Waters concocting Melancholy in the head, are
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Culpeper, Nicholas
Hops, Fumitory.
The breast. Bawm, Carduus Benedictus.
The heart. Borrage, Bugloss, Bawm, Rosemary.
The liver. Endive, Chicory, Hops.
The spleen. Dodder, Hart’s-tongue, Tamarisk, Time.
Having thus ended the appropriation, I shall speak briefly of the virtues of distilled waters.
Lettice water cools the blood when it is over-heated, for when it is not, it needs no cooling: it cools the head and liver, stays hot vapours ascending to the head, and hinders sleep; it quenches immoderate thirst, and breeds milk in nurses, distil it in May.
Purslain water cools the blood and liver, quenches thirst, helps such as spit blood, have hot coughs, or pestilences.
The distilled water of water Lily-flowers cools the blood and the bowels, and all internal parts of the body; helps such as have the yellow jaundice, hot coughs and pleurisies, the head-ache, coming of heat, fevers pestilential and not pestilential, as also hectic fevers.
The water of Violet flowers, cools the blood, the heart, liver and lungs, over-heated, and quenches an insatiable desire of drinking, they are in their prime about the latter end of March, or beginning of April, according as the year falls out.
The water of Sorrel cools the blood, heart, liver, and spleen: If Venice Treacle be given with it, it is profitable in pestilential fevers, distil it in May.
Endive and Succory water are excellent against heat in the stomach; if you take an ounce of either (for their operation is the same) morning and evening, four days one after another, they cool the liver, and cleanse the blood: they are in their prime in May.
Fumitory water is usual with the city dames to wash their faces with, to take away morphey, freckles, and sun-burning; inwardly taken, it helps the yellow jaundice and itch, cleanses the blood, provokes sweat, strengthens the stomach, and cleanses the body of adust humours: it is in its prime in May and June.
The water of Nightshade helps pains in the head coming of heat. Take heed you distil not the deadly Nightshade instead of the common, if you do, you may make mad work. Let such as have not wit enough to know them asunder, have wit enough to let them both alone till they do.
The water of white Poppies extinguishes all heat against nature, helps head-aches coming of heat, and too long standing in the sun. Distil them in June or July.
Colt’s-foot water is excellent for burns to wash the place with it; inwardly taken it helps Phthisicks and other diseases incident to the lungs, distil them in May or June.
The water of Distilled Quinces strengthens the heart and stomach exceedingly, stays vomiting and fluxes, and strengthens the retentive faculty in man.
Damask Rose water cools, comforts, and strengthens the heart, so doth Red Rose-water only with this difference, the one is binding, the other loosening; if your body be costive, use Damask Rose water, because it is loosening: if loose, use red, because it is binding.
White Rose water is generally known to be excellent against hot rheums, and inflammations in the eyes, and for this it is better than the former.
The water of Red Poppy flowers, called by many Corn-roses, because they grow so frequently amongst corn, cools the blood and spirits over-heated by drinking or labour, and is therefore excellent in surfets.
Green Walnuts gathered about the latter end of June or July, and bruised, and so stilled, strengthen the heart, and resist the pestilence.
Plantain water helps the headache; being dropped into the ear it helps the tooth-ache, helps the phthisicks, dropsy and fluxes, and is an admirable remedy for ulcers in the reins and bladder, to be used as common drink: the herb is in its prime in May.
Strawberry water cools, quenches thirst, clarifies the blood, breaks the stone, helps all inward inflammations, especially those in the reins, bladder and passages of the urine; it strengthens the liver and helps the yellow jaundice.
The distilled water of Dog grass, or Couch grass, as some call it, cleanses the reins gallantly, and provokes urine, opens obstructions of the liver and spleen, and kills worms.
Black Cherry water provokes urine, helps the dropsy. It is usually given in diseases of the brain, as convulsions, falling-sickness, palsy and apoplexy.
Betony is in its prime in May, the distilled water thereof is very good for such as are pained in their heads, it prevails against the dropsy and all sorts of fevers; it succours the liver and spleen, and helps want of digestion and evil disposition of the body thence arising; it hastens travail in women with child, and is excellent against the bitings of venomous beasts.
Distil Sage whilst the flowers be on it, the water strengthens the brain, provokes the menses, helps nature much in all its actions.
Marjoram is in its prime in June, distilled water is excellent for such whose brains are too cold, it provokes urine, heats the womb, provokes the menses, strengthens the memory and helps the judgment, causes an able brain.
Distil Camomel water about the beginning of June. It eases the cholick and pains in the belly; it breaks the stone in the reins and bladder, provokes the menses, expels the dead child, and takes away pains in the head.
Fennel water strengthens the heart and brain; dilates the breast, the cough, provokes the menses, encreases milk in nurses, and if you wash your eyes with it, it clears the sight.
The Hooves of the fore feet of a Cow dried and taken any away, encrease milk in nurses, the smoke of them drives away mice. Mizaldus.
Calaminth water heats and cleanses the womb, provokes the menses, and eases the pains of the head, distil it in May.
The distilled water of Rosemary flowers, helps such as are troubled with the yellow Jaundice, Asthmas, it cleanses the blood, helps concoction, strengthens the brain and body exceedingly.
Water of the flowers of Lilies of the valley, strengthens the brain and all the senses.
The water of Cowslip flowers helps the palsey; takes away pains in the head, the vertigo and megrim, and is exceeding good for pregnant women.
The eyes being washed every morning with Eyebright water, most strangely clears and strengthens the sight.
Maidenhair distilled in May, the water cleanses both liver and lungs, clarifies the blood, and breaks the stone.
Hyssop water cleanses the lungs of flegm, helps coughs and Asthmas, distil it in August.
The water of Hore-hound, helps the cough and straitness of the breast; it strengthens the breast, lungs and stomach, and liver, distil it in June.
Carduus water succours the head, strengthens the memory, helps such as are troubled with vertigoes and quartan agues, it provokes sweat, strengthens the heart, and all other fevers of choler. It is in its prime in May and June.