VMs: Culpeper on Henbane

[Pamela Richards <spirlhelix@xxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings

Here is an entry from Culpeper on Henbane, one of the
plants that I have read has been identified as a VMs
herb.  Culpeper gives its rulership to Saturn and
scoffs at a knowledgeable source which attributes
rulership to Jupiter.  It is possible to use the same
herb with a different intention, which would help to
explain why the rulership of a plant can be attributed
to more than one planet.

Please note the use of astrological terms in the text,
which may have been expressed with glyphs in a similar
text such as the VMs.




"HENBANE. 
Description. 

Our common Henbane hath very large, thick, soft, wooly
Leavs lying upon the ground, much cut in or torn on
the edges of a dark ill grayish green colour, among
which rise up divers thick & short Stalks two or three
foot high, spread into divers smaller Branches with
lesser Leavs on them, and many hollow Flowers scarce
appearing above the Husks, and usually torn on the one
side, ending in five round points growing one above
another, of a deadish yellow colour, somwhat paler
toward the edges, with many purplish Veins therein,
and of a dark yellowish purple in the bottom of the
Flower, with a smal pointel of the same colour in the
middle, each of them standing in hard close Husk,
which after the Flower is past, groweth very like the
Husk of Asarabacca, and somwhat sharp at the top
Points, wherein is contained much smal Seed very like
Poppy Seed, but of a dusky grayish colour. The Root is
great, white and thick, branching forth divers waies
under ground, so like a Parsnip Root (but that it is
not so white) that it hath deceived divers. The whol
Plant more than the Root hath a heavy ill soporiferous
smell somwhat offensive.


Place. 
It commonly groweth by the way sides, and under Hedg
sides and Wals.


Time. 
It Flowreth in July, and springeth again yeerly of its
own Seed.

I doubt my Author mistook July for June, if not for
May.


Vertues and Use. 
The Leavs of Henbane do cool all hot Inflamations in
the Eyes or any other part of the Body; and are good
to asswage all manner of Swellings of the Cods or
Womens Breasts, or els where, if they be boyled in
Wine, and either applied themselves or the Fomentation
warm; it also asswageth the pain of the Gout, the
Sciatica and all other pains in the Joynts which arise
from an hot caus. And applied with Vinegar to the
Forehead and Temples, helpeth the Headach and want of
sleep in hot Feavers. The Juyce of the Herb or Seed,
or the Oyl drawn from the Seed doth the like. The Oyl
of the Seed is helpful for the Deafness, Nois, and
Worms in the Ears, being dropped therein; the Juyce of
the Herb, or Root doth also the same. The Decoction of
the Herb, or Seed, or both, killeth Lice in Man and
Beast. The fume of the dried Herb Stalks and Seed
burned, quickly healeth Swellings, Chilblains, or
Kibes in the Hands or Feet, by holding them in the
fume thereof. The Remedy to help those that have taken
Henbane is to drink Goats Milk, Honyed Water or Pine
Kernels, with Sweet Wine: or in the absence of these,
Fennel Seed, Nettle Seed, the Seed of Cresses,
Mustard, or Radish, as also Onions, or Garlick taken
in Wine, do all help to free them from danger, and
restore them to their due temper again. 

[EDGENOTE:] Inflamation, Cods, Womens Breasts, Gout,
Sciatica, Joynts, Watching, Deafness, Noise in the
Ears, Chilblains, Kibes, French Pox. 

Take notice that this Herb must never be taken
inwardly, outwardly, an Oyl, Oyntment, or Plaister of
it, is most admirable for the Gout, to cool the
Venerial heat of the Reins in the French Pox, to stop
the Toothach being applied to the aching side, to
allay all Inflamations, and to help the Diseases
before premised.

I wonder in my Heart how Astrologers could take on
them to make this an Herb of Jupiter, and yet
Mizaldus, a man of a penetrating Brain, was also of
this Opinion as wel as the rest, the Herb is indeed
under the Dominion of Saturn, and I prove it by this
Argument.

All the Herbs which delight most to grow in Saturnine
places, are Saturnine Herbs.

But Henbane delights most to grow in Saturnine places,
and whol Cart loads of it may be found neer the places
where they empty the common Jakes, and scarce a
stinking Ditch to be found without, it growing by it.

Ergo 'tis an Herb of Saturn.

[p. 65]"




=====
"I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing, than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance."


		
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