1 62 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



This is from Culpepper's " Astrological Judgment of 

 Diseases " ; in his " Herbal " he gives definite directions : 



"Fortify the body with herbs of the nature of the 

 Lord of the Ascendant, 'tis no matter whether he be a 

 Fortune or Infortune in this case. 



" Let your medicine be something antipathetical to the 

 Lord of the Sixth. 



" If the Lord of the Tenth be strong, make use of his 

 medicines. 



" If this cannot well be, make use of the medicines of 

 the Light of Time." 



Turning to the herbs appropriated to the special 

 planets, we find that those of Mars were usually strong, 

 bright and vigorous, and cured ills caused by violence, 

 including the sting of " a martial creature, imagine a 

 wasp, a hornet, a scorpion." Yellow flowers were 

 largely dedicated to the Sun or Moon, radiant, bright- 

 yellow ones to the Sun ; these of paler, fainter hues to 

 the Moon. Flowers dedicated to either were good for 

 the eyes, for the eyes are ruled by " the Luminaries." 

 Jupiter's herbs had generally, " Leaves smooth, even, 

 slightly cut and pointed, the veins not prominent. 

 Floiuers graceful, pleasing bright, succulent." The herbs 

 of Venus were those with many flowers, of bright or 

 delicate colours and pleasant odours. Saturn, who is 

 almost always looked upon as being unfavourable, had 

 only plants, whose leaves were "hairy, dry, hard, 

 parched, coarse," ^ and whose flowers were " gloomy, 

 dull, greenish, faded or dirty white, pale red, invariably 

 hirsute, prickly and disagreeable." 



One does not know how much modern physicians care 

 about propitiating Jupiter, but certainly they make an 

 effort in that direction every time that they do, as did 

 the Ancients, and write Rx — thus making his sign — at 

 the top of a prescription. The small attention paid by 



1 Folkard. 



