Nicholas Culpepper: Herbalist for the People
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SOURCE: http://www.skyscript.co.uk/culpeper.html
The life of Nicholas Culpeper is notable for both the brevity and personal tragedy that often accompanies people who lead creatively productive lives. Tragedy started for Nicholas even before he was born: his father, the Reverend Nicholas Culpeper, died 13 days before the future herbalist's birth on October 18th, 1616. Only a few months before, his father had been made Lord of Ockley Manor in Surrey and with his death the Manor passed into other hands.
Nicholas' childhood was spent in Isfield, Sussex, where he was brought up by his mother at her family home. His maternal grandfather, the Reverend William Attersole, then minister of St Margaret's Church, Isfield, had a powerful influence on Culpeper's early development. Attersole was author of many theological treatises including a commentary on the Book of Numbers. He taught Nicholas Latin and Greek, while instilling a strong puritanical influence and a healthy disrespect for the Crown.
During his formulative years Nicholas was fascinated by watching the stars at night. He became increasibgly interested in time, being absorbed by his grandfather's collection of clocks. The sundial on the south wall of St Margaret's Church especially intrigued him, demonstrating the strong correlation between the movements of its shadow and the activities of village life. His grandfather must have aroused Nicholas' initial interest in astrology. Attersole's writings show that he had a great respect for astrology and was conversant with Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos. By contrast, it was his maternal grandmother who first exposed Nicholas to the use of medicial plants.
At the age of ten Nicholas started reading astrological and medical texts from his grandfather's library. In particular Sir Christopher Heydon's Defence of Judicial Astrology (1603) greatly impressed him. He was fond of reading and looking at the illustrations in William Turner's New Herball (1568). From his early teens he was familiar with all the local species of herbs that grew in his part of Sussex. BY 13 he was an avid reader of many of the books available in the library. His grandfather however did not approve of the young Nicholas studying in his library, only really allowing him to read the Bible.
On one occasion he found a copy of Anatomy of Man's Body by Thomas Vicary, who was barber-surgeon to Henry VIII. He stole the book out of the library and secretly read it in the hayloft above a nearby barn. He was fascinated by its descriptions of the sexual organs and the mysteries of reproduction. This work is a discernible influence on Culpeper's own Directory for Midwives (1651). The finding of this work must have deeply inspired his own calling to be a physician.
In 1632, aged 16, Culpeper was sent to Cambridge University. His grandfather and mother had decided that he should follow in his father's footsteps and become a Minister. In order to prepare for the Church he was to study theology at the university. Nicholas, however, thought otherwise, augmenting his study of the classics with lectures on anatomy and the materia medica of Galen and Hippocrates. He never took his theological studies seriously and became increasingly frustrated that he could not study medicine instead. It was at a time when Archbishop Laud desired to enforce strict rules of moral conduct and Catholic ritual within worship at the University, but Nicholas spent most his time socialising in taverns and playing sports such as tennis, bowls and swimming in the River Cam. While at Cambridge he picked up the newly fashionable habit of smoking. In the end, he never did graduate from University.
Nicholas' tme at Cambridge was rapidly terminated by emotional events. He planned to marry the heiress Judith Rivers whom he had known since childhood. Their relationship developed unnoticed by their respective families. When Nicholas was sent to Cambridge they had to endure a painful separation, though they remained in touch by letter. They desired to be united by marriage however, and knowing that Judith's family would not give them their consent, they decided to elope. Their plan was to meet near Lewes, to secretly marry and then remain a while in the Netherlands until the familial animosity died down. Tragically, his beloved's coach was struck by lightning on the way to the rendezvous and she was killed. On learning the fate of his fiancée Nicholas was overcome by intense sorrow.
It was a devastating event that became a radical turning point in Culpeper's life. He became deeply melancholic and remained reclusive for a long time thereafter. His mother too was deeply hurt and depressed over the event; she died soon afterwards, never having recovered from the shock of the affair. His grandfather was particularly angry that he should have abandoned his theological training in such a capricious way. As a consequence, Nicholas became disinherited by his mother's family.
The young Culpeper had irrevocably burnt his bridges as far as returning to Cambridge and completing his training to be a Minister was concerned; the study of medicine was likewise denied to him. It was William Attersole who first suggested that he should become an apothecary.
Culpeper became an apprentice to Francis Drake, an apothecary who owned a shop in Threadneedle Street, Bishopsgate. Culpeper's relationship to Mr Drake must have been a particularly fruitful one for Nicholas is known to have taught him Latin in exchange. According to William Eyves, his amanuensis: Being himself excellent in the Latine, he taught Mr Drake in Threadneedle Street that tongue in less than a year and a half.<1>
As part of his training he was led on excursions to identify and collect medicinal herbs by Thomas Johnson, who was an assistant of the Apothecary Society and editor of the newly enlarged Gerard's Herbal of 1633. It was the same herbal that his grandmother had followed in her use of medicinal plants.
In resolving his grief from the death of Judith Rivers, Culpeper became highly motivated to help the suffering of others. He adopted his new profession enthusiastically and was soon so proficient in his knowledge of the materia medica that, following the death of his employer, he was able to carry on the business.
The sending of Nicholas to London was also important for the furthering of his astrological knowledge. For a long time Culpeper had admired the work of the famous astrologer William Lilly (1602-81). At the time Lilly was living in the Strand, near Strand Bridge. One November day in 1635, Nicholas decided to pay him a visit. Lilly cordially demonstrated his collection of astrological apparatus to him. Nicholas was profoundly impressed by their meeting, being particularly inspired by Lilly's explanation of the 'art of astrology'. Lilly in turn expressed an interest in Culpeper:
You as an apothecary and physitian, you should consult your planteary influence in each patient, to regulate your prescription accordingly. In that case I am persuaded that more immediate relief will in most cases be afforded the sick and languishing patient. Astrological science should be very useful in guiding your medical enquiries to promote the cure of overt and latent diseases. <2>
Afterwards Lilly offered to teach Culpeper the 'art of astrology'. At their parting, Lilly gave Culpeper some ephemerides for the years 1636-40 along with some Aphorisms for Physicians. Culpeper undoubtedly accepted this offer, for Lilly's influence can be seen permeating Culpeper's astrology, as evidenced in his Astrological Judgement of Diseases. He clearly held Lilly in high regard:
You are all bound to bless God for raising up that famous man Mr. WILLIAM LILLY, who has through God's assistance made the Art of Astrology so plain to you that you not only see your former ignorance but be in a capacity to do yourselves good. <3>
Culpeper had become profoundly inspired by astrology. Of its nature he said, "Astrology is an art which teachest by the book of creatures what the universal Providence mind and the meaning of God towards man is."<4> Furthermore, quoting from Genesis in support of his view: "God made the Sun, Moon and Stars to rule over night and day... to be signs of things to come."<5>
Now that Culpeper was in a position to fulfill his personal calling, his excellent classical training became useful in understanding many of the medical and astrological texts available, as these were predominantly in Latin or Greek.
Read more: http://www.skyscript.co.uk/culpeper.html
