“This is so well known to every good housewife in the country, that I shall not need to write any description of it”
-Nicholas Culpepper, in The English Physician, 1778
The English Physician, by Nicholas Culpepper – 1778
“Hemp
This is so well known to every good housewife in the country, that I shall not need to write any description of it.
It is sown in the end of August or September.
It is a plant of Saturn, and good for something else, you see, than to make Halters only. The seed of Hemp consumeth wind, and by too much use therof disperseth it so much, that it drieth up the natural feed for Procreation; yet, being boiled in milk, and taken, helpeth such as have a hot dry cough. The Dutch make an emulsion out of the seed, and give it with good success to those that have jaundice, especially in the beginning of the disease, if there be no Ague(?) accompanying it, for it openeth obstructions of the Gail, and causeth digestion of Choler. The emulsion or decoction of the seed stayeth lasks(?) and continual fluxes, easeth the Cholick(colic), and allayeth the troublesome humours in the bowels, and stayeth bleeding at the Mouth, Nose, or other places, some of the leaves being fried with the blood of them that bleed, and so given them to eat. It is held very good to kill the worms in Men of Beasts; and the juice dropped into the Ears killeth worms in them; and draweth forth Earwigs, or other living creatures gotten into them. The decoction of the root allayeth inflammations of the Head, or any other parts; the herb itself, or the distilled water therof, doth(does) the like. The decoction of the roots easeth the pains of the Gout, the hard humours of knots in the Joints, the pains and shrinking of the Sinews and the pains of the Hips. The fresh juice mixed with a little oil and butter, is good for any place that hath been burnt with Fire, being thereto applied.”
-Nicholas Culpepper, in The English Physician, 1778
Looks like Hemp was used from everything from birth control to burns in the 18th century…
Tobacco package labels – lithograph by Hatch Company, 1870’s