Blagrave's supplement or enlargement to Mr. Nich. Culpeppers English physitian containing a description of the form, names, place, time, coelestial government, and virtues, all such medicinal plants as grow in England, and are omitted in his book, called, The English-physitian, and supplying the additional virtues of such plants wherein he is defective : also the description, kinds, names, place, time, nature, planetary regiment, temperature, and physical virtues of all such trees, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, excrescencies of plants, gums, ceres, and condensate juices, as are found in any part of the world, and brought to be sold in our druggist and apothecaries shops, with their dangers and corrections / by Joseph Blagrave ... ; to which is annexed, a new tract for the cure of wounds made by gun-shot or otherways, and remedies for the help of seamen troubled with the scurvy and other distempers ...

Tobacco.

Names, Descript.] IT is called Petum and Nicotiana. There have several kinds thereof been planted here in England, which they did manure for Smoaking, but that is now pro∣hibited; I shall only describe one kind which is planted here for its uses in physick and Chirurgery only.

It riseth up with a thick round stalk about two foot high, whereon do grow thick fat fleshy green leaves, nothing so large as the other In∣dian kinds, neither for breadth nor length, somewhat round-poin∣ted also, and nothing dented about the edges: the stalk brancheth forth and beareth at the tops divers flowers, set in green husks, scarce standing above the brims of the husks round-pointed also, and of a greenish yellow colour; after which followeth the seeds contained in great heads; The root is woody byt perisheth in winter, but gene∣rally riseth of the seed that is suffered to shed it self.

Place and Time.] This (as is supposed) was first brought from Brazile, it giveth ripe seed in our Countrey here earlier than the o∣ther Indian sorts. It flowreth from June to the end of August, or later, and the seed ripeneth in the mean time.

Government and Vertues.] Tobacco is a Plant of Saturn, Culpeppers deity; of a stupifying quality: it is held to be available to expecto∣rate tough phlegm out of the stomach chest and lungs; the juice thereof made into a Syrup, or the

distilled water of the herb drank with Sugar; The same also helps to expell worms in the stomach and belly, as also to apply a leaf to the belly, and to ease the pains in the head or Meagrim, and griping pains in the bowels; It is also profitable for those that are troubled with the stone in the kidneys, to ease pains, and, by provoking Urine, to expell gravel and the stone ingendred therein; and hath been found very effectual to suppress the malignity and windy vapours which cause the strangling of the mother; The seed hereof is much more effectual to ease the pains of the teeth, than Henbane-seed, and the ashes of the burnt herb to cleanse the gums and teeth, and make them white; The herb bruised and applyed to the place of the Kings-Evil, is a speedy rememdy as is said. It is also said to be effectual to cure the Dropsie, by taking four or five ounces of the juice thereof fasting; which will strong∣ly purge the body both upwards and downwards, (And too strongly too, unless it be a well steeled body indeed.) The distilled water is often given with some sugar before the fit of an A∣gue, to lessen the fits and alter them, and to take them quite away in three or four times using; if the distilled faces of the herb having been bruised before the distillation, and not distilled dry, be set in hot dung to digest for fourteen days, and afterwards hung up in a bag in a Cellar, the liquor that distilleth therefrom is singular good to use for Cramps, Aches, the Gout and Sciatica, and to heal Itches, Scabs, and running Ulcers, and foul Sores whatsoever; The juice is good for all the said griefs, and likewise to kill lice in childrens heads. The herb bruised and applyed to any green wound doth speedi∣ly heal the same, the juice put into old sores doth heal the same. A good salve thereof may be made in this manner; Take of the green herb three or four handfulls, bruise it, and put it into a quart of good oyl-olive, boyl them on a gentle fire, till the herb grow dry and the oyl will bubble no lon∣ger, adding thereto, wax Rozen and sheeps-tallow, or Deers suet, of each a quarter of a pound, of Turpentine two ounces, which being melted put it up for your use: Some will add to it the powder of round Birthworth, and white Frankincense, each half an ounce, which is to be put in when it is nigh cold and well stirred together; This Salve likewise will help Imposthumes, hard tumors, and other Swel∣lings by by Bblows or Falls.

Notes

• Phlegm, Sto∣mach, Chest, Lungs, worms,
• Pains in the head, Mea∣grim, Stone, Gravel, Mo∣ther.
• Kings-Evil, Dropsie.
• Cramps, aches, Gouts, Sciati∣ca, Scabs, Cankers, Lice, Green wounds, Old Sores.