By Guest post by Elisabeth Brander Antibiotic ointments, fungal creams, and soothing lotions are frequently found in modern medicine cabinets. These kinds of treatments were also a staple of early modern medicine. During the early modern period, the most common types of topical remedies were oils, ointments (unguents), and plasters (sometimes
Necessary Compounds: Medicines Explained
At the end of his English Physician (a work that appeared in many editions from 1652), the prolific author and apothecary Nicholas Culpeper included a section explaining what, exactly, was meant by the various compounds which physicians prescribed. Compounds were the opposite of remedies known as ‘simples’ or medicines made