1799 - The English Physician by Nicholas Culpeper | Rare Complete Herbal in Decorative Binding | Astrology and Healing | Enlarged WIth Three Hundred and Sixty Nine Medicines Made of English Herbs,(Dried Pressed Leaves in Spine)

Published 1799
Printed For The Booksellers/ London

Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654) was an English botanist, herbalist, physician, and astrologer best known for his influential work The English Physician (later known as Culpeper’s Complete Herbal). He sought to make medical knowledge more accessible to ordinary people, challenging the exclusivity of trained physicians by translating Latin medical texts into English.

Culpeper believed in the connection between herbal medicine and astrology, assigning planetary influences to plants and using astrological principles to guide treatments. His Complete Herbal remains one of the most famous herbal medicine books, detailing the medicinal properties of hundreds of plants.

Despite facing criticism from the medical establishment, Culpeper’s approach was groundbreaking, advocating for affordable, nature-based remedies rather than expensive treatments from apothecaries. His legacy continues to influence herbalism, alternative medicine, and botanical studies today.

Beautifully bound in full leather, this volume features a  spine with botanical spine inlays and a yellow lettering on a green title label. The text is complete and remarkably legible, with toned and deckled pages showing expected signs of age and use. 347pp. 

Rare Book

Condition: Very Good. Light wear to extremities; scattered foxing and toning as expected. Spine and joints strong.

Size: 4 1/4” x 6 3/4”

Highlights include:
    •    Over 360 herbal remedies drawn from English plants
    •    An alphabetical table referencing the planetary rulership of each herb
    •    Detailed observations on the virtues and applications of plants like ash, birch, crosswort, and more
    •    A 20th-century bookplate of a previous owner, adding a layer of provenance

A collector’s treasure and a timeless guide to the healing power of plants.