Description
Originally published in England in 1656, this self-help medical book was authored by both self-taught healers and physicians. The manual presents folk remedies as well as complex medicinals of the time. The contemporary editors have included a discussion of how this book belonged in the genre of self-help tracts being published in England at that time, how medicinals were prepared and how the remedies covered here differ from those set forth by Culpepper, the best-known herbalist of the time. Targeted toward the mediaeval general public, the original manuscript begins with the premise that preservation of good health requires attention to proper diet and lifestyle. However, recognizing that preventive measures are not perfect, the book includes 705 recipes to treat a wide variety of illnesses. The book also lists 58 recipes to preserve, “recover and restore” wines, and 15 formulas for perfumes.
