Culpeper’s Guide to the Properties, Virtues, and Uses of Herbs and Their Leaves

Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper catalogs herbs according to which part to use—the root, the bark, the flower, the leaf, the fruit—and which ailments each plant was used to treat in the England of his day. Here, he focuses on the above-ground parts of useful plants. Some strange, some surprisingly verified by modern scientific research, Culpeper's herbal compendiums are not just uniquely informative, but a fun and illuminating reading experience: Ginger "takes away windiness of the womb." The brain of sparrows? Great for provoking lust. Pearls? Excellent for the heart. Excerpted from the original text, Culpeper's remarkable attention to plants and their uses remains entertaining and useful today. Check out other Culpeper's Guides!