Have you ever read a book talking about herbal associations and asked: "Where the fk do they even get this from?"
Well... the answer is history! Generally a mix of historical medical herbalism and herblore - although the line between those two categories gets fuzzier the farther back in history you go.
As part of my quest to understand this history of herbalism, I've wound up spending the past 4 years lovingly creating my own edition of Culpeper's Complete Herbal (originally published in 1653)... which I'll be publishing this year!
Without sacrificing Culpeper's trademark sass, this edition aims to make the famous text a little more accessible (for those not well-versed in Elizabethan England), while keeping his wit and wisdom intact.
It will be released in 2 volumes, so that readers can choose between just the Herbal, and geeking out over the complete historical text (totalling over 1,000 pages).
What makes this edition different?
Culpeper's Herbal has been in continuous publication since 1653 - which is no minor feat! - so what makes this edition different to all the others?
Excellent question!
I've put a ridiculous amount of research into identifying as many of the plants as possible, as accurately as possible.
Yes, other editions have been released that include plant identifications, but if you look closely, you'll often find they'll let you down.
Perhaps the common name matches, but when you read the description provided by Culpeper, he's very clearly describing a quite different plant. In other cases, I've seen folks just straight-up leave out plants they weren't able to identify (because of course 'Dragons' doesn't need a description)!
There are definitely a few that I'm not 100% on, and a few others I'm more uncertain on (especially being located across the globe and not being able to investigate the flora of the London area first-hand), but I've trawled both modern and historical references to do the best job I possibly could - beating every other attempt I've been able to find by a significant margin.
You'll also find high-quality, full-colour botanical illustrations of the plants mentioned.
No, not crappy line-art that's challenging to match to its real-world counterpart.
No, not that one set of illustrations from an 18th-century edition that you see included in most editions since then (which, again, often absolutely are not the plant described in the text).
I genuinely couldn't answer which has taken more time between identifying the plants, vs sourcing and painstakingly restoring stunning, full-colour antique botanical illustrations of every plant highlighted in the Herbal... but honestly, it was probably restoring the illustrations.
Spanning across a number of publications, artists, and centuries, these illustrations not only aid in recognising and identifying the plants discussed, but are works of art in their own rights.
Why do I care about a 370-year-old medical text? Surely it's irrelevant and outdated?
Yes, it's outdated (as a medical text); no, it's not irrelevant!
Please, please, please do not take anything in this book as actual medical advice! While many of these plants are still used in modern medical herbalism, we're much more aware of safety, impacts, and interactions now, so if this is what you're looking for, there are other books on this topic, written by modern experts, who have an understanding of how to use herbs safely - and please consult with a suitably-qualified expert before starting any new medical treatments or regimens.
However...
Are you interested in plants and botanical history?
Culpeper's Herbal is a marvellous reference of plants common in the London area in the 17th century, their names, and the beliefs surrounding them (plus you'll love the illustrations)!
Are you interested in the history of medicine or medical herbalism?
This book was used as a genuine medical resource until the advent of modern medicine almost 200 years later!
Are you interested in herb-lore or magical herbalism?
Culpeper was one of the leading medical astrologers (to the extent that he was actually accused of witchcraft in an attempt to discredit him), with each herb profile including astrological associations, temperaments, their actions within Hippocrates' humoural medical system, and a bunch of other beliefs and folklore mixed in. A huge portion of modern magical associations of plants derive directly from their histories of medical uses.
Convinced?
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