Talk:Nicholas Culpeper

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==Notes about his life==

This man reputedly did a lot to found herbalism, homeopathy, and natural medicine as viable healing modalities during his lifetime. Information on Culpepper at present is sparse indeed. Below are some excerpts from internet articles I have surfed. Culpepper has quite a reputation in the alternative medicine community, and his works on some of the Bachelor of Naturopathy reading lists in Australia. User talk:Drakonicon

Contents

[edit] Anecdotal Evidence

Submitted for perusal and implementation into article by Drakonicon 19:43, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A...

"By the time Europeans arrived in the Americas, they possessed a long list of medicinal plants. They also began looking for new plants to use in medicine. The "Badinus" was the first manuscript to bring New World botanical medicine back to Europe in the 1550s. It was based on the work of an Aztec physician. However, Flannery pointed out, the "Badinus" disappeared, moving from one library to another, until it surfaced in the Vatican in 1929, so it had no effect on the way botanical medicines were used in Europe.

Herbal medicines from the New World did not make a mark on Europe until about 25 years later, in 1577, when a Spanish physician published "Joyful News Out of the New Found World." Using plants from the Americas, it promised cures for ailments that until then were incurable.

Although "Joyful News" promised miraculous cures, those cures remained hidden from the general public, locked away in the "official literatures" as it were, according to Flannery, until England's Nicholas Culpepper translated those medical works from the Latin and offered them to the public in 1600.

"Many an early American colonist, armed no doubt with his trusty Culpepper volume or volumes, actually introduced to this continent a number of medicinal species native to mother England," Flannery pointed out.

Culpepper's work helped European botanical medicine cross the Atlantic. However, according to Flannery, it would take American independence and a German to create a system of botanical medicine based on native American plants." from [[1]]

[edit] B...

_______________________ January 06, 2006 Got Milk Thistle? Milk thistle, a plant with a long stem, purple-ish flowers, and wide leaves, has been used for medicinal purposes for more than 2, 000 years. Also known as “St. Mary’s Thistle,” “Holy Thistle,” and “Blessed Thistle,” legend has it that as Mary sat under a milk thistle tree to nurse the baby Jesus, a drop of her milk fell, forever staining the plant’s leaves with white veins.

Nicholas Culpepper, a British herbalist, was first to record the value of milk thistle in treating diseases of the liver and spleen in the late eighteenth century. Recent studies show that active substances in milk thistle, particularly the antioxidant flavonoid silymarin, may protect the liver from damage caused by toxins, alcohol, and viruses, while also promoting the growth of new liver cells.

Silymarin is also the only known antidote for “death cap” mushroom poisoning (which destroys the liver by shutting down protein production in the liver cells). Milk thistle is commonly used for other conditions including psoriasis, gall bladder disorders, lactation problems, HIV, and cancer. [[2]]

[edit] C...

___________________________

from..Herbalgram.org..

"Watercress

Latin Name: Nasturtium officinale Pharmacopeial Name: Nasturtii herba Other Names: green watercress, summer watercress

Overview Description Chemistry and Pharmacology Uses Contraindications Side Effects Use During Pregnancy and Lactation Interactions with Other Drugs Dosage and Administration References Additional Resources

Overview

Watercress is a hardy perennial herb native to Europe and temperate Asia (Uphof, 1968), cultivated and naturalized in North and South America, and the West Indies (HPUS, 1992). It is found growing wild in wetlands, particularly in calcareous regions (Grieve, 1979; HPUS, 1992). Its commercial cultivation began during the nineteenth century (Bown, 1995). The material of commerce is obtained mainly from eastern and southeastern European countries (Wichtl and Bisset, 1994). Its genus name, Nasturtium, is derived from the Latin nasus tortus, meaning convulsed or twisted nose, due to the pungent taste of its leaf (Bown, 1995; Grieve, 1979). Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (ca. 460–377 B.C.E.) used watercress for its expectorant action (Brill and Dean, 1994). According to Grieve, it has also been used as an antiscorbutic (scurvy remedy) since ancient times (Grieve, 1979). Seventeenth century English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper reported that the bruised leaves or juice, prepared as a lotion, was used topically to treat blotches, spots, and blemishes on the skin (Grieve, 1979)."


[edit] D...

"THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN (1663) WITH 369 MEDICINES MADE OF ENGLISH HERBS" Rare Book on CDROM Rare historic 1663 pharmaceutical Book on CDROM CDROM of the very rare and very interesting "THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN WITH 369 MEDICINES MADE OF ENGLISH HERBS" on CDROM . By Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654.). CDROM includes pdf images of all 440 pages of an original 1770 edition of this famous book originally published in 1663. The origin of modern pharmaceuticals began with this work. Medical use of herbs such as foxglove, from which the heart medication digitalis was purified, is described in fascinating detail. This book is an authenic source of information on the herbal origins of modern pharmacotherapy. Price: $9.99 (Shipping is Free) Click to Add this CDROM to Shopping Cart (You can always remove it later)


Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) was a legendary figure in the field of herbal medicine and author of The English Physican. He was a man of mystery and glory - a revolutionary who taxed the hierarchical politicos, challenged the procedures and policies of the clergy and championed the wonderings of common folk, much to the chagrin of the established pedantists. He was the famous English physician of the early 17th century who left to future generations a rich store of pharmaceutical and herbal knowledge. Within this manuscript, the reader will find the wit, intellect, ethic and conviction of a man much respected by his community. Culpeper worked to bring medicinal treatments from the mysterious to the comprehensible. His philosophy was to teach the common folk to minister to themselves by providing them with the tools and knowledge for self health. His mind and ambition was to reform the whole system of medicine by being an innovative questioner paving the way for new thoughts and principles contrary to established traditions. The systematization of the use of herbals by Culpeper was a key development in the evolution of modern pharmaceuticals, most of which originally had herbal origins. A man of and for the common people, Culpeper wrote with a personal style revealing his insights as well as his struggles. He was an astute observer of the effects of herbals. Culpeper's writing is comprehensive and thorough in discussing both the requisite-for-his day-astrology and medicine.He was one of the foremost figures in herbal medicine. His works have come to prominence in the latter half of the twentieth century as people look for alternative medicine solutions to their ailments that cannot be solved by advancements in science. Born to a noble family, the son of an English clergyman, Culpeper studied at Cambridge University and acquired an extensive medical background by reading and serving apprenticeships. He travelled to London where he was apprenticed to a master apothecary. The influence of his teacher was apparent in his interest in medical botany that would be the driving force behind his famous publication, the Herbal (1652, originally titled The English Physitian). He began active practice in 1640 as a physician-astrologer, a not unusual practice for doctors of his day. He soon achieved great fame and developed quite a large practice. The historical significance of Culpeper lies on the fact that he worked to bring medicinal treatments from the mysterious to the comprehensible to all people. His philosophy was to teach the common folk to minister to themselves by providing them with the tools and knowledge for self-health. His mind and ambition was to reform the whole system of medicine. When he published his pharmacopoeia books, an attack occurred against him in the College of Physicians because he was threatening the near monopoly on medical knowledge that the College of Physicians enjoyed. Culpeper later wrote: "This not being pleasing, and less profitable to me, I consulted with my two brothers, DR. REASON and DR. EXPERIENCE, and took a voyage to visit my mother NATURE, by whose advice, together with the help of Dr. DILIGENCE, I at last obtained my desire; and being warned by MR. HONESTY, a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it.". Culpeper was a radical, though by no means the quack that his contemporaries made him out to be. In fact, he had angered his fellow physicians by condemning their greed, unwillingness to adapt to new knowledge, and 'toxic' remedies along with their practice of blood-letting. The Society of Apothecaries were similarly incensed by the fact that he suggested cheap herbal remedies as opposed to their expensive concoctions. Nonetheless, Culpeper was taken in by astrology and has consequently been ridiculed over the years as a star-gazer. His work in the field of herbal medicine has been hugely influential, and the Herbal is used to this day as a result. Beyond this, he also wrote one of the first texts on gynaecology and obstetrics and translated numerous texts into English to the chagrin of more of his contemporaries still. His influence is demonstrated by the existence of a chain of "Culpeper" herb and spice shops in the United Kingdom, India and beyond, and by the continued popularity of his remedies among New Ageand alternative holistic homeopathy medicine practitioners. CD-R is both Mac and Windows compatible. Now you can own the CDROM of this fabulous rare book. Convenient and complete thumbnail pdf index of all pages is included. Includes ability to magnify, enlarge, and examine fine details. Unique gift for nurses, doctors, premed or medical students, or anyone interested in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicines, history of science, history of pharmacology, herbal medicines, alternative medicine, pharmacognosy, or medical science! Good resource for your elibrary. FREE SHIPPING TO USA and CANADA. We ship internationally (worldwide) at actual shipping cost ($0.80 per CD to Europe). ."[[3]]

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Herb remedies published in Nicholas Culpepper's The English Physician Enlarged

  • Anemone - the juyce snuffed up the nose purgeth the head, it clenseth filthy ulcerts, encreaseth milk in Nurses, and outwardly by oyntments helps Leprosies.
  • Bedstraw - stancheth blood; boyled in oyl is good to annoynt a weary traveller; inwardly it provokes lust.
  • Burdoc or Clot-bur - helps such as spit blood and matter, bruised and mixed with salt and applyed to the place, helps the biting of mad dogs. It expels wind, easeth paines of the teeth, strengthens the back...being taken inwardly.
  • Cottonweed - boyled in Ly, it keeps the head from Nits and Lice; being laid among Cloaths, it Keeps them safe from Moths; taken in a Tobacco-pipe it helps Coughs of the Lunges, and vehement headaches.
  • Dittany - brings away dead children, hastens womens travail, the very smell of it drives away venemous beasts; it's an admirable remedy against wounds made with poysoned weapons; it draws out splinters, broken bones, etc.
  • Fleabane - helps the bitings of venemous beasts. It being burnt, the smoke of it kills as Gnats and Fleas in the chamber. It is dangerous for women with child.
  • Hellebore - the root of white Hellebore, or sneezwort, being grated & snuffed up the nose, causeth sneezing, Kill Rats and Mice, being mixed with their meat. Doctor Bright commends it for such as are mad through melancholly. If you use it for sneezing, let your head and neck be wrapped hot for fear of physicianching cold.
  • Lovage - cleers the sight, take away redness and Freckles from the Face.
  • Mugwort - an herb appropriate to the foeminine sex; it brings down the terms, brings away birth and afterbirth, easeth pains in the matrix.
  • Penyroyal - strengthens women's backs, provokes the Terms, staies vomiting, strengthens the brain (yea the very smell of it), breaks wind, and helps the Vertigo.
  • Savory - winter savory and summer savory both expell wind gallantly, and that (they say) is the reason why they are boyled with Pease and Beans and other such windy things; 'tis a good fashion and pitty it should be left.
  • Wood Bettony - helps the falling sickness, and all headaches comming of cold, procures apetite, helps sour belchings, helps cramps and convulsions, helps the Gout, Kills worms, helps bruises, and cleanseth women after their labor.

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[edit] an excerpt from a reported Cayce Treament and Culpeper precedent

Parkinson's disease is a disorder involving degeneration of the dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra in the brain. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by hand tremors and muscular rigidity, including facial expressions. Other symptoms include balance and coordination problems, weakness, visual disturbances, loss of olfaction, fatigue, bladder and bowel problems, and cognitive disturbances. Cayce's view of many neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, was that they are caused by a glandular deficiency leading to an inability of the nerves to regenerate themselves. Cayce’s primary physical modality for stimulating the glands and regenerating the nervous system was the wet cell, a weak chemical battery. The wet cell battery is an energy device developed by a group in the 1920s and 1930s working with guidance from Edgar Cayce. It was prescribed in a large number of readings as an element of the therapy for restoring function to the nervous and glandular systems. The details are documented in the 1800 series of Cayce readings (9). McMillin and Richards (10) review these Cayce readings, and provide information on the construction and use of the wet cell (see Method section below for specific applications in the present study). Cayce's unique contribution is the addition of "vibrational" solutions to the wet cell circuit, particularly gold and silver. According to the readings the vibration of these solutions is carried into the body to stimulate regeneration. Daily massage following application of the wet cell is also important to distribute the energies. Cayce also had dietary recommendations to facilitate the healing process. The other key component of the Cayce healing protocol is mental/spiritual. Our program included meditation and encouragement of a support network for the participants. Gold and Silver as "Nervines" Regarding vibratory treatment of deterioration of the central nervous system, Cayce said "The PRINCIPLE being that these change the vibratory forces … with gold and silver in their varied conditions as may be applied to the system. We will find that impulse … may create for a body almost a new brain …" (Reading1800-16, May 27, 1930) (9). The use of gold and silver in the treatment of neurological disorders has historical precedent. Both gold and silver have been used in microscopy as neurological stains since the mid-1800s because of their affinity for nervous tissue (11). Gold compounds are now used primarily in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and to some degree in other diseases involving the immune system (12). But in the 1800s and earlier, gold was often used as a "nervine," a drug that could revitalize people suffering from nervous conditions. "A gold cordial could be found in the new pharmacopoeias of the 17th century and was advocated by Nicholas Culpepper for the treatment of ailments caused by a decrease in the vital spirits, such as melancholy, fainting, fevers, and falling sickness [epilepsy]" (12). In the 1899 Merck’s Manual gold bromide is listed as an "anti-epileptic, anodyne, nervine," used for, "epilepsy, migraine, etc.; said to act, in small doses, quickly and continuously, without bromism" (13, p. 38). Even as late as 1942, Stedman’s Practical Medical Dictionary lists gold bromide as employed in epilepsy, headache, and as a nerve sedative. Double chloride of gold and sodium is listed as an alterative (a medicine that produces a favorable change in the processes of nutrition and repair) and tonic (14). [[4]]

I think you've got a few things confused here.

  • Back then, all doctors were herbalists. The difference between Culpeper and other doctors wasn't his methods but his willingness to treat patients freely. I don't know what it's like in Australia, but in Canada herbalists generally charge the patient somewhere between five and ten times what a qualified physician charges the government health plan per visit - and they don't have malpractice insurance to pay for (even though they likely cause a great deal of misadventure through encouraging patients to avoid medical treatment for cancer and other diseases - my grandmother died 20 years earlier than she should have because she believed her herbalist could cure her easily-treated skin cancer). Herbal medicines are also significantly more expensive than pharmaceuticals - an herbal medicine can cost $10 a dose, whereas a week's supply of penicillin can cost as little as $3.50.
  • His disdain of urine analysis was not completely sensible. In a time when a surprisingly large percentage of the population suffered from bladder infections and gonorrhea, and especially in England where kidney stones were endemic due to the diet, the gross appearance of a patient's urine was a useful diagnostic tool, more useful in my opinion than a star chart.
  • His treatments didn't make any difference in the life expectancy of the average Briton, which remained what it had always been until Pasteur, Koch, et al. brought science to the medical world. --Charlene 19:51, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pharmacoepia or Pharmacopeia?

Well, which is it? (Obviously, under Pharmacopeia I also include the usual Brit.E. spelling Pharmacopoeia.) Is Pharmacoepia just an error for an intended Pharmacopeia, or what?

Nuttyskin —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.194.199.50 (talk) 08:46, 16 May 2008 (UTC)