The complete herbalist, or The people their own physicians by the use of nature's remedies. Showing the great curative properties of all herb, symptoms of prevalent diseases and a new and plain system of hygienic principles.

514 Pages·1870·32.98 MB·English

by  O. Phelps Brown

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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/completeherbalOObrow

THE
COMPLETE HERBALIST;
OB, THE
OWN
PEOPLE THEIR PHYSICIANS,
BY THE trSE OF
NATURE'S REMEDIES:
DESCRIBINO
GREAT CURATIVE PROPERTIES FOUND IN THE
HERBAL KINGDOM.
A NEW AND PLAIN SYSTEM OF HYGIENIC PRINCIPLES. TOGETHER WITH
COMPREHENSIVE ESSAYS ON SEXUAL PHILOSOPiiZ,
MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, &c.
By Dr. O. PHELPS BKOWN.
PRICE, TWO DOLLARS.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR,
JERSEY CITY, N.J.
Entered,accordingtoActof Congress,intheyear1872,by
Dk. O. PHELPS BKOWN,
IntheofficeoftheLibrarianofCongressatWashington.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MEDICINE.
—
Inpresenting this work on Crude Organic Remedies the Constit-
—
aentsofPlants, andtheir OflEiciiial Preparations I do not propose to
"runatilt" againstany of the systems of Medical Practice, however
muchsome of themmaybe opposed to common senseandreason, and
tothe Divine ordinances of Nature nor shall I treatwith contempt
;
theteachingsand practices of great andwonderful names, or oppose
the pride, interest, expectation, and conscientious convictions of a
learned, honorable, and influential profession; myobject is simplyto
present many newand curious, if not startling facts, not only well
worthyofthe earnestconsideration of the more intelligent portion of
the community, who demand reasonsthe mostprofound to leadthem
toconviction of a Truth, but of the great mass of humbler people,
who desire, amid all the great Reforms in human society, above all
thingsto securea "soundmindinasoundbody,'''' and tofeelsomething
ofthat exaltedstate ofhappinesswhich alone canarisefromtheposses-
sionofthemostrobustandrubicund physicaland moral Health.
It must be palpable to everythinking mind that Therapeutical and
Pharmaceuticalscienceisthe veryfoundation of the "Healeng Art
DivrNE." Inthe language ofHolyWrit, "TJie Lordhas createdmedi-
cinesoutoftheearthy andhe thatiswisewillnotabhorthem.''''*
Yea,happyhethatcantheknowledgegain,
ToknowtheEternalGodmadenaughtinvain."
Theuse ofmedicineisno doubt coincidentwith the History of the
HumanRace; butwriters generallyagree thatmedicinefirstbecame a
profession among the Egyptians. The priests of the earlier natioas
Ecclesiastesxxxviii,4.
,
4 THE COMPLETE HERBALIST.
were thepractitioners of the HealingArt, but it does not seem that
womenwereexcludedfromthe rightofadministeringmedicineforthe
purpose ofhealingthe sick, sincemention is made of a certain Queen
Isis, whobecamegreatlycelebratedamong them, andwasworshipped
as a "Goddessop Health." Although the practitioners among the
Egyptians, Assyrians, andJewswereinthe habit of employing incan-
tations, which, of course, produced their good and bad impressions
throughthemedium of the imagination, yet their eflficiencyin curing
diseaseswasmainlydue totheirknowledge ofthe medicinalvirtues of
many ofthevegetableproductsofNature. Theyseemedtolookupas
highasthestarstoknowthe reason of theoperation of the Herbs in
thevariousaffections of thehumanrace.
AmongtheGreeks,Hippocratesfirstcausedmedicinetoberegarded
asascience^while.^sculapiuswasthe firstwhomademedicineanex-
clusive studyand practice. Hissons, Machaon and Podalirius, are
celebratedinHomer's "Iliad" fortheirmedicalskill assurgeonsinthe
Greekarmies orduringthe Trojanwar. Twodaughtersalsoof-i^scu-
lapius, Panakeia and Hygeia, were no less distinguished than their
renowned brothers; the latter being the inventor of many valuable
herbalpreparations, whose successin curingdiseaseswonforher,asin
thecase of QueenIsisofEgypt, theproudhonoranddeification of the
Greeksasan especial "GoddessofHealth." Wehavenoknowledge
thatJEsculapius orhis immediate followers, theAsclepiadae, evercon-
ceived theidea ofcuringdisease bydrugormineralpreparations. Ab-
lutions, bandages, fomentations, ointments, etc., were administered
externally, and preparations of aromatic herbs, roots, flowers, balms,
gums, etc., constitutedtheirwhole materiamedica for all internalail-
ments. Nextthe Pythagorean school became famous, and thesewere
thefirsttovisitthe sickat theirhomes.
Thenextmostprominentmedical practitioner after thesewas Hip-
pocrates, the "Coan Sage," who, being one of the most sagacious,
observing, and industrious men that ever lived, was entitled the
'''Father ofMedidney He traveled muchinforeigncountries, devot-
inghimselfwithuntiring energytothe studyand practice ofmedicine.
Hiswritingswere numerous, and eventothisdayhis doctrinesareex-
tensively recognized. His practice was consistently founded on the
phenomenaofNature asexhibitedinhuman beings during health and
disease. Hismateriamedicawasderivedalmostwhollyfromthevege-
table kingdom. His internal remedies were purgatives, sudorifics,
diuretics, and injections, while his externalwere ointments, plasters,
liniments, etc. The great principlewhich directed all his operations
was the supposed operations of Nature insuperintending and regulat-
ingalltheactions ofthesystem. Thismode of practicehad the good
effectof enablingthepractitionertomakehimselfwellacquaintedwith