The first medical book published in the American colonies. The English Physician is a humble vest-pocket-sized 94-page medical guide for the common person, by the prolific herbalist and author Nicholas Culpeper. It was a staple in 17th-century England, as it was short, written in accessible prose, and inexpensive; and perhaps as attractive, it took a decidedly skeptical view of ""official"" medicine, relying instead on popular remedies. Culpeper's philosophy was to teach the common folk to minister to themselves by providing them with the tools and knowledge for self-help. Published in Bost