Culpeper's Last Legacies SELECT MEDICINAL APHORISMS AND RECEIPTS FOR MANY DISEASES OUR FRAIL NATURES ARE INCIDENT TO 1.A general Caution Let such as love their heads or brains, either forbear such things as are obnoxious to the brain, as Garlick, Leeks, Onions, beware of surfeiting and drunkenness. 2.To purge the Head The head is purged by Gargarisms, of which Mustard, in my opinion, is excellent, and therefore a spoonful of Mustard put into the mouth, is excellent for one that is troubled with the lethargy: also the head is purged by sneezing; but be sure if you would keep your brain clear, keep your stomach clean. 3. For a rheum in the Head, and the Palsy Take a red Onion, and bruise it well, and boil it in a little Verjuice and put thereto a little clarified honey, and a great spoonful of good Mustard, when it is well boiled, raise the sick upright, and let him receive the smell up his nose twice a day, whilst it is very hot. 4. For a rheum in the Head Boil Pimpernel well in Wine, and drink a draught of the Wine in the evening, hot, but in the morning cold. 5. Another Stew Onions in a close pot, and bathe the head and mouth, and nose therewith. 6. For the falling off of the Hair Beat Linseeds very well, and mix them with Sallad-oil; and when you have well mixed them, anoint the head therewith, and in three or four times using it will help you. 7. To purge the Head Chew the root of Pellitory of Spain, and chew it on both sides of thy mouth, and as the rheum falls down into thy mouth, spit it out, but retain the root there still, till you think the head is purged enough for that time. FOR THE EYES, AND THEIR IMPEDIMENTS 8. For Eyes that are blasted Only wear a piece of black Sarcenet before thy eyes, and meddle with no medicine; only forbear wine and strong drink. 9. An excellent water to clear the Sight Take of Fennel, Eyebright, Roses, white, Celandine, Vervain and Rue, of each a handful, the liver of a Goat chopt small, infuse them well in Eyebright-water, then distil them in an alembic, and you shall have a water will clear the sight beyond comparison. 10. For a hurt in the Eye with a stroke Take Agrimony, and bruise it very well, and temper it with white Wine, and the white of an egg: spread it pretty thick upon a cloth, like a plaster, and apply it to the outside of the eye-lid, and, although it be almost out, it will cure it. 11. To draw rheum back from the Eyes Take an egg and roast it hard, then pull off the shell, and slit it in two, and apply it hot to the nape of the neck, and thou shalt find ease presently. 12. For the web in the Eye Take the gall of a hare, and clarified honey, of each equal proportions: mix them together, and lay it to the web. FOR THE EARS, AND THEIR IMPEDIMENTS 13.For Pain in the Ears Drop a little oil of sweet Almonds into the ear, and it easeth the pain instantly; (and yet oil of bitter Almonds is our doctor's common remedy.) 14.For an Imposthume in the Ear Boil some milk, and put it into a stone pot with a narrow mouth, and hold the sore ear over the pot whilst the milk is very hot, that the vapour of the milk may ascend into the ear: this is an often approved remedy to take away the pain, and break the imposthume. FOR THE NOSE, AND ITS INFIRMITIES 15. For Polypus; or a fleshy substance growing in the Nose Take the juice of Ivy, and make a tent with a little cotton, the which dip in the juice and put it up in the nostril. 16. To cleanse the Nose Snuff up the juice of red Beet-root; it will cleanse not only the nose, but also the head; this is a singular remedy for such as are troubled with hard congealed stuff in their nostrils. 17. For bleeding at the Nose Bind the arms and legs as hard as you can with a piece of taperibboning; that, perhaps, may call back the blood. 18.For a Canker in the Nose Boil strong ale till it be thick, if the Canker be in the outside of the nose, spread it as a plaster, and apply it; if in the inside, make a tent of a linen rag, and put it up the nostril. 19. Another for the Polypus The water of Adder's-tongue snuffed up the nose, is very good: but it were better, in my opinion, to keep a rag continually moistened with it in the nose. 20. For bleeding at the Nose Take Amber and bruise into gross powder, put it upon a chafingdish of coals, and receive the smoke up into the nose with a funnel. 21. Another When no other means will stop the bleeding at the nose, it has been known that it hath been stopped by opening a vein in the ear. OF THE MOUTH, AND ITS DISEASES 22.A Caution Whosoever would keep their mouth, or tongue, or nose, or eyes, or ears, or teeth, from pain or infirmities, let them often use sneezing, and such gargarisms as they were instructed in a preceding chapter; for, indeed, most of the infirmities, if not all, which infest those parts, proceed from rheum. 23.For extreme heat of the Mouth Take Rib-wort, and boil it in red Wine, and hold the decoction as warm in your mouth as you can endure it. 24. For a Canker in the Mouth Wash the mouth often with Verjuice. OF THE TEETH, AND THEIR MEDICINES 25.A Caution If you will keep your teeth from rotting, or aching, wash your mouth continually every morning with juice of Lemons, and afterwards rub your teeth either with a Sage-leaf, or else with a little Nutmeg in powder; also wash your mouth with a little fair water after meats; for the only way to keep teeth sound, and free from pain, is to keep them clean. 26. To keep Teeth white Dip a little piece of white cloth in Vinegar of Quinces, and rub your gums with it, for it is of a gallant binding quality, and not only makes the teeth white, but also strengthens the gums, fastens the teeth, and also causeth a sweet breath. 27.To fasten the Teeth Seethe the roots of Vervain in old Wine, and wash your teeth often with them, and it will fasten them. 28. For the Tooth-ache Take the inner rind of an Elder-tree, and bruise it, and put thereto a little Pepper, and make it into balls, and hold them between the teeth that ache. OF THE GUMS, AND THEIR INFIRMITIES 29. For a Scurvy in the gums Take Cloves, and boil them in Rose-water, then dry them, and beat them to powder, and rub the gums with the powder, and drink the decoction in the morning fasting an hour after it. Use red Rose-water, for that is the best. 30.For rotting and consuming of the gums Take Sage-water, and wash your mouth with it every morning, and afterwards rub your mouth with a Sage-leaf. OF THE FACE, AND ITS INFIRMITIES 31. The Cause It is palpable, that the cause of redness and breaking out of the face, is a venomous matter, or filthy vapours ascending from the stomach towards the head; where meeting with a rheum or flegm thence descending, mix with it, and break out in the face. Therefore let the first intention of cure be to cleanse the stomach. 32. Caution negative Let such as are troubled with red faces, abstain from salt meats, salt fish and herrings, drinking of strong beer, strong waters or Wine, Garlick, Onions, and Mustard. 33. For a face full of red pimples Dissolve Camphire in Vinegar, and mix it, and the Vinegar with Celandine-water, and wash the face with it: this cured a maid in twenty days, that had been troubled with the infirmity half so many years. 34. To take away the marks of the small pox Take the juice of Fennel, heat it luke-warm, and when the small Pox are well scabbed, anoint the face with it divers times in a day, three or four days together. OF THE THROAT, AND ITS INFIRMITIES 35. A caution Diseases in the throat, most commonly proceed of rheum descending from the head upon the trachea arteria, or wind-pipe; in such cases there is many times no other cure than first to purge the body of flegm, and then the head of rheum, as you were taught in the first chapter. 36.For hoarseness Take of sugar so much as will fill a common taster, then put so much rectified spirit of Wine to it as will just wet it, eat this up at night going to bed; use this three or four times together. 37.Another If the body be feverish, use the former medicine as before, only use Oil of sweet Almonds, or for want of it, the best Sallad-oil instead of spirit of Wine. 38.Another Take Penny-royal, and seethe it in running water, and drink a good draught of the decoction at night going to bed, with a little sugar in it. 39. For the Quinsey Take notice that bleeding is good in all inflammations, therefore in this. It were very convenient that a syrup, and an ointment of Orpine were always ready in the house for such occasions; for I know no better remedy for the Quinsey, than to drink the one, and anoint the throat with the other. OF WOMEN'S BREASTS, THEIR INFIRMITIES AND CURES 40.For sore breasts Take a handful of Figs, and stamp them well till the kernels are broken, then temper them with a little fresh grease, and apply them to the breast as hot as the patient can endure; it will presently take away the anguish, and if the breast will break, it will break it, else it will cure it without breaking. 41.An inward medicine for a sore Breast Let her drink either the juice or decoction of Vervain: it were fit that syrup were made of it to keep all the year. OF THE STOMACH, AND ITS INFIRMITIES 42.A caution Infirmities of the stomach usually proceed from surfeiting. 43. Another Let such as have weak stomachs, avoid all sweet things, as honey, sugar, and the like; milk, cheese and all fat meats: let him not eat till he is hungry, nor drink before he is dry; let him avoid anger, sadness, much travel, and all fryed meats: let him not vomit by any means, nor eat when he is hot. 44. For moisture of the Stomach Take a drachm of Galanga, in powder, every morning in a draught of that Wine you like best. 45. For heat of the Stomach Swallow four or five grains of Mastich every night going to bed. OF THE LIVER, AND ITS INFIRMITIES 46. A caution If the liver be too hot, it usually proceeds from too much blood, and is known by redness of urine, the pulse is swift, the veins great and full, the spittle, mouth, and tongue, seem sweeter than they used to be: the cure is letting blood in the right arm. 47.To cause the Liver well to digest Take Oil of Wormwood, and so much Mastich in powder as will make it into a poultice, lay it warm to your right side. 48.A caution If the liver be stopped, the face will swell, and you shall be as sure to have a pain in your right side, as though you had it there already. 49.For stoppage of the Liver Use Garden-thyme in all your drinks and broaths, it will prevent stoppages before they come, and cure them after they are come. 50. For the liver The liver of a Hare dryed, and beaten into powder, cures all the diseases of the liver of man.