The English physitian: or an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation. Being a compleat method of physick ... / By Nich. Culpeper.

  • Culpeper, Nicholas, 1616-1654.
Date:
1652
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The English physitian: or an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation. Being a compleat method of physick ... / By Nich. Culpeper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ' leaft it might not be unfufFerablej and indeed moft of their Pills though not all are very bit- 3 lam of a clean contrary Opinion to this, I rather think they were done up in this hard form that lo they might be the longer in dige- fting, and my Opinion is grounded upon Reafon too, not upon Fancy nor Hear-fay 5 The firft invention of Pills was to purge the Head, now as I told you before, dlich Infir¬ mities as lay neer the paifages, were beft re¬ moved by Decodions, becaufe they pafs to the grieved part fooneft, fo here, if the infir- , mity lie in the Head or any other remote part, the beft way is to ufe Pills, becaufe they are longer in digeftion, and therefore the better a- blc to call the offending Humor to them.’ 4 If I ftiould tell you here along Tale of Medicines working by Sympathy and Anti¬ pathy, you would not underftand a word of it, they that are fit to make Phyfitians mvj find it in the Treatife : All Modern Phyfitians know not what belonged to.a Sympathetical Cure, no more than a Cookoo knows what belongs to Flats and Sharps in Mufick, but follow the vulgar road, and call it a hidden quality be¬ caufe’tis hid from the Eyes of Dunces, and indeed none but Aftrologers can give a reafon of it, and Phyfick without Reafon is like a pudding without Fat. y The way to make Pills is very eafie, for with the help of a Peftle and Mortar and a lit¬ tle diligence,'you may make any Pouder into Pills, either with Syrup or the j elly I told you of before. Chap. ult. T/;e way of mixing SMedicims according to the Caufe of the Difeafe and part of the dy ajfiiBed, THis being indeed the Key of the Work, I ftiall be fomthing the more dilligent in it; I (hall deliver my felf thus I. To the Vulgar. 2. To Such as ftudy .AflroLogy, or Juch as ftudy Thyftck ^ftrolomally. Firft to the Vulgar : Kind fouls I am forry it hath been your hard miihap to have been fo long trained in fuch Egyptian darknefs, even darknefs which to your forrsws may be ftltj the vulgar road of Phyfick is not my praftice, and I am therefore the more unfit to give you * Galen's advice i and 1 have now publiftied a little ^rt of Book which will fully inftrua you not Thyrtck- only in the knowledg of your own Bodies but alfo in fit Medicines to remedy each part of it when afflifted, mean fcafon take thefe few Rules to ftay your Stomachs. 1. With the Difcafe regard the Caufe and part of the Bodv afflided, for example, fup- pofe a Woman be fubjed to mifeatry through wind, thus do, 1. Look [^.Abortion'] in the Table of Dif- eafesj and you ftiall be direded by that how many Herbs prevent mlfcarriage. 2. Look Imnd] in the fame Table, and you ftiall fee how many of thofe Herbs expell wind. Thele are the Herbs Medicinal for your Grief. 2. In all Difeafes ftrengthen the part of the Body afflided. ?. In mixed Difeafes there lies fome diffi¬ culty, for lomtimes two parts of the Body are afflided with contrary Humors the one to the other, fomtimes one part is afflided with two contrary Humors, as fomtimes the Liver is afflided with Choller and Water, as when a man hath both a Dropfie and the yellow Jaun¬ dice, a^d this is ufually mortal. In the former, fuppofc the Brain be too cold and moift, and the Liver too hot and dry, thus do, 1. Keep yeur Head outwardly warn?- 2. Accuftomyour fclf to fmell of hot Herbs. 3. Tal^c aPili that heats the Head at night going to bed. 4. In the mor?mg la\e a DecoCiion that cools the Liver^ for that quiclily pajfetk the Stomneb) and h at the Liver imme¬ diately. You muft not think (Courteous People) that I can fpend time to give you examples of all Difeafes, thefe are enough to let you fee fo much light as you without Art are able to re¬ ceive, If I fhould fet you to look upon the Sun I ftiould dalle your eyes and make you blind. Secondly, To fuch as ftudy Afttology (who are the only men I know that are fit to ftudy Phyfick, Phyfick without Aftrology, being like a Lamp without Oyl) you are men I excee¬ dingly refped, and (uch Documents as my Brain can give you at prefent (being abfent from my ftudy) I ftiall give you, and an exam¬ ple to ftiew the proof of them. 1. Fortifie the Body with Herbs of the Na¬ ture of the lord of the Afcendent, ’tis no mat¬ ter whether he be a Fortune or an Infortune in this cafe. 2. Let your Medicine be fomthing Antipa¬ thetical to the lord of the fixth. 3. Let your Medicine be fomthing of the Nature of the Sign afeending. 4. If the lord of the Tenth be ftrong, make ufe of his Medicines. 5. If this cannot well be, make ufe of the Medicines of the lig^lt of time. 6. Be fure alwaies fortifie the grieved part of the body by Sympathetical Remedies. ' ^ 7- Regard