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

SIMPLE DISTILLED WATERS.

Of fresh Roots of

Briony, Onions, Elecampane, Orris, or Flower-de-luce, Turnips.

Of flowers and buds of

Southernwood, both sorts of Wormwood, Wood Sorrel, Lady’s-Mantle, Marsh-mallows, Angelica, Pimpernel with purple flowers, Smallage, Columbines, Sparagus, Mouse-ear, Borrage, Shepherd’s Purse, Calaminth, Woodbine or Honey-suckles, Carduus Benedictus, our Lady’s Thistles, Knotgrass, Succory, Dragons, Colt’s-foot, Fennel, Goat’s Rue, Grass, Hyssop, Lettice, Lovage, Toad-flax, Hops, Marjoram, Mallows, Horehound, Featherfew, Bawm, Mints, Horse-mints, Water Cresses, English Tobacco, white Poppies, Pellatory of the Wall, Parsley, Plantain, Purslain, Self-heal, Pennyroyal, Oak leaves, Sage, Scabious, Figwort or Throatwort, House-leek, or Sengreen, the greater and lesser Mother of Time, Nightshade, Tansy, Tormentil, Valerian.

Of Flowers of

Oranges, (if you can get them) Blue-bottle the greater, Beans, Water-Lilies, Lavender, Nut-tree, Cowslips, Sloes, Rosemary, Roses white, damask, and red, Satyrien, Lime-tree, Clove-gilliflowers, Violets.

Of Fruits of

Oranges, Black Cherries, Pome Citrons, Quinces, Cucumbers, Strawberries, Winter Cherries, Lemons, Rasberries, unripe Walnuts, Apples.

Of parts of living Creatures and their excrements

Lobsters, Cockles, or Snails, Hartshorn, Bullocks dung made in May, Swallows, Earthworms, Magpies, Spawn of Frogs.

SIMPLE WATERS DISTILLED,
being digested before-hand.

Of the fresh Roots of Nettles.

Of the leaves of Agrimony, wild Tansy, or Silverweed, Mugwort, Bettony, Marigolds, Chamomel, Chamepitys, Celandine, Pilewort, Scurvy-grass, Comfry the greater, Dandelyon, Ash-tree leaves, Eyebright, Fumitory, Alehoof, or ground Ivy, Horsetail, St. John’s Wort, Yarrow, Moneywort, Restharrow, Solomon’s Seal, Res solis, Rue, Savin, Saxifrage, Hart’s tongue, Scordium, Tamarisk, Mullin, Vervain, Paul’s Bettony, Mead-sweet, Nettles.

Of the Flowers of Mayweed, Broom, Cowslips, Butter-bur, Peony, Elder.

Of the berries of Broom, Elder.

Culpeper.] Then the College gives you an admonition concerning these, which being converted into your native language, is as follows.

We give you warning that these common waters be better prepared for time to come, either in common stills, putting good store of ashes underneath, the roots and herbs being dryer, &c. or if they be full of Juice, by distilling the juice in a convenient bath, that so burning may be avoided, which hitherto hath seldom been. But let the other Herbs, Flowers, or Roots, be bruised, and by adding Tartar, common salt, or leven be digested, then putting spring water to them, distil them in an Alembick with its refrigeratory, or Worm, till the change of the taste shew the virtue to be drawn off; then let the oil (if any) be separated from the water according to art.

Into the number of these waters may be ascribed.

The Tears of Vines, the liquor of the Birch-tree, May dew.

Culpeper.] That my country may receive the benefit of these waters, I shall first shew the temperatures, secondly, the virtues of the most usual and most easy to come by: If any should take exceptions that I mention not all, I answer first, I mention enough. Secondly, who ever makes this objection, they shew extreme ingratitude; for had I mentioned but only one, I had revealed more to them than ever the College intended they should know, or give me thanks for doing.

The qualities and appropriation of the simple Distilled Waters.

Simple distilled waters either cool or heat: such as cool, either cool the blood or choler.

Waters cooling the blood. Lettice, Purslain, Water Lilies, Violets, Sorrel Endive, Succory, Fumitory.

Waters cooling and repressing choleric humours, or vapours in the head.

Nightshade, Lettice, Water Lilies, Plantain, Poppies, viz. The flowers both of white black and red Poppies, black Cheries.

The breast and lungs. Violets, Poppies all three sorts, Colt’s-foot.

In the heart. Sorrel, Quinces, Water Lilies, Roses, Violets, green or unripe Walnuts.

In the stomach. Quinces, Roses, Violets, Nightshade, Houseleeks, or Sengreen, Lettice, Purslain.

In the liver. Endive, Succory, Nightshade, Purslain, Water Lilies.

In the reins and bladder. Endive, Succory, Winter Cherries, Plantain, Water Lilies, Strawberries, Houseleek or Sengreen, black Cherries.

In the womb. Endive, Succory, Lettice, Water Lilies, Purslain, Roses.

Simple waters which are hot, concoct either flegm or melancholy.

Waters concocting flegm in the head, are

Bettony, Sage, Marjoram, Chamomel, Fennel, Calaminth, Rosemary-flowers, Primroses, Eye-bright.

In the breast and lungs. Maiden-hair, Bettony, Hysop, Horehound, Carduus Benedictus, Scabious, Orris, or Flower-de-luces, Bawm, Self-heal, &c.

In the heart. Bawm, Rosemary.

In the stomach. Wormwood, Mints, Fennel, Chervil, Time, Mother of Time, Marigolds.

In the liver. Wormwood, Centaury, Origanum, Marjoram, Maudlin, Costmary, Agrimony, Fennel.

In the spleen. Water-cresses, Wormwood, Calaminth.

In the reins and bladder. Rocket, Nettles, Saxifrage, Pellitory of the Wall, Alicampane, Burnet.

In the womb. Mugwort, Calaminth, Penny-royal, Savin, Mother of Time, Lovage.

Waters concocting Melancholy in the head, are

Hops, Fumitory.

The breast. Bawm, Carduus Benedictus.

The heart. Borrage, Bugloss, Bawm, Rosemary.

The liver. Endive, Chicory, Hops.

The spleen. Dodder, Hart’s-tongue, Tamarisk, Time.

Having thus ended the appropriation, I shall speak briefly of the virtues of distilled waters.

Lettice water cools the blood when it is over-heated, for when it is not, it needs no cooling: it cools the head and liver, stays hot vapours ascending to the head, and hinders sleep; it quenches immoderate thirst, and breeds milk in nurses, distil it in May.

Purslain water cools the blood and liver, quenches thirst, helps such as spit blood, have hot coughs, or pestilences.

The distilled water of water Lily-flowers cools the blood and the bowels, and all internal parts of the body; helps such as have the yellow jaundice, hot coughs and pleurisies, the head-ache, coming of heat, fevers pestilential and not pestilential, as also hectic fevers.

The water of Violet flowers, cools the blood, the heart, liver and lungs, over-heated, and quenches an insatiable desire of drinking, they are in their prime about the latter end of March, or beginning of April, according as the year falls out.

The water of Sorrel cools the blood, heart, liver, and spleen: If Venice Treacle be given with it, it is profitable in pestilential fevers, distil it in May.

Endive and Succory water are excellent against heat in the stomach; if you take an ounce of either (for their operation is the same) morning and evening, four days one after another, they cool the liver, and cleanse the blood: they are in their prime in May.

Fumitory water is usual with the city dames to wash their faces with, to take away morphey, freckles, and sun-burning; inwardly taken, it helps the yellow jaundice and itch, cleanses the blood, provokes sweat, strengthens the stomach, and cleanses the body of adust humours: it is in its prime in May and June.

The water of Nightshade helps pains in the head coming of heat. Take heed you distil not the deadly Nightshade instead of the common, if you do, you may make mad work. Let such as have not wit enough to know them asunder, have wit enough to let them both alone till they do.

The water of white Poppies extinguishes all heat against nature, helps head-aches coming of heat, and too long standing in the sun. Distil them in June or July.

Colt’s-foot water is excellent for burns to wash the place with it; inwardly taken it helps Phthisicks and other diseases incident to the lungs, distil them in May or June.

The water of Distilled Quinces strengthens the heart and stomach exceedingly, stays vomiting and fluxes, and strengthens the retentive faculty in man.

Damask Rose water cools, comforts, and strengthens the heart, so doth Red Rose-water only with this difference, the one is binding, the other loosening; if your body be costive, use Damask Rose water, because it is loosening: if loose, use red, because it is binding.

White Rose water is generally known to be excellent against hot rheums, and inflammations in the eyes, and for this it is better than the former.

The water of Red Poppy flowers, called by many Corn-roses, because they grow so frequently amongst corn, cools the blood and spirits over-heated by drinking or labour, and is therefore excellent in surfets.

Green Walnuts gathered about the latter end of June or July, and bruised, and so stilled, strengthen the heart, and resist the pestilence.

Plantain water helps the headache; being dropped into the ear it helps the tooth-ache, helps the phthisicks, dropsy and fluxes, and is an admirable remedy for ulcers in the reins and bladder, to be used as common drink: the herb is in its prime in May.

Strawberry water cools, quenches thirst, clarifies the blood, breaks the stone, helps all inward inflammations, especially those in the reins, bladder and passages of the urine; it strengthens the liver and helps the yellow jaundice.

The distilled water of Dog grass, or Couch grass, as some call it, cleanses the reins gallantly, and provokes urine, opens obstructions of the liver and spleen, and kills worms.

Black Cherry water provokes urine, helps the dropsy. It is usually given in diseases of the brain, as convulsions, falling-sickness, palsy and apoplexy.

Betony is in its prime in May, the distilled water thereof is very good for such as are pained in their heads, it prevails against the dropsy and all sorts of fevers; it succours the liver and spleen, and helps want of digestion and evil disposition of the body thence arising; it hastens travail in women with child, and is excellent against the bitings of venomous beasts.

Distil Sage whilst the flowers be on it, the water strengthens the brain, provokes the menses, helps nature much in all its actions.

Marjoram is in its prime in June, distilled water is excellent for such whose brains are too cold, it provokes urine, heats the womb, provokes the menses, strengthens the memory and helps the judgment, causes an able brain.

Distil Camomel water about the beginning of June. It eases the cholick and pains in the belly; it breaks the stone in the reins and bladder, provokes the menses, expels the dead child, and takes away pains in the head.

Fennel water strengthens the heart and brain; dilates the breast, the cough, provokes the menses, encreases milk in nurses, and if you wash your eyes with it, it clears the sight.

The Hooves of the fore feet of a Cow dried and taken any away, encrease milk in nurses, the smoke of them drives away mice. Mizaldus.

Calaminth water heats and cleanses the womb, provokes the menses, and eases the pains of the head, distil it in May.

The distilled water of Rosemary flowers, helps such as are troubled with the yellow Jaundice, Asthmas, it cleanses the blood, helps concoction, strengthens the brain and body exceedingly.

Water of the flowers of Lilies of the valley, strengthens the brain and all the senses.

The water of Cowslip flowers helps the palsey; takes away pains in the head, the vertigo and megrim, and is exceeding good for pregnant women.

The eyes being washed every morning with Eyebright water, most strangely clears and strengthens the sight.

Maidenhair distilled in May, the water cleanses both liver and lungs, clarifies the blood, and breaks the stone.

Hyssop water cleanses the lungs of flegm, helps coughs and Asthmas, distil it in August.

The water of Hore-hound, helps the cough and straitness of the breast; it strengthens the breast, lungs and stomach, and liver, distil it in June.

Carduus water succours the head, strengthens the memory, helps such as are troubled with vertigoes and quartan agues, it provokes sweat, strengthens the heart, and all other fevers of choler. It is in its prime in May and June.

Scabious water helps pleurises and pains, and pricking in the sides; Aposthumes, coughs, pestilences, and straitness of the breast.

Water of Flower-de-luce is very profitable in dropsies, an ounce being drank continually every morning and evening; as also pains and torments in the bowels.

Bawm water distilled in May, restores memory, it quickens all the senses, strengthens the brain, heart, and stomach, causes a merry mind and a sweet breath.

The water of Comfrey solders broken bones, being drank, helps ruptures, outwardly it stops the bleeding of wounds, they being washed with it.

Wormwood water distilled cold, about the end of May, heats and strengthens the stomach, helps concoction, stays vomiting, kills worms in the stomach and bowels, it mitigates the pains in the teeth, and is profitably given in fevers of choler.

Mint water strengthens the stomach, helps concoction and stays vomiting, distil it in the latter end of May, or beginning of June, as the year is in forwardness or backwardness, observe that in all the rest.

Chervil water distilled about the end of May, helps ruptures, breaks the stone, dissolves congealed blood, strengthens the heart and stomach.

The water of Mother of Time strengthens the brain and stomach, gets a man a good stomach to his victuals, provoke urine and the menses, heats the womb. It is in its prime about the end of June.

The water of Marigold flowers is appropriated to most cold diseases of the head, eyes, and stomach: they are in their vigour when the Sun is in the Lion.

The distilled water of Centaury comforts a cold stomach, helps in fever of choler, it kills worms, and provokes appetite.

Maudlin and Costmary water distilled in May or June, strengthens the liver, helps the yellow jaundice, opens obstructions, and helps the dropsy.

Water-cresses distilled in March, the water cleanses the blood, and provokes urine exceedingly, kills worms, outwardly mixed with honey, it clears the skin of morphew and sunburning.

Distil Nettles when they are in flower, the water helps coughs and pains in the bowels, provokes urine, and breaks the stone.

Saxifrage water provokes urine, expels wind, breaks the stone, cleanses the reins and bladder of gravel, distil them when they are in flower.

The water of Pellitory of the Wall, opens obstructions of the liver and spleen, by drinking an ounce of it every morning; it cleanses the reins and bladder, and eases the gripings of the bowels coming of wind. Distil it in the end of May, or beginning of June.

Cinquefoil water breaks the stone, cleanses the reins, and is of excellent use in putrified fevers. Distil it in May.

The water of Radishes breaks the stone, cleanses the reins and bladder, provokes the menses, and helps the yellow jaundice.

Elicampane water strengthens the stomach and lungs, provokes urine, and cleanses the passages of it from gravel.

Distil Burnet in May or June, the water breaks the stone, cleanses the passages of urine, and is exceeding profitable in pestilential times.

Mugwort water distilled in May, is excellent in coughs and diseases proceeding from stoppage of the menses, it warms the stomach, and helps the dropsy.

Distil Penny-royal when the flowers are upon it: the water heats the womb gallantly, provokes the menses, expels the afterbirth; cuts, and casts out thick and gross humours in the breast, eases pains in the bowels, and consumes flegm.

The water of Lovage distilled in May, eases pains in the head, and cures ulcers in the womb being washed with it; inwardly taken it expels wind, and breaks the stone.

The tops of Hops when they are young, being distilled, the water cleanses the blood of melancholy humours, and therefore helps scabs, itch, and leprosy, and such like diseases thence proceeding; it opens obstructions of the spleen, helps the rickets, and hypochondriac melancholy.

The water of Borrage and Bugloss distilled when their flowers are upon them, strengthens the heart and brain exceedingly, cleanses the blood, and takes away sadness, griefs and melancholy.

Dodder water cleanses the liver and spleen, helps the yellow jaundice.

Tamarisk water opens obstructions, and helps the hardness of the spleen, and strengthens it.

English Tobacco distilled, the water is excellently good for such as have dropsy, to drink an ounce or two every morning; it helps ulcers in the mouth, strengthens the lungs, and helps such as have asthmas.

The water of Dwarf Elder, hath the same effects.

Thus you have the virtues of enough of cold waters, the use of which is for mixtures of other medicines, whose operation is the same, for they are very seldom given alone: If you delight most in liquid medicines, having regard to the disease, and part of the body afflicted by it, these will furnish you with where withal to make them so as will please your pallate best.