Nicholas Culpeper (18 October 1616 – 10 January 1654) was an English
botanist
Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
,
herbalist
Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
,
physician
A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
and
astrologer
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
.
[Patrick Curry: "Culpeper, Nicholas (1616–1654)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004)] His book ''The English Physitian'' (1652, later ''Complete Herbal'', 1653 ff.) is a source of pharmaceutical and herbal lore of the time, and ''Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick'' (1655) one of the most detailed works on
medical astrology
Medical astrology or astrological medicine (traditionally known as iatromathematics) is an ancient applied branch of astrology based mostly on ''melothesia'' (Gr. μελοθεσία), the association of various parts of the body, diseases, and ...
in
Early Modern Europe
Early modern Europe, also referred to as the post-medieval period, is the period of European history between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the mid 15th century to the late 18th century. Histori ...
. Culpeper catalogued hundreds of outdoor
medicinal herb
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...
s. He scolded contemporaries for some of the methods they used in
herbal medicine
Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
: "This not being pleasing, and less profitable to me, I consulted with my two brothers, and , and took a voyage to visit my mother , by whose advice, together with the help of , I at last obtained my desire; and, being warned by , a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it."
Culpeper came from a line of notabilities, including the courtier
Thomas Culpeper
Thomas Culpeper ( – 10 December 1541) was an English courtier and close friend of Henry VIII, and was related to two of his queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. He is known to have had many private meetings with Catherine during he ...
, who was reputed to be a lover of
Katherine Howard
Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second ...
(also a distant relative, her mother was
Joyce Culpeper
Jocasta "Joyce" Culpeper, of Oxon Hoath ( – ) was the mother of Katherine Howard, the fifth wife and Queen consort of King Henry VIII.
Family
Joyce Culpeper, born before 1480, was the daughter of Sir Richard Culpeper (d. 4 October 1484) and ...
), the
fifth wife of
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
.
Biography
Culpeper was the son of Nicholas Culpeper (senior), a cleric. Shortly after his birth his father died and he was taken to
Isfield
Isfield is a small village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex in England, located north-east of Lewes.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publish ...
, the home of his maternal grandfather, the Reverend
William Attersoll
William Attersoll (died 1640), was an English puritan divine and author.
Education
Attersoll was apparently for a time a member of Jesus College, Cambridge, when, as he writes in his "Historie of Balak" (1610), his patron of later years, Sir Henr ...
, where he was brought up by his mother. Attersoll was an influence on the young boy's political and religious beliefs and taught him both Latin and Greek. As a boy Culpeper became interested in astronomy, astrology, time, his grandfather's collection of clocks, and medical texts in Attersoll's library. Meanwhile his grandmother introduced him to the world of medicinal plants and herbs. He would go on, throughout his life, spending time in the countryside cataloguing plants.
From the age of 16 he studied at
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, but it is not known at which college, although his father studied at
Queens', and his grandfather was a member of
Jesus College. He was then apprenticed to an
apothecary
''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...
. After seven years his master absconded with the money paid for the
indenture
An indenture is a legal contract that reflects an agreement between two parties. Although the term is most familiarly used to refer to a labor contract between an employer and a laborer with an indentured servant status, historically indentures we ...
, and soon after, Culpeper's mother died of breast cancer.
In 1640, Culpeper married Alice Field, the 15-year-old heiress of a wealthy
grain merchant, which allowed him to set up a
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
at the
halfway house
A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...
in
Spitalfields
Spitalfields () is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End of London, East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Stre ...
, London, outside the authority of the
City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
, at a time when medical facilities in London were at breaking point. Arguing that "no man deserved to starve to pay an insulting, insolent physician" and obtaining his herbal supplies from the nearby countryside, Culpeper could provide his services free of charge. This and a willingness to examine patients in person rather than simply examining their urine (in his view, "as much piss as the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
might hold" did not help in diagnosis), Culpeper was extremely active, sometimes seeing as many as 40 patients in a morning. Using a combination of experience and
astrology
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
, he devoted himself to using herbs to treat his patients.
During the early months of the
English Civil War
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, Culpeper was accused of witchcraft and the
Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence.
The society is a me ...
tried to rein in his practice. Alienated and radicalised, he joined the London
Trained bands
Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England, Wales and the Americas.Jonathan Worton: Ludlow's Trained Band: A Study of Militiamen in Early Stuart England, ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol. 91, No. 365 ( ...
in August 1643 under the command of
Philip Skippon
Major-General Philip Skippon ( – 20 February 1660) was an English army officer and politician. He fought for the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War as a senior officer in the New Model Army. Prior to the war, Skippon fought in ...
and fought at the
First Battle of Newbury
The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex. Following ...
,
where he carried out
battlefield surgery. He was taken back to London after sustaining a serious chest injury from a bullet, from which he never fully recovered.
There he cooperated with the Republican
astrologer
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
William Lilly
William Lilly (9 June 1681) was a seventeenth century English astrologer. He is described as having been a genius at something "that modern mainstream opinion has since decided cannot be done at all" having developed his stature as the most imp ...
on ''A Prophesy of the White King'', which predicted the King's death. Culpeper died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on 10 January 1654 at the age of 37 and was buried in
New Churchyard, Bethlem.
Only one of his seven children, Mary, reached adulthood. He was survived by his wife, Alice, who married the astrologer
John Heydon in 1656. The date of her death is uncertain: some sources say 1659, but others that she was licensed as a midwife in 1665.
Political beliefs
Influenced during his apprenticeship by the radical preacher
John Goodwin, who said no authority was above question, Culpeper became a radical
republican and opposed the "closed shop" of medicine enforced by censors of the
College of Physicians
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school ...
. In his youth, Culpeper translated medical and herbal texts for his master, such as the ''London Pharmacopaeia'' from
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
. During the political turmoil of the
English Civil War
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, the College of Physicians was unable to enforce its ban on the publication of medical texts, and Culpeper deliberately chose to publish his translations in vernacular English as self-help medical guides for use by the poor, who could not afford to consult physicians. He followed them up with a manual on
childbirth
Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy, where one or more Fetus, fetuses exits the Womb, internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section and becomes a newborn to ...
and with his main work, ''The English Physitian'', which was deliberately sold cheaply. It became available also in colonial America and has been in print continually since the 17th century.
Culpeper saw medicine as a public asset, not a commercial secret, and the prices physicians charged as too high compared with the cheap, universal availability of nature's medicine. He felt the use of Latin and the high fees charged by doctors, lawyers and priests worked to deprive the public of power and freedom.
Culpeper was a radical in his time, angering his fellow physicians by condemning their greed, unwillingness to stray from
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...
and use of harmful practices such as toxic remedies and
bloodletting
Bloodletting (or blood-letting) was the deliberate withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and othe ...
. The
Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence.
The society is a me ...
were similarly incensed by the way he suggested cheap herbal remedies, as opposed to their expensive concoctions.
Philosophy of herbalism
Culpeper attempted to make medical treatments more accessible to lay persons by educating them about maintaining their health. Ultimately his ambition was to reform the system of medicine by questioning traditional methods and knowledge and exploring new solutions for ill health. The systematisation of the use of herbals by Culpeper was a key development in the evolution of modern pharmaceuticals, most of which originally had herbal origins.
[
Culpeper's emphasis on reason rather than tradition is reflected in the introduction to his ''Complete Herbal''. He was one of the best-known astrological botanists of his day, pairing the plants and diseases with planetary influences, countering illnesses with nostrums that were paired with an opposing planetary influence. Combining remedial care with ]Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...
ic humoral philosophy and questionable astrology, he forged a strangely workable system of medicine; combined with his "Singles" forceful commentaries, Culpeper was a widely read source for medical treatment in his time.
Though widely read his reputation was quite mixed. Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
Eleanour Sophie Sinclair Rohde (1881–1950) was a British gardener, garden designer, and horticultural writer. She authored thirty books on gardening between 1913 and 1948, and is best known for her book, ''The Scented Garden'', published in 19 ...
wrote of him, "One cannot help suspecting that Culpeper knew perfectly well what nonsense he was talking, but that he also realised how remunerative such nonsense was and how much is customers were impressed by it." Similarly other modern writers assert that even in his own time he was regarded as, "something of a fraud" or a quack.
Analysis has shown that more than 90% of the botanical entries in ''The English Physitian'' were derived, if not copied outright, from apothecary John Parkinson's ''Theatrum Botanicum'' of 1640. Parkinson's folio was massive, lavishly illustrated, and described over 3800 plants from around Europe. Culpeper's streamlining of the content involved eschewing illustrations, narrowing the focus to only English herbs, and omitting any non-medical uses of said plants, such as in animal husbandry or domestic chores. This smaller scope allowed Culpeper's book to be sold for a small fraction of the price, and resulted in much wider circulation. This flagrant "borrowing" did not escape notice at the time; one fellow apothecary published a 21-page critique including the assertion that "Culpeper's writings are either only other men's writings which he hath translated into English or collections of other men's works which he hath deformed".
Legacy
Culpeper's translations and approach to using herbals have had an extensive impact on medicine in early North American colonies, and even modern medications. Culpeper was one of the first to translate from Latin documents discussing medicinal plants found in the Americas and colonists introduced medicinal plants from the Europe to the New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
because they were featured in herbals like Culpeper's.[ Culpeper described the medical use of the ]foxglove
''Digitalis'' ( or ) is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, shrubs, and biennials, commonly called foxgloves.
''Digitalis'' is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are tubular in sha ...
, the botanical precursor to digitalis
''Digitalis'' ( or ) is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, shrubs, and Biennial plant, biennials, commonly called foxgloves.
''Digitalis'' is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are ...
, used to treat heart conditions. His influence is demonstrated by the existence of a chain of "Culpeper" herb and spice shops in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
and beyond, and by the continued popularity of his remedies among New Age and alternative holistic medicine practitioners.[
Nicholas is featured as the title protagonist in ]Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...
's story "Doctor of Medicine", part of his ''Puck of Pook's Hill
''Puck of Pook's Hill'' is a fantasy book by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1906, containing a series of short stories set in different periods of English history. It can count both as historical fantasy – since some of the stories told of ...
'' anthology.
Excerpts from ''The English Physitian''
Some examples of herbs, their claimed uses and preparations, as set out in ''The English Physitian''.[
*]Anemone
''Anemone'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all regions except Australia, New Zealand, and ...
, as a juice applied externally to clean ulcerations, infections and cure leprosy; or inhaled to clear the nostrils
* Bedstraw, boiled in oil and applied externally as a stimulant, or consumed as an aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...
; also applied raw externally to stimulate clotting
Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The process of coagulation ...
*Burdock
''Arctium'' is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Asia, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Burdock's clinging properties, in addition to providing an excellent mecha ...
, crushed and mixed with salt, as a treatment for dog bites; taken orally for flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion of gas from the Gastrointestinal tract, intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swal ...
, as an analgesic
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...
for tooth pain, and to strengthen the back
* Cottonweed, boiled in lye
Lye is the common name of various alkaline solutions, including soda lye (a solution of sodium hydroxide) and potash lye (a solution of potassium hydroxide). Lyes are used as cleaning products, as ingredients in soapmaking, and in various other c ...
as a treatment for head lice
The head louse (''Pediculus humanus capitis'') is an obligate ectoparasite of humans. Head lice are wingless insects that spend their entire lives on the human scalp and feed exclusively on human blood. Humans are the only known hosts of this s ...
or infestations in cloth or clothing; inhaled for headaches and coughing
*Dittany Dittany is a common name for several species of plants and may refer to:
* '' Dictamnus albus'' (dittany)
*''Ballota pseudodictamnus'' (false dittany)
* ''Origanum dictamnus
''Origanum dictamnus'', the dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany or hop ma ...
, as an abortifacient
An abortifacient ("that which will cause a miscarriage" from Latin: '' abortus'' "miscarriage" and '' faciens'' "making") is a substance that induces abortion. This is a nonspecific term which may refer to any number of substances or medications, ...
, to induce labour; as a treatment for poisoned weapons, and to draw out splinters and broken bones; the smell is said to drive away "venomous beasts". (One species of dittany, ''Dictamnus albus'', is now known to contain alkaloid
Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...
s, limonoid
Limonoids are phytochemicals of the triterpenoid class which are abundant in sweet or sour-scented citrus fruit and other plants of the families Cucurbitaceae, Rutaceae, and Meliaceae. Certain limonoids are antifeedants such as azadirachtin from ...
triterpenoid
Triterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of six isoprene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of three terpene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squalene, the pre ...
s, flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
s, sesquiterpenoid
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many combinations. Biochemical modifications such ...
s, coumarin
Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by an unsaturated lactone ring , forming a second six-me ...
s, and phenylpropane Propylbenzene may refer to:
* ''n''-Propylbenzene, the straight chain isomer (IUPAC name propylbenzene)
* Cumene
Cumene (isopropylbenzene) is an organic compound that contains a benzene ring with an isopropyl substituent. It is a constituent ...
)
* Fleabane, for bites from "venomous beasts", and its smoke for killing gnats and fleas; but dangerous to pregnant women
*Hellebore
Commonly known as hellebores (), the Eurasian genus ''Helleborus'' consists of approximately 20 species of herbaceous or evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Ranunculaceae, within which it gave i ...
, causes sneezing if ground and inhaled; for killing rodents if mixed with food. (Hellebore is now known to contain poisonous alkaloids
Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms i ...
: cardiac glycoside
Cardiac glycosides are a class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and decrease its rate of contractions by inhibiting the cellular sodium-potassium ATPase pump. Their beneficial medical uses include treatments for ...
s in the roots and ranunculin
Ranunculin is a glycoside found in many members of the Ranunculaceae, buttercup family, including species of Helleborus, Anemone, Clematis and most commonly Ranunculus. Glycosides are common in plants, where they serve as defense mechanisms again ...
and protoanemonin
Protoanemonin (sometimes called anemonol or ranunculol) is a toxin whose glyosidic precursor ranunculin is found in many plants of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). When the plant is wounded or macerated, ranunculin is enzymatically broken ...
, especially in the leaves and sap.)
*Mugwort
Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus '' Artemisia.'' In Europe, mugwort most often refers to the species '' Artemisia vulgaris'', or common mugwort. In East Asia the species '' Artemisia argyi'' ...
, for inducing labour, assisting in birth and afterbirth, and easing labour pains
* Pennyroyal, for strengthening the backs of women, assisting with vertigo
Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...
, and helping expel gas. (The active constituent of pennyroyal is now known to be pulegone
Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from the essential oils of a variety of plants such as ''Nepeta cataria'' (catnip), ''Mentha piperita'', and Mentha pulegium, pennyroyal. It is classified as a monoterpene, monoterpenoid ...
.)
* Savory, for helping expel gas, and mixed with peas and beans for this reason
* Wood Betony, for " falling sickness" and headaches, anti-anoretic
An anorectic is a drug that reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. These substances work by affecting the central nervous system or certain neurotransmitters to create a feeling of fullness or reduce the desi ...
, "helps sour belchings", cramps, convulsions, bruises, afterbirth, gout
Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...
, and killing worms
Partial list of works
*''A Physical Directory, or a Translation of the London Directory'' (1649) – translation of the ''Pharmacopoeia Londonesis'' of the Royal College of Physicians.
*''Directory for Midwives'' (1651)
*''Semeiotics Uranica'', or (An Astrological Judgement of Diseases) (1651)
*''Catastrophe Magnatum'' or (The Fall of Monarchy) (1652)
*''The English Physitian'' (1652), later entitled ''The Complete Herbal''
*''Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick'' (1655)
*''A Treatise on Aurum Potabile'' (1656): This is certainly not by Nicholas Culpeper and lacks his style of writing. It is a confusing and repetitious work by John Heydon.
See also
*Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...
*Herbalism
Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
*Medical astrology
Medical astrology or astrological medicine (traditionally known as iatromathematics) is an ancient applied branch of astrology based mostly on ''melothesia'' (Gr. μελοθεσία), the association of various parts of the body, diseases, and ...
*History of science
The history of science covers the development of science from ancient history, ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural science, natural, social science, social, and formal science, formal. Pr ...
*Medication
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...
*Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the interdisciplinary scientific study of natural drugs and bioactive compounds from plants, animals, and minerals—originally focused on identifying crude drugs but now expanded to molecular, chemical, ecological, and medicin ...
* Astrological botany
*Astrology
Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
*List of plants in The English Physitian (1652 book)
Below is the list of plants, listed under the section "''Catalogue of the Herbs and Plants, in this Treatise, appropriated to their several PLANETS''" in the 1652 medical text ''The English Physitian: or an Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vul ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*''The English Physician Enlarged : With Three Hundred and Sixty-Nine Medicines, made of English Herbs, that were not in any impression until this. Being an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation ...'' . Barker, London [1800
XML (Digital edition)pdf
by the University and State Library Düsseldorf
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Culpeper's ''The English Physitian'' (1652)
�
Electronic Texts in the History of Medicine – Medical Library – Yale University
This Sceptered Isle (BBC)
* ttp://www.ceskaastrologie.cz/NCOpus.pdf Opus Astrologicum, Nicholas Culpeper (PDF 2 MB)
Directory for Midwives, Nicholas Culpeper (PDF 14,3 MB)
Directory Astrological Judgment of Diseases, Nicholas Culpeper (PDF 8,8 MB)
*
Culpeper's ''The English Physitian'' (1652)
at Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culpeper, Nicholas
1616 births
1654 deaths
English astrologers
17th-century astrologers
17th-century English botanists
17th-century English medical doctors
English pharmacologists
Herbalists
17th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis deaths in England
People from Isfield
English republicans