Culpeper's Complete Herbal

May 15, 2019
Culpeper's Herbal, frequently re-released in varying forms, has been the standard and most popular Western guide to herbs for hundreds of years. This edition, edited by author, photographer, and herbalist Foster, includes content from several previous versions and is based heavily on the 1653 second edition. Each plant is described by including its common and modern scientific names, where it grows, its government and virtues, modern uses, and cautions. While the modern uses and cautions are written from Foster's current-day perspective, Culpeper's voice is very present in the bulk of the text and readers will likely appreciate the political and social commentary that is part of his writing. The juxtaposition of voices is successful and serves to illustrate that a writer's time and place always inform his or her work, no matter the subject. Color botanical illustrations are primarily taken from the 1824 expanded edition but there are also many from other sources, which are noted. This updated and beautifully designed guide is likely to be popular where there is interest in plants and/or natural medicine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)