The English physitian, or An astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation being a compleat method of physick, whereby a man may preserve his body in health, or cure himself being sick for three pence charge, with such things only as grow in England ... / by Nich. Culpeper.

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Title: The English physitian, or An astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation being a compleat method of physick, whereby a man may preserve his body in health, or cure himself being sick for three pence charge, with such things only as grow in England ... / by Nich. Culpeper.
Author: Culpeper, Nicholas, 1616-1654.
Publication: London :: Printed by Peter Cole,; 1652.
Rights/Permissions: To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms: Botany, Medical -- Early works to 1800.; Materia medica.; Herbs -- Therapeutic use -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A35365.0001.001
Cite this Item: "The English physitian, or An astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation being a compleat method of physick, whereby a man may preserve his body in health, or cure himself being sick for three pence charge, with such things only as grow in England ... / by Nich. Culpeper." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A35365.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024.

Pages

☿ Fern.

Description.

OF this there are two kinds principally to be noted; viz. The Male and Female: The Female groweth higher than the Male, but the Leavs therof are lesser, & more divided or dented; & of as strong a smel as the Male: The Vertues of them are both alike; and therfore I shall not trouble you with any fur∣ther Description or distinction of them.

Place.

They both grow on Heaths, and in shady places neer the Hedg sides in all Countries of this Land.

Time.

They flourish and give their Seed at Mid∣summer.

The Femal Fern is that plant which is In Sussex called Brakes, the Seed of which some Authors hold to be so rare, such a thing there is I know,, and may easily Be had upon Mid∣summer Eve, and for ought yet I know two or three daies before or after, if not more.

Vertues and Vse.

The Roots of both these sorts of Ferns, be∣ing bruised and boyled in Mead or Honyed Water, and drunk, killeth both the broad and long Worms* 1.1 in the Body; and abateth the

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Swelling and hardness of the Spleen.* 1.2 The green Leavs eaten, purgeth the Belly and Chollerick and waterish humors, but it trou∣bles the Stomach.* 1.3 They are dangerous for Women with Child to meddle with, by rea∣son they caus abortment. The Roots bruised and boyled in Oyl or Hogs greas, maketh a very profitable Oyntment to heal Wounds,* 1.4 or pricks gotten into the Flesh. The Pouder of them used in foul Ulcers,* 1.5 drieth up their Ma∣lignant moisture, and causeth their speedier healing: Fern being burned, the smoke ther∣of driveth away. Serpents, Gnats,* 1.6 and other noisom Creatures, which in the Fenny Coun∣tries do in the night time trouble and molest people lying in their Beds with their Faces un∣covered it causeth Barrenness.

Notes

* 1.1

Worms

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* 1.2

Spleen,

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* 1.3

Choller, Flegm, Stomach,

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* 1.4

Wounds,

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* 1.5

Ulcers,

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* 1.6

Serpents, Gnats, Venemous Beasts.

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