Herbs and the influence of Culpeper

Herbs have been used by man for thousands of years, with the experiences being passed by word of mouth from one generation to another, and this is still the case in some societies today.  Eventually the printed word enabled more permanent and acurate records to be kept.  Along with experience in the use of plants for medicinal purposes came superstitions and religious beliefs related to plants.

Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal was published in 1649 in response to the publication of the  herbals of John Gerard in 1597 and John Parkinson in 1640 which used Latin and included many imported drugs.

Culpeper lived at a time when there was a great belief in astrology and plants with the changing seasons had associations to the planets.  In his complete herbal each plant is associated to a specific planet, and his treatment would begin with deciding which planet was responsible for the disease.  He would then refer to his other work 'Judgement of Disease' and this would indicate which planet governed the affected part of the body -blood, bones, heart etc.  Treatment would then be based on the use of plants governed by the planets in opposition to those associated with the particular parts of the body.  However Culpeper also considered that in additon to the use of opposites some diseases could be cured by sympathetic treatment. 

Today there is again an increasing interest in the use of herbs and plants, and what are described as alternative medicines and astrology also attracts great interest.  The pharmaceutical industry is also searching the plant world for treatments for many modern diseases.

As plants are natural they may generally be seen as harmless.  However this is misguided.  Plants can be beneficial, but many are also poisonous, and so identification of a plant must be accurate, as must any dose.  Any internal treatment should only be taken with the advice of a qualified herbal practitioner.  Care should also be taken in collecting plants from the wild in agricultural areas as spraying with pesticide is common practice, and it may also be illegal to remove plants from their natural habitat.

Culpeper's Colour Herbal published by Foulsham, edited by David Potterton includes Culpeper's original comments, the association with the planets and the medicinal uses.  This easy to use illustrated book also includes, where appropriate, the modern use for the plant.