OF HERBS IN MEDICINE i6i 



as a rule, be used. Thus, Mercury presided over the 

 brain, so for a headache or " Folly and Simplicity (the 

 Epidemicall diseases of the Time) " one of Mercury's 

 herbs must be chosen. Mercurial herbs were, as a rule, 

 refreshing, aromatic and of " very subtle parts." The 

 planets seem usually to have caused, as well as cured the 

 diseases in their special province, and therefore their own 

 herbs, brought about the cure ' ' by sympathy." But some- 

 times, a planet would cause a disorder in the province 

 ruled by another planet, to whom the first was in opposi- 

 tion, and in this case the cure must be made " by anti- 

 pathy." Thus the lungs are under Jupiter, to whom 

 Mercury is opposed, therefore in any case of the lungs 

 being affected, the physician must first discover whether 

 Jupiter or Mercury were the agent and if the latter, the 

 remedy must be " antipathetical " ; it must be from one 

 of Mercury's herbs. Sometimes where a planet had 

 caused a disease in the part it governed, an " antipa- 

 thetical" cure, by means of an adversary's herbs, was 

 advised ; for instance Jupiter is opposed to Saturn, so 

 Jupiter's herbs might be given for toothache or pains in 

 the bones caused by Saturn, for the bones are under 

 Saturn's dominion. An antipathetical remedy, however, 

 Culpepper does not recommend for common use, for 

 "sympathetica! cures strengthen nature; antipathetical 

 cures, in one degree or another, weaken it." Besides 

 this, the position of the planet had to be considered, 

 the " House " that it was in, and the aspect in which 

 it was to the moon and other planets. 



"A benevolent Planet in the sixth, cures the disease 

 without the help of a Physitian. 



"A malevolent Planet there causeth a change in the 

 disease, and usually from better to worse. 



"A malevolent in the Ascendant threatens death, and 

 makes the sick as cross-grained as Bajazet the Turkish 

 Emperor when he was in the Iron Cage." 



