Overview:

Author: Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654)
Additional Contributor: Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799)
Publisher: Printed for the Proprietor; sold at the Encyclopaedia Office, London
Printer: W. Lewis, St. John's Square, London
Date: 1817
Edition: Sixteenth Edition
Language: English
Binding: Later half-cloth with marbled-paper boards
Illustrations: Hand-coloured botanical plates, anatomical engravings, and astrological illustrations

Description

An extensively illustrated 1817 sixteenth edition of Nicholas Culpeper's celebrated English Physician and Complete Herbal, incorporating additional material associated with the physician and astrologer Ebenezer Sibly.

First published in the mid-17th century, Culpeper's herbal became one of the most influential works of English popular medicine. It combined descriptions of medicinal plants and their traditional remedies with the astrological beliefs that formed an important part of early modern medical practice.

This expanded edition includes both botanical and medical material, featuring hand-coloured engravings depicting medicinal plants alongside extensive anatomical illustrations, predominantly printed in reddish-brown ink.

The anatomical plates depict the human skeletal and muscular systems, internal organs, reproductive anatomy, pregnancy, childbirth, and foetal development. Particularly interesting are the obstetrical illustrations and astrological diagrams illustrating the supposed influence of celestial bodies upon human health.

The title page advertises illustrations of more than 450 plants, alongside additional herbs and discussions of their medicinal and occult properties.

Nicholas Culpeper and Ebenezer Sibly

Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654) was an English herbalist, physician, and astrologer who sought to make medical knowledge accessible to ordinary people. His English Physitian, first published in 1652, became one of the most widely read English medical works, remaining popular for centuries.

Culpeper's approach combined practical herbal remedies with medical astrology, associating particular plants with planets and their supposed influences upon the human body.

Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799), an English physician and occult writer, expanded upon Culpeper's work, incorporating additional medical and astrological material. Sibly was also known for his New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences.

The resulting publication represents a fascinating intersection of botanical medicine, human anatomy, and occult philosophy.

Binding and Condition

Bound in later half-cloth with decorative marbled-paper boards and gilt lettering to the spine.

An early handwritten index is present, referencing various herbal and medical subjects, suggesting that a previous owner used the volume as a practical reference.

The binding exhibits considerable rubbing and surface wear, particularly to the boards, corners, and spine. There is deterioration to the inner hinge, alongside evidence of previous binding repairs or reinforcement.

Internally, the pages show occasional foxing, toning, staining, and minor creasing. The portrait frontispiece exhibits some discolouration.

The hand-coloured botanical plates retain attractive colouring, while the reddish-brown anatomical engravings remain clearly printed. The precise completeness of the illustrated plate suite has not been verified.

Please refer to the accompanying photographs for further details regarding condition.

Historical Significance

Published in 1817, this edition demonstrates the enduring popularity of Culpeper's medical writings more than 160 years after their original publication.

Its combination of herbal medicine, anatomical illustrations, obstetrics, and medical astrology provides an interesting insight into the relationship between traditional medical beliefs and developing anatomical knowledge during the early 19th century.

An illustrated work of particular interest to collectors of antiquarian medicine, botany, historical anatomy, and occult literature.

Dimensions:

• Weight - 1.73kg
• Height - 26.5cm
• Width - 20.7cm
• Thickness - 6cm