satsuti: graveyarddirt: graveyarddirt:forestgrove: 18th century Scottish Book of Herbal RemediesTh
satsuti: graveyarddirt: graveyarddirt:forestgrove: 18th century Scottish Book of Herbal Remedies The book contains remedies for all manner of illnesses and conditions. The medicine in the book is based on the ancient theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm and black and yellow bile, an idea going back to the Greek writings of Hippocrates. The virtue of blood-letting, purging and sweating is extolled in the book along with vomiting and sweating. Apart from herbal remedies the book also includes household tips and culinary recipes as well as recipes for dyes and inks. It even contains instructions on how to write a secret letter to a sweetheart. The provenance is unknown for the College’s 18th century book of herbal remedies but it is believed to come from lowland Scotland. It is an excellent example of the way in which the remedies, previously passed from generation to generation as an oral tradition, began to be collected together in hand-written volumes. (via satsuti) -- source link