundry small branches like a greenfc herbe, with divers small, short leaves, like hairs thereon, which is soft under water. This is our ordinary Coralline, which is gathered in all our Coasts Westwards, and in those Northerne parts of Europe, as farre as I can learne, but some have affirmed that it hath beene found somewhat reddish, growing upon the Corall it selfe, which is not found but in the deeper Mediterranean Seas, on Rockes under water.” Of its “Vertues” he says: “Coralline is in a manner wholly spent among us to kill the wormes in children, or in elderly persons, and as the matter so the manner, not knowne but in these latter times to Authours, but by what quality it worketh this effect is not declared by any, for it is altogether insipide, or without taste of heate or cold, as Corall it selfe is, and if Corall be so much commended against the stone and fluxes, crampes, the falling sicknesse, and melancholy, &c. as you shall have in its proper Chapter, doe not thinke but these may conduce somewhat thereunto also.” By such elaboration did the old herbalists, who sought to extend the medical knowledge of plants to the people, compose with their goose-quils such ponderous tomes as the one before us; and gave comparatively as much space and time to the most trivial of sub¬ stances—substances which belong now to a closed page of the past. (Felter.) 76 Geum strictum Aiton. (Felter.)