Chicory, Medicinal Plant, 1737
A Curious Herbal, Plate 177. Chicory (garden succor), was used to open the bowels, clear obstructions in the liver, treat jaundice, promote urine, and cleanse the urinary tract of "slimy humors." Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a woody, perennial herbaceous plant. It is used for loss of appetite, upset stomach, constipation, liver and gallbladder disorders, cancer, and rapid heartbeat. Chicory is also used as a tonic, to increase urine production, to protect the liver, and to balance the stimulant effect of coffee. Some people apply a paste of chicory leaves directly to the skin for swelling and inflammation. Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758) was a famed Scottish illustrator and author who was best known as both the artist and engraver for the plates of "A Curious Herbal" (1737). A herbal is a book of plants, describing their appearance, their properties and how they may be used for preparing ointments and medicines. The book is notable both for its beautiful illustrations of medicinal plants and for the unusual circumstances of its creation. Blackwell undertook the project to raise money to pay her husband's debts and release him from debtor's prison. She drew, engraved, and colored the illustrations herself, mostly using plant specimens from the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. It was an artistic, scientific and commercial enterprise unprecedented for a woman of her time. Little is known of her later years. She died in 1758, at the age of 50 or 51. She remained loyal to Alexander throughout, even sharing royalties with him from the sale of additional book rights.
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