author
Nicholas Culpeper
1616–1654
A bold 17th-century herbalist and physician, he became famous for putting medical knowledge into plain English so ordinary people could use it. His lively books on herbs and remedies helped make him one of the best-known medical writers of his age.
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About the author
Born in London on October 18, 1616, Nicholas Culpeper was an English herbalist, physician, astrologer, and botanist who worked outside the medical elite of his day. He studied for a time at Cambridge, trained with an apothecary, and later practiced in Spitalfields, where he treated many poorer patients.
Culpeper is best remembered for writing about medicine in English rather than Latin, which made his work far more accessible to everyday readers. His best-known books include The English Physitian and the work later known as The Complete Herbal, both of which gathered together remedies, plant lore, and practical advice that remained widely read for generations.
He was also a combative figure who challenged the authority of established physicians and tied his medical thinking closely to astrology, something modern readers may find unusual. Even so, his lasting importance comes from his effort to open up medical and botanical knowledge to the public before his death on January 10, 1654.