The Witches' Pharmacopoeia (c. 1896) - Robert Fletcher

THE ANCESTRAL LIBRARY OFFER: CHOOSE ANY 3 ELIGIBLE DIGITAL BOOKS & SAVE 20%. Add three or more eligible digital books to your basket and the discount applies automatically at checkout. No code required.

INSTANT DIGITAL DELIVERY
Your PDF download will be delivered to the email address provided at checkout after successful payment. No physical book will be shipped.

ROBERT FLETCHER, M.D. | ORIGINAL HISTORICAL EDITION | 1896

What really went into a witch's cauldron? And why were certain plants believed to possess such extraordinary powers?

Originally presented in 1896, Robert Fletcher's fascinating historical investigation delves into the forgotten botanical lore, poisonous plants, flying ointments and magical ingredients associated with witchcraft across the centuries.

Drawing upon Shakespeare, Reginald Scot, ancient mythology and early European folklore, Fletcher traces the mysterious origins of the witches' materia medica.

Within its pages, discover:

• Flying ointments: The disturbing historical legends surrounding the preparations supposedly used by witches to take flight.
• The mandrake: The infamous screaming root, surrounded by extraordinary harvesting rituals and supernatural beliefs.
• Moonlit herbalism: Why certain plants were gathered beneath the full moon and how planetary influences shaped their supposed powers.
• Mullein and hag candles: How dried mullein stalks became associated with witches, torches and protective folklore.
• The witches' cauldron: A fascinating examination of the plants and ingredients appearing in Macbeth and other early plays.
• Protective herbs: The traditions surrounding fennel, garlic-like moly and other plants believed to resist enchantment.

From deadly nightshade and henbane to the strange rituals of ancient plant gathering, this remarkable paper uncovers the tangled relationship between botany, medicine, superstition and magic.

A fascinating piece of nineteenth-century scholarship preserving centuries of darker botanical folklore. An exceptional historical reference for herbalists, folklorists, researchers and students of traditional witchcraft.

Book details
Author: Robert Fletcher, M.D.
Published: Baltimore, 1896
Originally presented: Johns Hopkins Hospital Historical Club, 13 April 1896
Format: Historical facsimile PDF
Length: 31 scanned pages
Digital curation: Hearthwise Herbals — The Ancestral Library

Historical reference material. This work contains period attitudes, outdated medical claims and descriptions of toxic plants. It is provided for historical research, not as instructions for preparing or using herbal remedies.