Culpeper's last legacy left and bequeathed to his dearest wife, for the publicke good, being the choicest and most profitable of those secrets which while he lived were lockt up in his breast, and resolved never to be publisht till after his death. Containing sundry admirable experiences in severall sciences, more especially, in chyrurgery and physick, viz. compounding of medicines, making of waters, syrrups, oyles, electuaries, conserves, salts, pils, purges, and trochischs. With two particular treatises; the one of feavers; the other of pestilence; as also other rare and choice aphorisms, fitted to the understanding of the meanest capacities. Never publisht before in any of his other works. By Nicholas Culpeper, late student in astrology and physick.

Part II. Of the choice of Purges.

I.

The skill of a Physitian is to appropriate the purging medicine to the humour offending.

II.

Above all things in purges, have a care of try∣ing quaint experiences; it had once almost cost me my life in doing it upon mine own body.

III.

The humors to be purged I told you were Flegm, Water, Choller, and Melancholly.

IV.

Such Medicines as are cutting, are convenient for thick and grosse humours, as Flegm and Me∣lancholly, but Lenitive will serve for Choller and Water, because they are fluent and fit to be pur∣ged out.

V.

Therefore such things as purge Choller, adde cutting things to them, and they purge Melan∣cholly, such as purge Flegm, take away the cut∣ting things, and they purge water.

VI.

There are besides, things which properly purge Water, called Hydragoga, which violently call Water from remote places, being of an exceeding hot penetrating quality, and dangerous, if not regulated by an able brain.

VII.

Medicines of a binding quality, are deadly ene∣mies to flegm and melancholly, because they con∣geale the grosse humours; but very apt for chol∣ler and putrified flegm, for they often cause fluxes.

VIII.

Also the colour will in part shew the operation of the Medicine, as Yellow purgeth Choller, black Melancholly, white Flegm: Whitness Rhubarb, black Hellebore, and Agarick.

IX.

And whereas some medicines work violently, others gently, if the humors be tough and re∣mote, use such as are violent, else not.

X.

Yet such as work with too much speed, are fit neither for viscous or remote humors.

XI.

Lastly, some purges work by Stoole, others by Vomit.

XII.

Vomits are appropriated to crudities in the Stomach, yet they weaken the Stomach, Breast and Lungs, and spoyl the Eyes.