Pharmacopœia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory further adorned by the studies and collections of the Fellows, now living of the said colledg ... / by Nich. Culpeper, Gent.

PARTS OF LIVING CREATURES AND EXCREMENTS.

THE brain of Sparrows being eaten provoke lust exceedingly.

The brain of an Hare being rosted helps trem∣bling, it makes children breed teeth easily, their gums being rubbed with it, it also helps scald heads and falling off of hair the head being anointed with it.

The head of a cole black Cat being burnt to ashes in a new pot, and some of the ashes blown into the eye every day, helps such as have a skin growing over their sight, if there happen any inflamation, moisten an Oak leaf in water and lay over the eye; Mizaldus saith (by this one only medicine) cured such as have been blind a whol yeer.

The head of a young* 1.1 Kite, being burned to a∣shes and the quantity of a drachm of it taken every morning, in a little water, is an admirable remedy for the Gout.

Crabs-eyes, breaks the stone, and open stoppings of the bowels.

The lungues of a Fox well dried (but not burned) is an admirable strengthner to the lungues: See the Lohoch of Fox lungues

The liver of a Duck, stops fluxes, and strengthens the liver exceedingly

The liver of a Frog, being dried and eaten, helps quartan agues, or as the vulgar call them third-day agues.

Cocks stones nourish mightily, and refresh and re∣store such bodies as have been wasted by long sickness they are admirable good in Hectick feavers, and (Ga∣lens supposed incurable) Marasmus, which is a con∣sumption attending upon a Hectick feaver; they en∣crease seed, and help such as are weak in the sports of Venus.

Castorium resists poyson, the bitings of venemous beasts, it provokes the terms, and brings forth both birth and after birth, it expels wind, easeth pains and aches, convulsions, sighings, lethargies, the smell of it allaies the fits of the mother; inwardly given, it helps tremblings, falling-sickness, and other such ill effects of the brain and nerves: A scruple is e∣nough to take at a time, and indeed spirit of Casto∣rium is better than Castorium raw, to which I refer you.

The yard of a stag, helps fluxes, the bitings of ve∣nemous beasts, provokes urine, and stirs up lust ex∣ceedingly.

A sheeps or Goats bladder being burnt, and the a∣shes given inwardly, helps the Diabetes, or continu∣al pissing.

Unicorns horn, resists poyson and the pestilence, provokes urine, restores lost strength, brings forth both birth and after-birth.

Ivory, or Elephants tooth, binds, stops the whites in women, it strengthens the heart and stomach, helps the yellow-Jaundice, and makes women fruit∣full.

The vertues of Harts-horn, are the same with U∣nicorns horn.

The bone that is found in the heart of a stag is as soveraign a Cordial, and as great a strengthner to the heart as any is, being beaten into pouder and taken inwardly, also it resists pestilences and poyson.

The scull of a man that was never buried, being beaten to pouder and given inwardly, the quantity of a drachm at a time, in Bettony water, helps palsies, and falling sickness.

That small Triangular bone in the Skul of a man, Called Os triquetrum, so absolutely cures the falling sickness that it will never come again (saith Paracel∣sus.)

Those small bones which are found in the fore feet of a Hare being beaten into pouder and drunk in Wine, powerfully provoke urine.

A Ring made of an Elks Claw, being worn helps the cramp.

The fat of a man is exceeding good to anoint such limbs as fall away in flesh.

Goose grease and Capons grease are both softning, helps gnawing sores, stifness of the womb, and mi∣tigate pain.

I am of opinion that the Suet of a Goat, mixed with a little Saffron is as excellent an oyntment for the Gout, especially the Gout in the knees as any is.

Bears grease staies the falling off of the hair.

Fox Grease helps pains in the ears.

Elks Claws or Hoofs are a Soveraign remedy for the falling sickness, though it be but worn in a Ring, much more being taken inwardly, but (saith Mizal∣dus) it must be the Hoof of the right foot behind

Milk is an extream windy meat, therefore I am of the Opinion of Dioscorides, viz. that it is not pro∣fitable in head-aches, yet this is for certain, that it is an admirable remedy for inward ulcers in any part of the body, or any corrosions or excoriations, pains in the reins and bladder, but it is very bad in disea∣ses in the liver, spleen, the falling sickness, vertigo, or dissiness in the head, feavers, and head aches: Goats milk is held to be better than Cows for Hectick fea∣vers, Phtisicks, and consumptions, and so is Asses also.

Whey, attenuateth and clenseth both choller and melancholly, wonderfully helps melancholly and mad∣ness coming of it, it opens stoppings of the bowels, helps such as have the dropsie, and are troubled with

the stoppings of the spleen, rickets, and hypocon∣driack melancholly: for such diseases you may make up your Physick with Whey. Outwardly it denseth the skin of such deformities as come through choller or melancholly, as scabs, itch, morphew, leprosie &c.

Honey, is of a gallant clensing quallity, exceed∣ing profitable in all inward ulcers, in what part of the body soever, it opens the veins, clenseth the reins and bladder: he that would have more of the vertues of it, let him read Butler his Book of Bees, a gal∣lant experimental work. I know no vices belonging to it, but only it is soon converted into choller.

Wax, softens, heats, and meanly fills sores with flesh, it suffers not the milk to curdle in womens breasts; inwardly it is given (ten grains at a time) a∣gainst bloody-fluxes.

Raw-Silk, heats and dries, cheers the heart, drives away sadness, comforts all the spirits, both Natural, Vital, and Animal.

As for Excrements, there the Colledg makes shit∣tin work, and paddle in the turds like Jakes Farmers, I will let them alone for fear the more I stir them the more they stink.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Some Countries call them Gleads, & others Puttocks.