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

Goose grease, and Capons grease, are both softening, help gnawing sores, stiffness of the womb, and mitigate pain.

I am of opinion that the suet of a Goat mixed with a little saffron, is as excellent an ointment for the gout, especially the gout in the knees, as any is.

Bears grease stays the falling off of the hair.

Fox grease helps pains in the ears.

Elk’s Claws or hoofs are a sovereign remedy for the falling sickness, though it be but worn in a ring, much more being taken inwardly; but saith Mizaldus, it must be the hoof of the right foot behind.

Milk is an extreme windy meat; therefore I am of the opinion of Dioscorides, viz. that it is not profitable in head-aches; yet this is for certain, that it is an admirable remedy for inward ulcers in any part of the body, or any corrosions, or excoriations, pains in the reins and bladder: but it is very bad in diseases of the liver, spleen, the falling-sickness, vertigo, or dissiness in the head, fevers and head-aches; Goat’s milk is held to be better than Cow’s for Hectic fevers, phthisick, and consumptions, and so is Ass’s also.

Whey, attenuates and cleanses both choler and melancholy: wonderfully helps melancholy and madness coming of it; opens stoppings of the bowels; helps such as have the dropsy and are troubled with the stoppings of the spleen, rickets and hypochondriac melancholy: for such diseases you may make up your physic with whey. Outwardly it cleanses the skin of such deformities as come through choler or melancholy, as scabs, itch, morphew, leprosies, &c.

Honey is of a gallant cleansing quality, exceeding profitable in all inward ulcers in what part of the body soever; it opens the veins, cleanses the reins and bladder. I know no vices belonging to it, but only it is soon converted into choler.

Wax, softens, heats, and meanly fills sores with flesh, it suffers not the milk to curdle in women’s breasts; inwardly it is given (ten grains at a time) against bloody-fluxes.

Raw-silk, heats and dries, cheers the heart, drives away sadness, comforts all the spirits, both natural, vital and animal.