



Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)  In loving memory of Poppy Curnow, who
loved her herb garden.






[Transcriber's Note: As with any medicinal work first published in the
1600s and rewritten countless times, it should go without saying to not
attempt these recipes. Just in case, the transcriber has now said it.
Also, many and varied were the printing and publishing anomalies, for a
more complete explanation, see the extensive notes collected at the end
of this text.]



[Illustration: NICHOLAS CULPEPER, M.D.

Author of the Family Herbal.]

[Illustration: RED LION HOUSE, SPITALFIELDS

IN WHICH CULPEPER LIVED, STUDIED AND DIED]



  THE

  COMPLETE HERBAL;

  TO WHICH IS NOW ADDED, UPWARDS OF

  ONE HUNDRED ADDITIONAL HERBS,

  WITH A DISPLAY OF THEIR

  Medicinal and Occult Qualities

  PHYSICALLY APPLIED TO

  THE CURE OF ALL DISORDERS INCIDENT TO MANKIND:

  TO WHICH ARE NOW FIRST ANNEXED, THE

  ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED,

  AND

  KEY TO PHYSIC.

  WITH

  RULES FOR COMPOUNDING MEDICINE ACCORDING TO THE TRUE SYSTEM OF NATURE.

  FORMING A COMPLETE

  FAMILY DISPENSATORY AND NATURAL SYSTEM OF PHYSIC.

  ————————————
  BY NICHOLAS CULPEPER, M.D.
  ————————————

  TO WHICH IS ALSO ADDED,

  UPWARDS OF FIFTY CHOICE RECEIPTS,

  SELECTED FROM THE AUTHOR’S LAST LEGACY TO HIS WIFE.

  A NEW EDITION,

  WITH A LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL DISEASES TO WHICH THE HUMAN BODY IS
      LIABLE,

  AND A GENERAL INDEX.

  _Illustrated by Engravings of numerous British Herbs and Plants,
        correctly  from nature._

  ———————
  “The Lord hath created Medicines out of the earth; and he that is
      wise will not abhor them.”—_Ecc._ xxxviii. 4.
  ———————

  LONDON:
  THOMAS KELLY, 17, PATERNOSTER ROW.
  ———
  MDCCCL.




    LONDON;
    A. CROSS, PRINTER, 89, PAUL STREET,
    FINSBURY.




[Transcriber's Notes: All plates were done by: THOMAS KELLY, LONDON]


PLATE 1.

    Alexander
    Agrimony
    Alkanet
    Allheal
    Amara Dulcis _or_ Bitter Sweet
    Amaranthus
    Adder's Tongue
    Angelica
    Alehoof _or_ Ground Ivy


PLATE 2.

    Garden Arrach
    Avens
    Ars smart
    Basil
    Archangel
    Beets
    Yellow Bedstraw
    White Bedstraw
    Water Betony


PLATE 3.

    Bird’s Foot
    Bishop’s Weed
    Bistort _or_ Snakeweed
    White Briony
    Borage
    Brooklime
    Bucks-horn Plantain
    Brank Ursine
    Blue Bottle


PLATE 4.

    Burdock
    Butter-bur
    Wall Bugloss
    Bugle
    Camomile
    Carraway
    Centaury
    Wild Carrot
    Celandine


PLATE 5.

    Chervill
    Comfry
    Cleavers
    Coltsfoot
    Crabs Claws _or_ Fresh water Soldier
    Cowslip
    Columbine
    Shrub Cinquefoil
    Costmary


PLATE 6.

    Crowfoot
    Cuckow Point
    Water Cress
    Cudweed
    Crosswort
    Dill
    Dandelion
    Daisy
    Devils Bit


PLATE 7.

    Eringo
    Eyebright
    Elecampane
    Dock
    Dragons
    Dog’s Grass
    Dropwort
    Dove’s Foot
    Bloody Dock


PLATE 8.

    Foxglove
    Flower-de-luce
    Figwort
    Fleawort
    Fumitory
    Fluellin
    Fennel
    Flaxweed
    Feverfew


PLATE 9.

    Wall Hawkweed.
    Hart’s Tongue.
    Mouse-ear Hawkweed.
    Gentian.
    Golden Rod.
    Galingal.
    Clove Gilliflower.
    Groundsel.
    Germander.


PLATE 10.

    Longrooted Hawkweed
    Hearts Ease
    Hounds Tongue
    Herb Robert
    Marsh Pennywort
    White Horehound
    Henbane
    Truelove
    Hemlock


PLATE 11.

    Knapweed
    Lady’s Mantle
    Ladysmock
    Sea Lavender
    Water Lily
    Liquorice
    Loosestrife or Willowherb
    Liver Wort
    Lily of the Valley


PLATE 12.

    Lovage
    Lungwort
    Loosestrife _or_ Wood Willow-herb
    Maidenhair
    Field Madder
    Marsh Mallow
    Marigold
    Melilot
    Masterwort


PLATE 13.

    Mouse Ear
    Moon-wort
    Field Mouse Ear
    Yellow Money-wort
    Black Mullein
    Mother-wort
    Mug-wort
    White Mullein
    White Mustard


PLATE 14.

    Black Mustard
    Common Nightshade
    Deadly Nightshade
    Nep
    Nailwort
    Orpine
    Cow Parsnip
    Rock Parsley
    Wild Parsnip


PLATE 15.

    Pellitory of the Wall
    Periwinkle
    Pepper-wort
    Pimpernel
    Plantain
    Polypody
    White Poppy
    Corn Rose Poppy
    Primrose


PLATE 16.

    Privet
    Queen of the Meadow
    Meadow Rue
    Cress Rocket
    Rattle Grass
    Rocket Cress
    Ragwort
    Rapture Wort
    Saffron


PLATE 17.

    Meadow Saxifrage
    Great Sanicle
    Samphire
    Garden Scurvygrass
    Scabious
    Shepherd’s Purse
    Saracen’s Confound
    Self-heal
    Burnet Saxifrage


PLATE 18.

    Yellow Succory
    Solomon’s Seal
    Wild Succory
    Spignel
    Wood Sorrel
    Common Sorrel
    Smallage
    Sow Thistle
    Tansy


PLATE 19.

    Treacle Mustard
    Tustan
    Thorough Wax
    Tooth-wort
    Trefoil
    Tormentil
    Lady’s Thistle
    Wild Teazle
    Cotton Thistle


PLATE 20.

    Vervain
    Valerian
    Viper’s Bugloss
    Woad
    Woodbine
    Wall Flower
    Wormwood
    Sea Wormwood
    Yarrow




CULPEPER’S

ORIGINAL EPISTLE TO THE READER.


TAKE Notice, That in this Edition I have made very many Additions to
every sheet in the book: and, also, that those books of mine that are
printed of that Letter the small Bibles are printed with, are very
falsely printed: there being twenty or thirty gross mistakes in every
sheet, many of them such as are exceedingly dangerous to such as shall
venture to use them: And therefore I do warn the Public of them: I can
do no more at present; only take notice of these Directions by which
you shall be sure to know the _True one_ from the _False_.

_The first Direction._—The true one hath this Title over the head of
every Book, THE COMPLETE HERBAL AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. The
small Counterfeit ones have only this Title, THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN.

_The second Direction._—The true one hath these words, GOVERNMENT
AND VIRTUES, following the time of the Plants flowering, &c. The
counterfeit small ones have these words, VIRTUES AND USE, following the
time of the Plants flowering.

_The third Direction._—The true one is of a larger Letter than the
counterfeit ones, which are in _Twelves