: aMevandlet' lich Miler lonrmon, Le

- Alcheof’

Garda Arrach Arrach, wild

and Stinking
 Notebook
Compiled by
Ian Thomas

EBURY PRESS STATIONERY

 First published in 1991 by Ebury Press Stationery
An imprint of the Random Century Group
Random Century House, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road,
London SW1V 2SA

Copyright © Random Century Group 1991

Culpeper Trade Mark and Logo © (1991) Culpeper Ltd.
Text Copyright © (1991) lan Thomas

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot
accept liability for errors.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without permission in writing from the publisher.

Set in Palatino
by Tek Art Ltd., Addiscombe, Croydon

_» Printed in Hong Kong’

Designed by Paul Welti

ISBN 0 7126 4566 7

All illustrations are taken from early Culpeper Herbals

 Introduction
If you are like me, and write down something that interests you on a piece
of paper, can you ever find that piece of paper when you need it? Isn’t it
extraordinary, however, that it always turns up when the need for it has
passed? That is why this notebook will be so useful. Other than using a
computer, the only way to record information properly is to get it into a
hard-bound book. Write it down, stick or clip the information to the pages.
The book does not get lost. You can record notes under the headings which
interest you. You can even stand and write in it in the garden.
The Culpeper notebook is illustrated with the colour drawings of herbs
which first appeared in 19th-century editions of the Culpeper Herbal. Few
realize that the Culpeper Herbal has been in print every decade for over
300 years. First published in 1652, the Culpeper Herbal has been
translated into Welsh and published in Colonial America and India.
Over 100 editions were published before 1800. Colour made its first
appearance in 1789 and the illustrations in this notebook are taken from
three different editions published between 1789 and 1840. The illustra-
tions were printed in outline and then coloured by hand. Very often, these
19th-century editions were published in monthly parts ‘plain or coloured’.
Coloured was more expensive, so you are being given the best!
Culpeper as a company was founded on St Valentine’s Day 1927 by
Mrs C.F. Leyel, who in the same year founded the Society of Herbalists,
now the Herb Society, a registered charity. The aim of Culpeper was and
is ‘to revive the taste for wholesome natural medicines, pure cosmetics,
and the use of herbs in cooking, and to form a counter-attraction to the
modern craze for strong, synthetic scents’. Many of our formulae are still
based on Mrs Leyel’s hand-written recipes and our cosmetics, bottled in
glass, are as natural as possible. Culpeper foods are without added
colours and preservatives. Culpeper in fact started the whole ‘green’ scene
and is the only cosmetic manufacturer in Britain to grow herbs.
I hope you will enjoy using the Culpeper notebook and that it will
give you lasting pleasure.

Ian Thomas
 Agrimony
This is a native British herb with a long, slender spike of small yellow
flowers produced in midsummer. The leaves are hairy and the seeds have
a spine which catches on the clothing of passers-by, hence its country
name ‘sticklebur’. Agrimony is rich in tannin and an infusion is given
as a. gentle remedy for diarrhoea, and to treat colitis and cystitis.
 AM heal

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Clik Mer GOumnon Ader Angelou Flower Gentle

Arnnch, wid Archangel

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 Alder
‘The Leaves put under the bare feet gauled with travelling are a great
refreshing to them,’ wrote Culpeper. Alder leaves gathered while the
morning dew was still on them and brought into a bed chamber troubled
with fleas would ‘rid the Chamber of those troublesome Bed fellows’. Alder
leaves are astringent and can be used as a gargle for sore throats.
 Aloe Vera
Aloes are very undemanding houseplants. You can forget to water them
for weeks and they will forgive you. The medicinal use of aloes to purge
the system is now overshadowed by its use in cosmetics. Aloe vera gel
appears in suncreams and soothing body preparations.
 Basil
Basil is a half-hardy annual with aromatic, dark green, shiny leaves and
white flowers produced on spikes in summer. Sow in early summer in the
warmest, sunniest place you have. Water and feed well once it is growing
strongly. Basil is the herb for Italian cooking, and the main ingredient
in ‘pesto’, a rich sauce used to flavour pasta dishes. In aromatherapy,
basil oil is used to clear the head and stimulate the spirits.
 Bay
An evergreen tree whose leaves are aromatic fresh or dried. The leaves
are susceptible to wind and frost damage, so a bay should be grown in a
sheltered sunny position. Crush dried and fresh bay leaves to add to soups,
stews and rice puddings. Bay is astringent and helps rid the body of fat,
hence its traditional use when cooking fatty meats.
 Borage
An annual herb with downy, light green leaves on rough stems. The blue
flowers are star-shaped with a black eye. The leaves have a delicate
cucumber flavour. Flowers and leaves are added to summer punches and
cordials. Dried flowers are added to potpourris. Oil from borage seed is
now being used to treat pre-menstrual stress.
 Caraway
Caraway is a hardy biennial that produces flowers and seeds in the
second summer. Sow seed where plant is to flower, in a sunny position.
The fresh leaves taste slightly of carrots and are added to salads. The
seeds are used to flavour cakes, breads and baked apples. The root is
chopped and cooked like carrots. Culpeper wrote that caraway was ‘a
most admirable remedy for such as are troubled with wind’.
 Rurdoct Butter bur

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Carrot Celundime
Centaury Wild
 Chamomile
There are annual and perennial chamomiles whose feathery leaves and
daisy-like flowers smell strongly of pineapple. The perennial chamomiles
are used for aromatic lawns. Chamomile tea is made from dried or fresh
flowers and taken to treat restlessness and irritability. Drunk at night,
chamomile tea will encourage sleep. It calms children at bedtime.
 Chervil

This is an annual herb with small white flowers that should be sown
throughout the year to ensure continuous supplies of the leaves. Grow in
shade in the summer since the herb needs moisture. The small green leaves
have a distinctive flavour somewhere between fennel and parsley. Chervil
is considered a diuretic and has been used to lower blood pressure.
 Chives
Chives are a perennial herb grown from seed that quickly forms a clump.
The clump needs to be lifted and split every three years. The herb produces
green, tubular, grass-like leaves which have a delicate onion taste. Chop
fresh chives and sprinkle them on green and mixed salads, mashed
potatoes, cream and cottage cheeses and dips. Chives improve the
appetite, although Culpeper claimed they caused ‘troublesome Sleep’.
 Coriander

Coriander is a tall-growing annual herb of which both the leaves and

seed are used. The leaves are a bright, oily green. The pale mauve flowers
appear in July. Ground coriander seeds are the main ingredient in many
curry blends. Fresh coriander leaves are added as a garnish to Indian
dishes. Coriander is a natural digestive and a ‘gallant expeller of wind’!
 Dandelion
The yellow flowers attract early bees and country people make a wine of
them. Dandelion leaves and the dried root are a natural diuretic. As
Culpeper put it, ‘Dandelyon, vulgarly called, Piss-a-beds’. In the summer,
the young fresh leaves can be used in salads. Herbalists use dandelion to

he
help in detoxifying the body and in cases of hypertension.
 =

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 Dill
William Coles, a contemporary of Nicholas Culpeper, called dill ‘a wise
plant’ since it did not appear until the winter was gone. Use dill seeds to
flavour vinegars, pickled gherkins and cucumbers. Try chopped dill with
cucumber sandwiches, on scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes. The name
‘dill’ is from the Norse word meaning to lull, and dill is an ingredient in
babies’ gripe water.
 Dock
‘Nettle out: Dock in, Dock remove the nettle sting.’ Rubbing the skin with
a dock leaf is an old country remedy. Docks are a remedy for eczema and
skin diseases. They are rich in tannin and iron, and are used to help
purify the blood and as a tonic.
 Elder
The elder is a hardy shrub that will grow almost anywhere, but produces
its best flowers in full sun. The flower-heads make the most delicious
elderflower ‘champagne’ if yeast is added, or a healthy cordial. The
flowers and berries can be made into jellies and jams which go well with
game, lamb and poultry. Dried elderflower tea or a hot glass of elderflower
cordial is a useful home remedy to treat colds and chills.
Ejé ge

Cu0 Ce
 Elecampane >
Elecampane is a tall-growing herb with sturdy stems. The flowers are
yellow and appear in July. The root, which is aromatic when dry, is
gathered in the winter. Culpeper said that the root of the herb ‘helps the
Cough, shortness of Breath, and wheezing in the lungs’. Modern
herbalists still use elecampane for the same reason. Fresh elecampane
roots were candied and sold as a forerunner of the modern cough sweet.
 Eyebright
‘If this Herb were but as much used as it is neglected,’ wrote Culpeper,
‘it would half spoil the Spectacle Makers Trade.’ Eyebright is still the
preferred herbal practitioners’ remedy for inflammations of the eye. An
infusion is made by adding one teaspoonful to one cupful of boiling water.
This is left to stand for up to thirty minutes. The lotion must be made
fresh each time and strained before use.
 Fennel
An imposing, tall, perennial herb, fennel should be in every garden. Fresh
fennel leaves can be chopped and used in salads and added to pulse dishes.
The fresh leaves and dried stalks can be added when cooking poultry and
fish. Their aniseed taste gives the dish a ‘South of France’ flavour. Fennel
encourages the appetite and is used in anorexic cases, although fennel tea
can be used to reduce weight since fennel is a diuretic.
Foxglove

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 Fenugreek
Fenugreek is an annual herb that is grown for its seeds, which are full of
mucilage and are soothing. A tea made from the seeds is used to treat
coughs in Mediterranean countries. The seeds can be boiled in a cotton
bag and used to bring boils to a head. Fenugreek seed is very nutritious
and is used as an ingredient in curry mixtures.
 Feverfew
Feverfew is an attractive, bushy plant that freely seeds itself in the
garden. The leaves are yellowy-green and very aromatic. The plant is
covered in tiny, daisy-like flowers in the summer. Recent research has
proved that feverfew can help prevent painful migraine attacks. It also
relieves muscular tension and is thought to be of some help in arthritis.
The leaves can be dried for use as an anti-moth mixture.
 Garlic
‘The offensiveness of the breath of him that hath eaten Garlick will lead
you by the nose to the knowledge thereof,’ wrote Culpeper. Although it
may be anti-social, garlic is antiseptic, anti-viral and anti-bacterial and
it makes sense to use it. It encourages the appetite and is good for the
stomach. Eating garlic regularly helps reduce high blood pressure,
discourages viruses and relieves bronchitis and catarrh.
 Gentian
The gentian used by herbalists is Gentiana lutea. Gentian is an excellent
herbal tonic, used as a gastric stimulant and to increase appetite. It has
a very bitter taste and is best taken with cardamom and ginger.
 Scented Geranium

Scented Geraniums make attractive houseplants since they continue to

flower throughout the winter. Leaves are strongly aromatic and smell of
rose, lemon, peppermint and even chocolate. The scented leaves can be
used to flavour fruit salads, ice creams and custards. Dried leaves can
be used in potpourris. Geranium oil is used by aromatherapists to relieve
depression and in skin care.
 Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of a tropical plant that grows wild. It is warmly
aromatic, an important herb in Chinese medicine and used widely in
Chinese cooking, particularly with shell-fish as an antidote to possible
food poisoning. Ginger is full of natural fibre. Recent research has shown
that ginger helps to detoxify the body, and relieves arthritis and
rheumatism.
 Groundsel

Groundsel is a common annual weed that flowers and seeds for most of
the year, if, as Culpeper put it, ‘it be suffered in a Garden.’ The herb was
formerly used to relieve bilious pains and as a diuretic. A poultice would
help dissolve ‘knots and kernels’ in the ‘Seat or Fundament’. Internal use
is no longer recommended.
 Hops
Ale was traditionally made without hops. Beer had the added benefit of
this medicinal herb, which gave it a bitter flavour. Hops are sedative,
have diuretic properties and stimulate oestrogen, thus reducing male
sexual desire. A tea of hops will improve the appetite, while a pillow
stuffed with the dried herb will encourage sleep.
 Himlock.

\
Herb Truelove,

Lndrant
 Horehound
An attractive, low-growing, perennial herb with downy grey leaves and
small white flowers, which bees love. Both the flowering tops and the
leaves are used in herbal medicine. An infusion is given for the treatment
of bronchitis and asthma. A boiled sweet made from fresh horehound used
to be a popular winter cough sweet.
 Hyssop
Hyssop is often grown in formal herb gardens since it makes an
attractive, flowering low hedge. Hyssop flowers are blue, pink or white,
and attract bees and butterflies. Herbalists use hyssop in infusions for
coughs and colds. It is anti-inflammatory, so aromatherapists use hyssop
oil for bruises.
 Juniper
Juniper berries are two years old when they turn black. They make an
excellent sauce for venison and other game. Juniper is an ingredient of
gin and an appetite-stimulant. Aromatherapists use the essential oil to
treat urinary infections, acne, cellulitis, skin disorders and as a
disinfectant both of body and mind.
 Knapweed
Knapweed is still a common sight in the countryside. Its blue flowers
resemble those of a Scottish thistle. It is a tonic herb although not
currently in much use. It can be made into an ointment for use on bruises.
 Lavender
Lavender grows best in well-drained soils in full sun. It is surprisingly
aromatic in a ‘herby’ rather than a flowery way. Cooking with lavender
gives a real Provengal flavour to grilled meats and chicken. A few drops
of lavender essential oil in a bath will soothe and encourage relaxation.
Lavender is safely calming and helps relieve muscular pain.
 Lemon balm
Lemon balm, often known as melissa, is an ingredient in many herbal
teas. The herb grows best in a good soil in the sun. The whole plant tastes
and smells of lemon. A tea of lemon balm is taken when people are
depressed and over-anxious. It is also thought to be anti-viral. Fresh
leaves can be frozen for winter use.
 Lettuce

Culpeper wrote that lettuce ‘abeteth bodily Lust, represseth Venerous

Dreams, being outwardly applied to the Cods’! Certainly, all the lettuce
family are known to be soporific and Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is
used by herbalists to treat nervous excitability in children. Lettuce is full
of vitamins and iron and helps cool the blood.
 Liquorice
Liquorice needs to remain for some years in one place before it will flower.
The root is taken in powder or by decoction. Liquorice is expectorant and
soothing; it is therefore used to treat bronchitis and catarrh. It is also
anti-inflammatory and mildly laxative and helpful to people with peptic
ulcers. Liquorice should be taken in moderation.
 Lovage
This is an impressive garden plant of which you only need one. Leaves,
stems and root all taste strongly of celery and can be used fresh or dry.
Lovage is thus an inexpensive way to add a celery flavour to soups, stews
and salads. Culpeper wrote that the root ‘doth wonderfully warm a cold
Stomach, and helpeth digestion’ and indeed it does. |
—______——
Marigold flowers readily and
is thought good for the heart
flowers dried for winter use
and anti-inflammatory. Make
the flowers in sweet almond
Marigold
easily in the garden in almost any soil. It
and spirits. Marigolds were a pot-herb, the
in soups and stews. Marigolds are healing
your own healing hand lotion by infusing
oil and leaving in the sun for two weeks.
 lace Tree, Blak Maden hair "Waller,

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 Marjoram
All ‘marjorams’ are of the Origanum family. The most fragrantly
aromatic is the sweet or knotted marjoram usually grown as an annual
from seed in late spring. Sweet marjoram has soft, grey-green leaves
which can be dried for winter use in the kitchen, in potpourri and to scent
clothes’ sachets.
 Marshmallow

Marshmallow is related to the garden hollyhock, and produces pale pink

flowers in late summer. It is soothing, emollient and healing. Herbalists
use the dried peeled root to treat gastric or duodenal ulcers and gastritis.
Marshmallow root is also soothing when the throat is inflamed. A
poultice of leaves can be used on wounds and boils.
 Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet grows wild in damp meadows and by rivers. The small
white flowers appear in summer. Meadowsweet is a source of methyl
salicylate, a form of natural aspirin, which is also found in willow bark
and honeysuckle. Its use helps relieve rheumatic pain. Meadowsweet is
the herbal antacid and is reputed to help prevent ulcers.
 Mint

Mint sauce and jelly are traditionally eaten with lamb. The herb
counteracts the fattiness of the meat, making it more digestible. Mint ts
also delicious with chicken. Chopped leaves add freshness to new potatoes
and young peas. Mint gives a clean taste to wine cups. A mint tea is a
pleasant home remedy for children’s indigestion and colic.
 Nep
Nep is Catnep, Catnip or Catmint. Gerard wrote that cats ‘rub
themselves upon it, and waller and tumble in it.’ Catmint tea is used to
treat colic in children; and for colds, headache and insomnia. Nepeta
cataria has soft, downy, grey-green leaves and spikes of white, hooded
flowers spotted with purple. The plant is tall and erect. It should not be
confused with Nepeta mussini, a popular edging plant.
Com Mugwert > - Uetherry Lree, WRdtoMulbien Crit Muflard, Hedge Mhyflard, Ala
laflecle Tree,

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 Nettles
Nettles were a traditional spring pot-herb, cooked like spinach and served
as spring greens or in soup. They contain ascorbic acid (natural Vitamin
C). Nettle tea was drunk in the spring to cleanse the blood. Herb beers
were made in the spring from nettles, dandelion and clivers to be drunk
in the summer and at harvest-time.
 Nutmeg
Nutmeg did not feature in early editions of the famous Herbal since
Culpeper expounded that English herbs were best for English bodies.
Nutmeg is the only tree to grow two spices. The tree produces an apricot-
like fruit, which opens to expose the mace, then scarlet, around the shell
of the nutmeg. Nutmegs are best used freshly grated.
 Oak
The oak ‘being the Glory and Safety of this Nation by Sea’ is not often
thought to be a herb. However, oak bark is a powerful astringent used
against diarrhoea. Oak is antiseptic and is taken as a gargle for sore
throats. Acorns were roasted and used as a substitute for coffee in
wartime.
 44S MS ; 5 3

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 Onion
Onion is the general name for the species Allium. Chives, garlic and
shallots are of the same family. Onions are a herbal antibiotic due to the
presence of allicin, which is also found in garlic. Eating onions regularly
is likely to help prevent colds and to be of benefit to those who suffer from
asthma. Onions contain sulphur and are thought to help promote sleep.
 Oregano
Oregano is generally accepted to be Origanum vulgare, a native British
herb, although oregano in other countries comes from different species.
Oregano likes a well-drained, sunny position. Both the dark pink flowers
and the leaves can be used in cooking. It gives a sharp herb flavour to
pizzas, meat sauces, stews and soups. The flowers are excellent for
cutting.
 Parsley
Parsley is universally used but the dried herb has very little flavour
compared to the fresh. Parsley dies the second year after sowing but the
leaves are never as good after the first year. It is best sown from seed
every year. The leaves are used as a garnish and flavouring. Parsley is
rich in vitamins and has a beneficial effect on the liver.
PeHitory of the Wail Periwinkle

Plantain

White Poppy Corn Rese Poppy

 Peppermint
Peppermint is not used much in the kitchen except in making peppermint
creams. However, no herb garden or home medicine-chest should be
without it. Peppermint oil is almost over-powering, but peppermint tea
has a wonderful ability to relieve indigestion pains soothingly. It is a
perfect tea for the constant worrier and a digestive after-dinner drink.
 Plantain

Plantain, also called Plantago, is a common wild herb treated as a weed

in gardens and easily pulled out. It encourages the production of urine
and is also anti-inflammatory. A tea of the leaves is given as treatment
for cystitis and haemorrhoids.
 Primrose
The primrose is one of the earliest spring flowers, often appearing as early
as February in a sheltered place. Primrose flowers can be used in early
spring salads. Medicinally, the primrose is an anti-inflammatory and
healing herb once used to treat gout. Primrose tea can be taken to induce
sleep, although it may be disturbed by dreams.
 Purslane
Purslane is a cooling salad herb which John Evelyn claimed was ‘very
profitable for hot and Bilious Tempers’. The succulent stems were pickled
in vinegar for winter salads. At one time used medicinally for ‘hot agues’
and ‘choleric Fluxes’, purslane is today grown as an ornamental plant.
There is an attractive golden variety.
 Rhubarb
The rhubarb of the English garden produces thick succulent stems that
can be forced early in the spring, cooked and eaten as fruit. The fruit is
slightly laxative. The leaves are poisonous. The dried root of Chinese
rhubarb is used medicinally as a tonic and to strengthen the stomach.
The powdered root is used to highlight fair hair.
Wialer hovket Wale Prony sed. ee ae

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Meadow hue hiufptlure wore.

 Rocket
The garden rocket used to be used as a rather bitter salad herb. Seed of
the wild rocket was taken in drink to ‘take away the ill scent of the Arm-
pits’ and to clean the skin of spots and redness. Rocket is usually grown
as a biennial. The flowers smell sweetly in the evening.
 Rose
‘The simple Water of the Damask Rose is chiefly used for Fumes to
sweeten things,’ wrote Culpeper. The dried leaves made ‘sweet Powders’
and filled ‘sweet bags’. The old scented roses make a delicious jelly. Petals
can also be used in vinegar for winter consumption. Roses are astringent
and tonic. Rose water is used as a face toner.
 Rosemary
Rosemary grows best in a well-drained soil in full sun. In cooking, it is
traditionally used with meat, especially lamb. Rosemary is an anti-
oxidant, and also helps the digestion. Rosemary essential oil is regarded
as stimulating. A few drops added to the rinsing water leave the hair
shiny and fragrant. Rosemary tea is taken to relieve tension, nervous
headaches and depression.
 Rue

Rue arouses strong emotions. The plant has a very powerful smell, and
is traditionally part of the judges’ bouquets carried originally to prevent
gaol fever. The flowers are soft yellow, and look attractive against the
blue-green leaves. An infusion of rue is used by herbalists to encourage
menstruation.
 Sage
Sage needs well-drained soil and sun. Sage and onion stuffing is the
traditional accompaniment to poultry. The strong aromatic taste adds
flavour, while the digestive properties help the body cope with thefattiness
of some poultry. A sage and honey gargle was recommended by Culpeper
over three hundred years ago. It still is good today.
A od cer elrvne
Qo

Sel Heal
 Salad Burnet
Salad burnet is a cooling herb. The leaves smell and taste of cucumber.
They can be eaten in spring salads and added to summer wine cups. The
plant’s Latin name sanguisorba indicates that it is styptic and
astringent. Culpeper called it ‘a most precious herb, the continual use of
it preserves the Body in health, and the Spirits in vigour.’
 Savory
An unjustly neglected herb, since its aromatic taste combines a mention
of marjoram, a rumour of rosemary and a touch of thyme. It should be
universally used, like parsley. The French use savory as a salt substitute.
There is an annual and several perpetual forms. All are very attractive
to bees and butterflies when in flower.
 Self heal
Old country names for self heal were ‘carpenter's herb’ and ‘hook-heal’,
recognition that this was a ‘special herb for inward and outward
wounds’. Self heal is a small, creeping herb producing stems of blue-purple
flowers in May. It is astringent and styptic, useful in the treatment of
piles and bleeding. A tea may be used as a garsle.
 Soapwort
Fragrant pink flowers appear in August on. tall stems. Soapwort is a
natural soap and is used widely in the restoration of delicate fabrics. A
strong tea is made of the leaves and dried root and the solution is brushed
on the item to be cleaned. Alternatively the item may be immersed in the
liquid. A natural shampoo can be made ina similar way.
 lansy
Tansy likes an open, sunny position with plenty of room to roam. The
dull yellow flowers appear in flat heads in late summer. Fresh young
tansy leaves used to be eaten in the spring to cleanse the stomach after
the winter and the Lent diet. Tansy cakes were made at Easter. Tansy
in infusion is used to expel worms and for scabies. It is also used in moth
mixtures. Tansy should not be taken by pregnant women.
 Lreace Mustard Nithirdate Mustard.
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a nana
 Tarragon
Only the French tarragon is worth growing, in a light, warm soil.
Propagation is by cuttings; tarragon from seed is no good. The thin, bright
green leaves are best in spring. Tarragon gives Bearnaise sauce its special
taste, and is delicious with chicken and fish. Like many other culinary
herbs, tarragon is an anti-oxidant, thus helping meat to keep longer.
 Thyme
Thyme enjoys the sun and a well-drained soil. There are many varieties.
All have flowers beloved by bees and butterflies. Thyme is a strong herb
used to add flavour to meats, stews and sausages, while lemon thyme is
good with chicken and fish. Thyme is antiseptic, and makes a good gargle.
A thyme tea may be given for bronchitis and chesty colds.
 Valerian
Valerian likes to grow in cool conditions in a moist, well-drained soil.
Flowers appear in tight clusters during the summer. Valerian is a herbal
tranquilliser: a tea of the dried roots is sedative and encourages sleep
without the drugged hangover effect. Cotton mice stuffed with valerian
will turn on your cat, but the smell is awful!
 ¥
Strange Viole
 Vervain
Vervain, whose Latin name is Verbena, is an insignificant-looking herb
until the long, stiff spikes of tiny, pale mauve flowers appear in summer.
Culpeper was very keen on vervain for nursing mothers. It is used by
modern herbalists as a tea to treat depression, melancholia and weakness
in convalescence.
 Violet

The violet is a woodland plant that flourishes in a damp soil rich in

compost, under dappled shade. The deep blue flowers are produced in early
spring. Their sweet smell is lost on drying, but can be preserved in oil,
sugar, vinegar and alcohol. Medicinally, the dried leaves and flowers are
expectorant and used to treat coughs. The leaves are antiseptic.
 Wallflower
The sweetly scented wallflowers are a welcome sight in late spring. Their
use today is solely to adorn the garden but in Culpeper’s time they were
used to cleanse the blood and liver. A conserve of the flowers was used to
treat apoplexy. The flowers have been reported to contain a substance
similar to digitalis, so should not be eaten.
 Winter Gilly Flower.

BUNS
Liph Wheat.
eX ¥

Common Willow. oad.

Wheat. - White Willow.
Koman
 Walnut
This ‘lusty tree’ has large leaves which have a wonderful fragrance when
crushed. Early doctors who followed the Doctrine of Signatures believed
that the physical shape or appearance of each plant gave a vital clue to
uses to which the herb could be put. Walnuts had the perfect Signature
for the head.
 Wormwood

A tall aromatic herb with silvery grey-green leaves on erect stiff stems.
Wormwood produces yellow flowers in summer. It is bitter, a tonic and
helps strengthen the stomach. Wormwood is used by herbalists to treat
anorexia and as its name suggests, worms. Dried wormwood leaves can
be used in moth mixtures.
 Yarrow
Yarrow will grow anywhere if the drainage is good. The flat, white flower-
heads appear during July to September. The old country name for yarrow
was ‘nose-bleed’ and yarrow is styptic. Yarrow promotes perspiration, an
infusion with peppermint and elderflower is a popular remedy for the
common cold. Yarrow is also used to treat hypertension.
 ; ormioogd. Great Blue Wolfbane.
au

Wolpbare.
 Yellow flag
The yellow flag is a wild iris with tall spikes of yellow flowers in
midsummer. Its natural habitats are marshes and wet ground. Formerly,
yellow flag was regarded as an astringent, cooling herb. An ointment
was made from the flowers for the ‘privy parts’. The plant is not used
medicinally today.
 Yucca
The yucca is best known today as a reliable houseplant. It was not known
to Culpeper, only mentioned in the enlarged 19th century editions. The
juice has been used externally as a natural shampoo, but it is toxic.
 || iil)

9 "780517"590065
ISBN 0O-517-S9004-9

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