The complete herbalist : or the people their own physicians by the use of nature's remedies : describing the great curative properties found in the herbal kingdom. PDF
Preview The complete herbalist : or the people their own physicians by the use of nature's remedies : describing the great curative properties found in the herbal kingdom.
J ^^1 "/ £1^ 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
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