St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-15

school, and their successors down the centn-
ries continued to enlarge the art. Even
now what are the bases of our medicines
but the products of the vegetable Kingdom?
We still have our dandelion and belladonna
and nightshade and elecampane, or at least
their active principles, only we call them
by more learned names.
Zone of the oldest characters in medical
biography is DR.. CULPEPER. To this day
his Family Dispensatory' Is found in many
English households. and is still held as an
authority. He was an astrologer, and used
the system in his practice, and as he lived
about the time the reaction began to set in
against the science there was bitter war
fare between him and the established Col
lege of Physicians. He was man of re-
markable ability, professionally and other
wise, and his writings show a shrewd, dry.
bitter wit that is very enjoyable. The tone
is quaint and perhaps little vulgar, but
the latter was due to the times in which he
wrote. An example OF two Will
give an instance of his style. Speak
ing of the herb confey he says:
1T is governed by Saturn and Capri
corn. and is cold and dry in the second de-
gree. The roots being outwardly applied
help fresh wounds or cuts Immediately, be-
ing bruised OF laid thereto, and is specially
good for ruptures and broken bones; yea,
it is said to be so powerful to consolidate
and knit together that if they be boiled with
discovered pieces of flesh in a pot it will join
them together again. The cinque foil or
fve-leafed grass he recommends for lntfam-
nations and fevers, for hemorrhages from
the nose and for the binding of cancer.
Celandine he recommends as one OF the best
cures for the eyes. but to obtain all its vir-
tues it should be gathered when the sun is
in Leo and the moon in Aries
applying to his trine. at the same
time Leo should be rising. Made into
an oil or ointment for the amounting of sore
eyes he declares it to be invaluable. With
the lesser celandine he relates how he cured
his daughter of the kings evil, all in a
weeks time and without leaving a scar.
NICHOLAS CULPEPER was a very peculiar
looking little man, as odd in appearance as
he was in manner and speech. He was
born Oct IS, 1916, at IL o'clock at night.
He was short in stature and very spare, and
his horoscope shows the sign Capricorn
ascending and Saturn in aspect to the as
cendant from Taurus. He was OF dark
complexion, with long visage and quick
eyes, full of shrewdness, and was very
agile of body. His energy and sharpness
were accounted for by the moons sextile to
Mars. His skill as physician was indi-
Gated by the presence of Mercury in Scorpio
and in an angle (the midheaven) and in
square to Mars.
''They gave him his sarcastic wit and his
fuency as lecturer, and as Venus was also
closely confgurated with those two planets
he had the subtIer and more genial quality
of humor With all the severity of his
satire he had great kindness Of heart and
spent his money will such liberality that
he was often in need. He was not fortu
nate in life. and this is accounted for by
the sun and Saturn being in close opDosi-
ton and the moon likewise in opposition to
Jupiter. AS already related, he had many
enemies, particularly among the members
of his profession, and with them indeed he
was perpetually at war. They did not
however, obtain the advantage of him, and
the best proof is that of all who practiced
at that day his name almost alone has come
down to us. His remarkable gifts as ply
stefan were not only indicated by the aspect
between Mars and Mercury already re-
ferred to, but by the sextile of the moon
and the trine of Jupiter to Mars. He was
at one time in the army, and was badly
wounded. The nativity was not a strong
one any more for length of life than for sue
cess in it, and he died before he was 40"