Roots

A Catalogue of Simples in the
New Dispensatory

College : Sorrel, Calamus Aromaticus, Water-flag, Privet, Garlick, Marsh-mallows, Alcanet, Angelica, Anthora, Smallage, Aron, Birthwort long and round, Sowbread, Reeds, Asarabacca, Virginian Snakeweed, Swallwort, Asparagus, Asphodel, male and female. Burdocks great and small, Behen, or Bazil, Valerian, white and red. Daisies, Beets, white, red, and black. Marsh-mallows, Bistort, Borrage, Briony, white and black, Bugloss, garden and wild. Calamus Aromaticus, Our Lady's thistles, Avens, Coleworts, Centaury the less. Onions, Chameleon, white and black. Celandine, Pilewort, China, Succory, Artichokes. Virginian Snakeroot, Comfry greater and lesser, Contra yerva, Costus, sweet and bitter. Turmerick, wild Cucumbers, Sowbread, Hound's-tongue, Cypres, long and round. Toothwort, white Dittany, Doronicum, Dragons, Woody Nightshade, Vipers Bugloss, Smallage, Hellebore, white and black, Endive, Elicampane, Eringo, Colt's-foot, Fearn, male and female, Filipendula or Drop-wort, Fennel, white Dittany, Galanga, great and small, Gentian, Liquorice, Dog-grass, Hermodactils. Swallow wort, Jacinth, Henbane, Jallap, Master- wort, Orris or Flower-de-luce, both English and Florentine, sharp pointed Dock, Burdock greater and lesser, Lovage, Privet, white Lilies, Liquorice, Mallows, Mechoacan, Jallap, Spignel, Mercury, Devil's bit, sweet Navew, Spikenard, Celtic and Indian, Water lilies, Rest-harrow, sharp pointed Dock, Peony, male and female, Parsnips, garden and wild, Cinquefoil, Butter-Bur, Parsley, Hog's Fennel, Valerian, greater and lesser, Burnet, Land and Water Plantain, Polypodium of the Oak, Solomon's Seal, Leeks, Pellitory of Spain, Cinquefoil, Turnips, Raddishes, garden and wild, Rhapontick, common Rhubarb, Monk's Rhubarb, Rose Root, Madder Bruscus. Sopewort, Sarsaparilla, Satyrion, male and female, White Saxifrage, Squills, Figwort, Scorzonera, English and Spanish, Virginian Snake weed, Solomon's Seal, Cicers, stinking Gladon, Devil's bit, Dandelion, Thapsus, Tormentil, Turbith, Colt's-foot, Valerian, greater and lesser, Vervain, Swallow-wort, Nettles, Zedoary long and round, Ginger.

Culpeper : These be the roots the college hath named, and but only named, and in this order I have set them down. It seems the college holds a strange opinion, viz. that it would do an Englishman a mischief to know what the herbs in his garden are good for.

But my opinion is, that those herbs, roots, plants, &c. which grow near a man, are far better and more congruous to his nature than any outlandish rubbish whatsoever, and this I am able to give a reason of to any that shall demand it of me, therefore I am so copious in handling of them, you shall observe them ranked in this order:

1. The temperature of the roots, herbs, flowers, &c. viz. hot, cold, dry, moist, together with the degree of each quality.

2. What part of the body each root, herb, flower, is appropriated to, viz. head, throat, breast, heart, stomach, liver, spleen, bowels, reins, bladder, womb, joints, and in those which heat those places, and which cool them.

3. The property of each simple, as they bind, open, mollify, harden, extenuate, discuss, draw out, suppure, cleanse, glutinate, break wind, breed seed, provoke or stop the menses, resist poison, abate swellings, ease pain.

This I intend shall be my general method throughout the simples, which, having finished I shall give you a paraphrase explaining these terms, which rightly considered, will be the key of Galen's way of administering physic.

Temperature of the Roots

Roots hot in the first degree. Marsh-mallows, Bazil, Valerian, Spattling, Poppy, Burdocks, Borrage, Bugloss, Calamus Aromaticus, Avens, Pilewort, China, Self-heal, Liquorice, Dog-grass, white Lilies, Peony, male and female, wild Parsnips, Parsley, Valerian, great and small, Knee-holly, Satyrion, Scorzonera, Skirrets.