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

CHAPTER IX.
Of suppuring Medicines.

These have a great affinity with emolients, like to them in temperature, only emolients are somewhat hotter.

Yet is there a difference as apparent as the sun when he is upon the meridian, and the use is manifest. For,

Emolients are to make hard things soft, but what suppures, rather makes a generation than an alteration of the humour.

Natural heat is the efficient cause of suppuration, neither can it be done by any external means.

Therefore such things are said to suppure, which by a gentle heat cherish the inbred heat of man.

This is done by such medicines which are not only temperate in heat, but also by a gentle viscosity, fill up or stop the pores, that so the heat of the part affected be not scattered.

For although such things as bind hinder the dissipation of the spirits, and internal heat, yet they retain not the moisture as suppuring medicines properly and especially do.

The heat then of suppuring medicines is like the internal heat of our bodies.

As things then very hot, are ingrateful either by biting, as Pepper, or bitterness: in suppuring medicines, no biting, no binding, no nitrous quality is perceived by the taste, (I shall give you better satisfaction both in this and others, by and by.)