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 OILS BY INFUSION AND DECOCTION.

Oil of Roses omphacine.

College.] Take of red Roses before they be ripe, bruised in a stone mortar, four ounces, oil Omphacine one pound, set them in a hot sun, in a glass close stopped, a whole week, shaking them every day, then boil them gently in a bath, press them out, and put in others, use them in like manner, do so a third time: then keep the Oil upon a pound of juice of Roses.

Oil of Roses complete,

Is made in the same manner, with sweet and ripe oil, often washed, and red Roses fully open, bruised, set in the sun, and boiled gently in a double vessel, only let the third infusion stand in the sun forty days, then keep the roses and oil together.

In the same manner is made Oil of Wormwood, of the tops of common Wormwood thrice repeated, four ounces, and three pounds of ripe oil; only, the last time put in four ounces of the juice of Wormwood, which evaporate away by gentle boiling.

Oil of Dill: Of the flowers and leaves of Dill four ounces, complete oil, one pound, thrice repeated.

Oil of Castoreum: Of one ounce of Castoreum oil one pound, Wine four ounces, which must be consumed with the heat of a bath.

Oil of Chamomel (which more than one call Holy) of complete oil, and fresh Chamomel flowers, the little white leaves taken away, cut, bruised, and the vessel covered with a thin linen cloth, set in the sun, pressed out, and three times repeated.

Oil of Wall-flowers, as oil of Dill.

Oil of Quinces: Of six parts of oil Omphacine, the meat and juice of Quinces one part, set them in the sun fifteen days in a glass, and afterwards boil them four hours in a double vessel, press them out, and renew them three times.

Oil of Elecampane: Of ripe oil, and the roots of Elecampane bruised, and their juice, of each one part, and of generous Wine half a part, which is to be evaporated away.

Oil of Euphorbium: Of six drams of Euphorbium, Oil of Wall-flowers, and sweet Wine, of each five ounces, boiling it in a double vessel till the Wine be consumed.

Oil of Ants: Of winged Ants infused in four times their weight of sweet oil, set in the sun in a glass forty days, and then strain it out.

Oil, or Balsam of St. John’s Wort simple, is made of the oil of seeds beaten and pressed, and the flowers being added, and rightly set in the sun.

Oil of Jesmine, is made of the flowers of Jesmine, put in clear oil, and set in the sun and afterwards pressed out.

Oil of Orris, made of the roots of Orris Florentine one pound, purple Orris flowers half a pound: boil them in a double vessel in a sufficient quantity of decoction of Orris Florentine, and six pounds of sweet oil, putting fresh roots and flowers again and again; the former being cast away as in oil of Roses.

Oil of Earthworms, is made of half a pound of Earthworms washed in white Wine, ripe Oil two pounds, boiled in a double vessel with eight ounces of good white Wine till the Wine be consumed.

Oil of Marjoram, is made with four ounces of the herb a little bruised, white Wine six ounces, ripe oil a pound, mixed together, let them be set in the sun repeated three times; at last boiled to the consumption of the Wine.

Oil of Mastich, is made of oil of Roses omphacine one pound, Mastich three ounces, Wine four ounces: boil them in a double vessel to the consumption of the Wine.

Oil of Melilot is made with the tops of the herb like oil of Chamomel.

Oil of Mints is made of the herb and oil omphacine, as oil of Roses.

Oil of Mirtles, is made of Mirtle berries bruised and sprinkled with sharp Wine one part, oil omphacine three parts; set it in the sun twenty-four days, and in the interim thrice renewed, boiled, and the berries pressed out.

Oil of Daffodils is made as oil of Roses.

Nard Oil is made of three ounces of Spikenard, sweet oil one pound and an half, sweet white Wine and clear water, of each two ounces and an half, boiled to the consumption of the moisture.

Oil of Water-lilies, is made of fresh white Water-lily flowers, one part, oil omphacine three parts, repeating the flowers as in oil of Roses.

Oil of Tobacco is made of the juice of Tobacco, and common oil, of each equal parts boiled in a bath.

Oil of Poppies, is made of the flowers, heads, and leaves of garden Poppies, and oil omphacine, as oil of Dill.

Oil of Poplars, is made of the buds of the Poplar tree three parts, rich white Wine four parts, sweet oil seven parts; first let the buds be bruised, then infused in the Wine and oil seven days, then boiled, then pressed out.

Oil of Rue, is made of the herb bruised, and ripe oil, like oil of Roses.

Oil of Savin is made in the same manner.

So also is Oil of Elder flowers made.

Oil of Scorpions, is made of thirty live Scorpions, caught when the sun is in the lion; oil of bitter Almonds two pounds, let them be set in the sun, and after forty days strained.

Oleum Cicyonium, is made of wild Cucumber roots, and their juice, of each equal parts; with twice as much ripe oil, boil it to the consumption of the juice.

Oil of Nightshade, is made of the berries of Nightshade ripe, and one part boiled in ripe oil, or oil of Roses three parts.

Oil of Styrax, is made of Styrax and sweet white Wine, of each one part, ripe oil four parts gently boiled till the Wine be consumed.

Oil of Violets, is made of oil omphacine, and Violet flowers, as oil of Roses.

Oil of Vervain, is made of the herb and oil, as oil of Mints.

Culpeper.] That most of these Oils, if not all of them, are used only externally, is certain; and as certain that they retain the virtues of the simples whereof they are made, therefore the ingenious might help themselves.