The Complete Herbal / To which is now added, upwards of one hundred additional herbs, with a display of their medicinal and occult qualities physically applied to the cure of all disorders incident to mankind: to which are now first annexed, the English physician enlarged, and key to Physic.

by Nicholas Culpeper

OINTMENTS MORE SIMPLE.

Unguentum album,
Or, white Ointment.

College.] Take of Oil of Roses nine ounces, Ceruss washed in Rose-water and diligently sifted, three ounces, white Wax two ounces, after the wax is melted in the oil, put in the Ceruss, and make it into an ointment according to art, add two drams of Camphire, made into powder with a few drops of oil of sweet Almonds, so will it be camphorated.

Culpeper.] It is a fine cooling, drying ointment, eases pains, and itching in wounds and ulcers, and is an hundred times better with Camphire than without it.

Unguentum Egyptiacum.

College.] Take of Verdigris finely powdered, five parts, Honey fourteen parts, sharp Vinegar seven parts, boil them to a just thickness, and a reddish colour.

Culpeper.] It cleanses filthy ulcers and fistulas forcibly, and not without pain, it takes away dead and proud flesh, and dries.

Unguentum Anodynum.
Or, an Ointment to ease pain.

College.] Take of Oil of white Lilies, six ounces, Oil of Dill, and Chamomel, of each two ounces, Oil of sweet Almonds one ounce, Duck’s grease, and Hen’s grease, of each two ounces, white Wax three ounces, mix them according to art.

Culpeper.] Its use is to assuage pains in any part of the body, especially such as come by inflammations, whether in wounds or tumours, and for that it is admirable.

Unguentum ex Apio.
Or, Ointment of Smallage.

College.] Take of the juice of Smallage one pound, Honey nine ounces, Wheat flower three ounces, boil them to a just thickness.

Culpeper.] It is a very fine, and very gentle cleanser of wounds and ulcers.

Liniment of Gum Elemi.

College.] Take of Gum Elemi, Turpentine of the Fir-tree, of each one ounce and an half, old Sheep’s Suet cleansed two ounces, old Hog’s grease cleansed one ounce: mix them, and make them into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It gently cleanses and fills up an ulcer with flesh, it being of a mild nature, and friendly to the body.

Unguentum Aureum.

College.] Take of yellow Wax half a pound, common Oil two pounds, Turpentine two ounces, Pine Rozin, Colophonia, of each one ounce and an half, Frankincense, Mastich, of each one ounce, Saffron one dram, first melt the wax in the oil, then the Turpentine being added, let them boil together; having done boiling, put in the rest in fine powder, (let the Saffron be the last) and by diligent stirring, make them into an ointment according to art.

Basilicon, the greater.

College.] Take of white Wax, Pine Rozin, Heifer’s Suet, Greek Pitch, Turpentine, Olibanum, Myrrh, of each one ounce, Oil five ounces, powder the Olibanum and Myrrh, and the rest being melted, make it into an ointment according to art.

Basilicon, the less.

College.] Take of yellow Wax, fat Rozin, Greek Pitch, of each half a pound, Oil nine ounces: mix them together, by melting them according to art.

Culpeper.] Both this and the former, heat, moisten, and digest, procure matter in wounds, I mean brings the filth or corrupted blood from green wounds: they clense and ease pain.

Ointment of Bdellium.

College.] Take of Bdellium six drams, Euphorbium, Sagapen, of each four drams, Castoreum three drams, Wax fifteen drams, Oil of Elder or Wall-flowers, ten drams, the Bdellium, and Sagapen being dissolved in water of wild Rue, let the rest be united by the heat of a bath.

Unguentum de Calce.
Or, Ointment of Chalk.

College.] Take of Chalk washed, seven times at least, half a pound, Wax three ounces, Oil of Roses one pound, stir them all together diligently in a leaden mortar, the wax being first melted by a gentle fire in a sufficient quantity of the prescribed oil.

Culpeper.] It is exceeding good in burnings and scaldings.

Unguentum Dialthæ.
Or, Ointment of Marsh-mallows.

College.] Take of common Oil four pounds, mussilage of Marsh-mallow roots, Linseed, and Fenugreek seed two pounds: boil them together till the watery part of the mussilage be consumed, then add Wax half a pound, Rozin three ounces, Turpentine an ounce, boil them to the consistence of an ointment, but let the mussilage be prepared of a pound of fresh roots bruised, and half a pound of each of the seeds steeped, and boiled in eight pounds of spring water, and then pressed out. See the compound.

Unguentum Diapompholygos.

College.] Take of Oil of Nightshade sixteen ounces, white Wax, washed, Ceruss, of each four drams, Lead burnt and washed, Pompholix prepared, of each two ounces, pure Frankincense one ounce: bring them into the form of an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] This much differing from the former, you shall have that inserted at latter end, and then you may use which you please.

Unguentum Enulatum.
Or, Ointment of Elecampane.

College.] Take of Elecampane roots boiled in Vinegar, bruised and pulped, one pound, Turpentine washed in their decoction, new Wax, of each two ounces, old Hog’s grease salted ten ounces, old oil four ounces, common salt one ounce, add the Turpentine to the grease, wax, and oil, being melted, as also the pulp and salt being finely powdered, and so make it into an ointment according to art.

Unguentum Enulatum cum Mercurio.
Or, Ointment of Elecampane with Quick-silver,

College.] Is made of the former ointment, by adding two ounces of Quick-silver, killed by continual stirring, not only with spittle, or juice of Lemons, but with all the Turpentine kept for that intent, and part of the grease, in a stone mortar.

Culpeper.] My opinion of this ointment, is (briefly) this: It was invented for the itch, without quick-silver it will do no good, with quick-silver it may do harm.

Unguentum Laurinum commune.
Or, Ointment of Bays common.

College.] Take of Bay leaves bruised one pound, Bay berries bruised half a pound, Cabbage leaves four ounces, Neat’s-foot Oil five pounds, Bullock’s suet two pounds, boil them together, and strain them, that so it may be made into an ointment according to art.

Unguentum de minie sive rubrum Camphora.
Or, Ointment of red Lead.

College.] Take of Oil of Roses one pound and an half, red Lead three ounces, Litharge two ounces, Ceruss one ounce and an half, Tutty three drams, Camphire two drams, Wax one ounce and an half, make it into an ointment according to art, in a pestle and mortar made of Lead.

Culpeper.] This ointment is as drying as a man shall usually read of one, and withal cooling, therefore good for sores, and such as are troubled with defluctions.

Unguentum e Nicotiona, seu Peto.
Or, Ointment of Tobacco.

College.] Take of Tobacco leaves bruised, two pounds, steep them a whole night in red Wine, in the morning boil it in fresh Hog’s grease, diligently washed, one pound, till the Wine be consumed, strain it, and add half a pound of juice of Tobacco, Rozin four ounces, boil it to the consumption of the juice, adding towards the end, round Birthwort roots in powder, two ounces, new Wax as much as is sufficient to make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It would take a whole summer’s day to write the particular virtues of this ointment, and my poor Genius is too weak to give it the hundredth part of its due praise: It cures tumours, imposthumes, wounds, ulcers, gun-shot, stinging with nettles, bees, wasps, hornets, venomous beasts, wounds made with poisoned arrows, &c.

Unguentum Nutritum, seu Trifarmacum.

College.] Take of Litharge of Gold finely powdered, half a pound, Vinegar one pound, Oil of Roses two pounds, grind the Litharge in a mortar, pouring to it sometimes Oil, sometimes Vinegar, till by continual stirring, the Vinegar do no more appear, and it come to a whitish ointment.

Culpeper.] It is of a cooling, drying nature, good for itching of wounds, and such like deformities of the skin.

Unguentum Ophthalmicum.
Or, An Ointment for the Eyes.

College.] Take of Bole-ammoniac washed in Rose water, one ounce, Lapis Calaminaris washed in Eye bright Water, Tutty prepared, of each two drams, Pearls in very fine powder half a dram, Camphire half a scruple, Opium five grains, fresh Butter washed in Plantain Water, as much as is sufficient to make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It is exceeding good to stop hot rheums that fall down into the eyes, the eyelids being but anointed with it.

Unguentum ex Oxylapatho.
Or, Ointment of sharp-pointed Dock.

College.] Take of the roots of sharp-pointed Dock boiled in Vinegar until they be soft, and then pulped, Brimstone washed in juice of Lemons, of each one ounce and an half, Hog’s grease often washed in juice of Scabious, half a pound, Unguentum Populeon washed in juice of Elecampane, half an ounce: make them into an ointment in a mortar.

Culpeper.] It is a wholesome, though troublesome medicine for scabs and itch.

Unguentum e Plumbo.
Or, Ointment of Lead.

College.] Take of Lead burnt according to art, Litharge, of each two ounces, Ceruss, Antimony, of each one ounce, Oil of Roses as much as is sufficient: make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] Take it one time with another, it will go neer to do more harm than good.

Unguentum Pomatum.

College.] Take of fresh Hog’s grease three pounds, fresh Sheep’s suet nine ounces, Pomewater pared and cut, one pound and nine ounces, Damask Rose-water six ounces, the roots of Orris Florentine grossly bruised six drams, boil them in Balneo Mariæ till the Apples be soft, then strain it, but press it not and keep it for use; then warm it a little again and wash it with fresh Rose-water, adding to each pound twelve drops of oil of Lignum Rhodium.

Culpeper.] Its general use is, to soften and supple the roughness of the skin, and take away the chops of the lips, hands, face, or other parts.

Unguentum Potabile.

College.] Take of Butter without salt, a pound and an half, Spermaceti, Madder, Tormentil roots, Castoreum, of each half an ounce: boil them as you ought in a sufficient quantity of Wine, till the Wine be consumed, and become an ointment.

Culpeper.] I know not what to make of it.

Unguentum Resinum.

College.] Take of Pine Rozin, or Rozin of the Pine-tree, of the purest Turpentine, yellow Wax washed, pure Oil, of each equal parts: melt them into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It is as pretty a Cerecloth for a new sprain as most is, and cheap.

Unguentum Rosatum.
Or, Ointment of Roses.

College.] Take of fresh Hog’s grease cleansed a pound, fresh red Roses half a pound, juice of the same three ounces, make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It is of a fine cooling nature, exceeding useful in all gallings of the skin, and frettings, accompanied with choleric humours, angry pushes, tetters, ringworms, it mitigates diseases in the head coming of heat, as also the intemperate heat of the stomach and liver.

Desiccativum Rubrum.
Or, a drying Red Ointment.

College.] Take of the oil of Roses omphacine a pound, white Wax five ounces, which being melted and put in a leaden mortar, put in the Earth of Lemnos or Bole-ammoniac, Lapis Calaminaris, of each four ounces, Litharge of Gold, Ceruss, of each three ounces, Camphire one dram, make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It binds and restrains fluxes of humours.

Unguentum e Solano.
Or, Ointment of Nightshade.

College.] Take of juice of Nightshade, Litharge washed, of each five ounces, Ceruss washed eight ounces, white Wax seven ounces, Frankincense in powder ten drams, oil of Roses often washed in water two pounds, make it into an ointment according to art.

Culpeper.] It was invented to take away inflammations from wounds, and to keep people from scratching of them when they are almost well.

Or, Ointment of Tutty.

College.] Take of Tutty prepared two ounces, Lapis Calaminaris often burnt and quenched in Plantain Water an ounce, make them, being finely powdered, into an ointment, with a pound and an half of ointment of Roses.

Culpeper.] It is a cooling, drying ointment, appropriated to the eyes, to dry up hot and salt humours that flow down thither, the eyelids being anointed with it.

Valentia Scabiosæ.

College.] Take of the juice of green Scabious, pressed out with a screw, and strained through a cloth, Hog’s grease, of each as much as you will, heat the Hog’s grease in a stone mortar, not grind it, putting in the juice by degrees for the more commodious mixture and tincture, afterwards set it in the sun in a convenient vessel, so as the juice may overtop the grease, nine days being passed, pour off the discoloured juice, and beat it again as before, putting in fresh juice, set it in the sun again five days, which being elapsed, beat it again, put in more juice, after fifteen days more, do so again, do so five times, after which, keep it in a glass, or glazed vessel.

Tapsivalentia.

College.] Take of the juice of Mullen, Hog’s grease, of each as much as you will, let the grease be cleansed and cut in pieces, and beat it with the juice, pressed and strained as you did the former ointment, then keep it in a convenient vessel nine or ten days, then beat it twice, once with fresh juice, until it be green, and the second time without juice beaten well, pouring off what is discoloured, and keep it for use.

Tapsimel.

College.] Take of the juice of Celandine and Mullen, of each one part, clarified Honey, two parts, boil them by degrees till the juice be consumed, adding (the physician prescribing) Vitriol, burnt Alum, burnt Ink, and boil it again to an ointment according to art.