The Use of Bathing in Medicine: Now Available!

 

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This little work details some of the herbs used in a medicinal setting pertinent to bathing throughout time, with a special focus on the practices of ancient Greece and Rome. It compares these usages to practices in vogue in then-modern (18th century) England.

The processes detailed are often presented in such a manner that some of the recipes used in both hot and cold bathing- especially aromatics and astringents pertinent to the theory of the four humors proposed initially by Galen but still believed in until relatively modern times with the rise of early standardized systems in organic medicine.

Fully illustrated.

37 pages.

Hints From the Hornograph: Now Available!

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This intriguing work is fairly obviously inspired in part by Blavatskys early Theosophical writings, and draws allegory between the Bible and then-modern events, prophecying the fall of Britain and the rise of the United States as a world power, establishing a (literal) church in Philadelphia- the actual city of residence of the pseudonymous author. It is richly linguistic (read; dense) and so will mainly be of interest to those who like language, hidden writing, and prophecy. Oddly, the prophecy did actually come true; the United States would, in only a few short decades, become a dominant power with the launch of the great white navy, the rise of art deco and the boom times of industry, and Britain would at the same time begin to fracture. Indeed when the language is dug into fairly deeply, it's surprisingly accurate.

This edition has been fully reillustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations

88 pages.

An Epitome of the Homeopathic Healing Art: Now Available!

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Benjamin Hills exhaustive work on homeopathy is effectively meant to be a guide to the actual usage of the medicines involved with the practice- a list of different materials of note (herbal and mineral), and various conditions and their treatments. This system departs somewhat from older medical traditions which were more drastic, while retaining a focus on using many substances known to be dangerous to human health, such as ipecac and arsenic. It speaks briefly on the preparation of medicinal compounds and pills as well.

Some of the treatments proposed are also innocuous- a departure from older medicine, while retaining some of the same basic premises of Galenism.

103 pages.

Curiosities of Olden Times: Now Available!

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Sabine Baring-Gould was one of the more notable compilers of folklore and history in his century. This particular edition is one of the greater ones; the lore comes from many cultures and time periods, and was chosen specifically because it was curious or odd. So we have tales here of saints which were insane paired with cryptography, and folklore regarding women resides in the same work as a collection of stories of animals being criminally prosecuted. Much of the content is humorous, all of it is interesting.

This edition has been illustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations.

235 pages.

A Plea for the Practice of Botanic Medicine: Now Available!

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This full length work is a treatment of the topic of Thomsonian medicine (also reckoned vegetable medicine) which came into some prominence in the 19th century. The system sought to replace the use of arsenic, mercury, and other drastic "medicines" in usage with herbal materials, especially lobelia, and also cayenne pepper, for complaints. The system was designed by a simple farmer named Samuel Thomson, who probably saved millions of lives by simply not poisoning his patients as doctors were doing at the time. The entire premodern field of herbal medicine owes part of its existence to the man. A few herbal recipes are related verbatim from Thomsons' work, and a lengthy description of competing systems such as atmopathy and hydropathy is given.

250 pages.

Taylors Herbal: Now Available!

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Taylors Domestic Herbal is a good (and extremely early) example of the kind of medical literature sold by apothecaries and other figures at the dawn of the era of semi-standardized organic medicine. It deviates from the greater rigor in dosage and measurement from works beginning a few decades later (not to mention the wider variety of species available due to colonial importation), and from the often religiously or superstitiously-informed content in such works in the previous century.

It lists a wide variety of species both domestic and wild, and their usages- some are innocuous (like chamomile or turnips), while some are now generally regarded as highly toxic (like foxglove and datura.)

50 pages.

Hellenism and Christianity: Now Available!

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"Hellenism and Christianity" is a spectacular work by Bevan on the topic of the change from pagan to Christian ways over the course of many centuries, beginning of course with Bacchylides and other ancient figures, and proceeding through the first contact and interchange between early Christians and their pagan counterparts. It is richly filled with secondary sources of material both ancient and then-modern; a fine work excellent for continued research into this fascinating historical topic.

221 pages.

The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy: Now Available!

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This excellent book I cannot recommend highly enough. It is an academic (but not very dryly academic) compilation of lore related to medical history, alchemy, and the apothecary, spanning centuries, with an especial focus on the period of roughly the mid 16th to early 19th centuries.

It contains entire recorded lists of apothecarial goods available in then-contemporary shops, analysis of the usage of herbal and alchemical lore in fictional works by Shakespeare, Dickens, Spenser, Dumas, and others, and a great number of illustrations, which have been reworked and expanded upon by Raven Feather Illustrations. From amulets and toad-stones to love philtres and mummy powder, this work contains a vast trove of knowledge on the subject.

249 pages.

A History of Theosophy: Now Available!

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This book is an excellent primer on Theosophy; its origins, some of its major figures, and (most importantly) texts by Theosophists and about Theosophy. Colville ties the society itself in with similar movements such as the Rosicrucians and the work of people like Swedenborg. The secondary references are of great use for those interested in a single work from which they can find additional material and study the concept in more depth. The work has been fully illustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations.

146 pages.

Jewish Folk-Lore of the Middle Ages: Now Available!

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This short text is a twofold effort; first, a few examples of actual Jewish folklore dating to the Middle Ages, and second, some various analysis of the subject itself and the same related tales, from an anthropological viewpoint. It should be noted that claims of King Arthur being a Jewish tale appear to be related to the upsurging Judaist class consciousness of the late 19th century.

34 pages.

Fishes of Fancy: Now Available!

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This little text is a fine collection of marine and aquatic folklore and mythology- from the returning of Solomons' magic ring by a fish, to dietary restrictions in religion, to some superstition among fishermen and sailors. It is topped off by a rather odd short story in which a group of ocean creatures stage a marine exhibition, apparently a mild mockery of British oceanic science in the age. The work has been illustrated by Raven Feather Illustrations.

92 pages.

Indian Masonry: Now Available!

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Wright's interesting volume, here, is a discussion of the similarity between the Freemasons and certain "native" tribes in the Americas- it compares ideology and spiritual systems more than it does any physical rituals, although it does contain a lengthy section on the initiation stages gone through on the way to becoming a medicine man. A large number of mythological stories are related here, so it's a decent work on the figures and folklore of such tribes as well.

110 pages.

The Book of Witches: Now Available!

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The Book of Witches is a lengthy piece of historical study on the topic of witches, witchcraft, persecution, and superstition. Indeed, it is probably the best single text I have read on the subject, covering a vast period of time over the course of many cultures, from ancient Assyria and Egypt through the Middle Ages, the burning times, and the then-modern dawn of the 20th century. It contains a large amount of primary material from Weirus, Scott, and others, as well as verbatim material from papal bulls, witchcraft trials, and ancient sources ranging from philosophical to legal.

232 pages.

The Old Egyptian Faith: Now Available!

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This volume is an extensive treatment of the ancient Egyptian religion; its deities, its rituals, and especially the treatment of the dead and form of the afterlife. As with Egyptology in general, all of these subjects were malleable, changing in form and practice over the course of many centuries, something which is repeatedly noted especially in the spells and enchantments and rituals involving mortality and the judgment of the spirits of the departed. A number of interesting tales about the interaction of their deities with one another are provided.

168 pages.

Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs: Now Available!

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This is a full length academic treatment of the basic life, rituals, and political meanderings of ancient Babylon and, later, Assyria. Of course, it additionally alludes to the Sumerian origins of what became the Babylonian system. Of especial note for the occultist, here, is the wide difference between the purported godly nature of Babylonian royalty supplanted by the militaristic Assyrians, and the related difference between archaeological remains. A description of the basic pantheons (and evolution of their worship) is notable as well, and some intriguing healing and protective rituals and practices are detailed.

208 pages.

Medieval Medicine: Now Available!

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This fine book is a compilation of lore related to the development and standards of medicine through the entirety of the Middle Ages, with a heavy focus on surgical techniques and medical literature- often, in the latter, of an herbal nature. It contains some fascinating history about the Salerno school, the practitioners of Montpellier, the herbals written by Italian, English, and French scholars, and the role of women in medicine with especial note of the Benedictine order and their formation of hospitals, medical academies, and asylums for the insane.

154 pages.

The Divine Origin and Craft of the Herbalist: Now Available!

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This interesting text is an analysis of the intertwined and co-evolving nature of medical practice (specifically herbal and mineral) with religions, from times as remote as early Ancient Egypt and Sumeria, up through Assyria, Greece, Rome, the rise of the Islamic world, the copts, and other groups.

A great many specific rituals and a large number of species and their usages are explored- the work is also illustrated, with cuneiform and hieroglyphic work translated and interpreted.

76 pages.

Identity of the Religions Called Druidical and Hebrew: Now Available!

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This little work of religious history delves into the cultural as well as the linguistic, with its main focus being on correlating ritual and language between the Druids and Hebrews, positing a common prior origin, Antediluvian in nature. It goes into some detail about other contemporary spiritual and cultural groups as well, and while this kind of theory has largely been discarded in modern academia, it is more because of its religious connotations than any prevailing counter evidence.

70 pages.

The Roots of Ritualism in Church and Masonry: Now Available!

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This little text is one of Helena Blavatsky's better writings- a short and largely linguistic work remarking upon some Christian and Masonic terminology and noting the overlap between them. It initially comes from an essay in "Lucifer" (a Theosophical magazine, not to be confused with the devil!) and was also included in a latter work compiling some essays by the author.

46 pages.

Outlines of Greek and Roman Medicine: Now Available!

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This fine work compiles lore about medical practices, major medical figures, and some of the innovations of both ancient Greece and Rome (sanitation, plumbing systems, etc.) It is quite thorough, and goes beyond perennial names and ideas like trepanning or Galen, into lesser known topics, like the development of the speculum, figures like Andromachus, and much more. It is profuse with notes and references to other works, also.

121 pages.