be of the family of Wood-binds from its effigies its seed is mucagineous black hard and angulous its faculty is hydragogous and it much conduces to the hydroptical assument And though it be an enemy to the stomack yet duely administred and mixed with other Medicaments it roborates the intrals educes watry humours without violence and is a good ingredient for that eximious Hydragogal Medicament we have heretofore described Our Land is nobilitated with many more purgative Simples as the Aller tree Rhamnus which we call Buck-thorn which I will not here congest because they are either seldome used or that they do not ingrede our compositions SECTION III. Of Exotical Calefactives The Preface THE all-seeing providence of God hath thought good to bless the remotest part of the East India with better Medicaments than Physicians Plants of such rare worth and admirable virtue that Medicks of a more polish life and conversation of greater learning and experience than those rude Barbarians have to their perpetual renown demonstrated their virtues and operations and by long use and observation have found them fortunately successfull in many desperate distempers What shall we say do we not daily receive multifarious and innumerable Plants from divers parts of the East and West Sweet-swelling-Aromaticks heart-reviving-Cardiacks and body-warming-Calefactives to which our Microcosm is perpetually obliged of which we are about now to treat And we intend to fix our discourse first upon those that are calefactive in the highest degree afterwards handle such as are less and lastly speak to those that have a middle quality or moderation between both CHAP. I. Of Ginger GINGER is a Plant so called Ginger which we borrow of the Barbarians like our water Flower-de-luce but its leaves are blacker its root extends it self with internodian genicles which emits arundinaceous leaves From whence the best Ginger comes twice or thrice repeated each year It grows in many parts of India whether sown or planted That we count best that comes from Malavar where it is most frequent and diligently cultivated else it is not good When it is effoded they leave an internodium thereof in the hole for the perennity of the Plant for the piece occluded will germinate the next year producing new roots and leaves This root while tender cut into small pieces will eat pleasantly with vinegar oil and salt but it comes not to us till it be dry or condited for it is too efferous for our soyl We shall hereafter declare what difference there is among Ginger Zerumbet and Zedoaria Ginger calefies in the third degree it helps concoction and roborates the weak ventricle but its use is now more rare than it hath been formerly for it is scarce admixed to any Condiments onely used in the castigation of some Medicaments CHAP. II. Of Zerumbet ZErumbet or Zumbert Zedoaria and Ginger are peregrine Plants of near cognation but not all known to all men For the Arabian Serapio c. 172. l. de simpl from the assertion of Isaac saith that Zerumbet and Zedoaria are one Afterwards he asserts that Zerumbet are round roots like Aristolochy of the colour and sapour of Ginger And in another place c. 271. ejusd libri he writes that it is a great tree in the Mountains of the East-Indies Avicenna l. 2. tract 2. c. 247. saith that Zerumbet is a wood like Cypress Some think it is Arnabo Arnabo quid whereof Paulus Aeginus makes mention c. 3. l. 6. but they mistake for it is the opinion of many that Arnabo is a tall tree that is suaveolent or as others think that Arnabo is the name of a Plant that is now known by some other name But Zerumbet is a graminaceous Plant either sative How it differs from Ginger that grows in the Province of Malavar or spontaneous which grows in some woody places of that Countrey and is there called wild Ginger Garcias Because its form and root hath much affinity with Ginger But all in Zerumbet are larger for its leaves are longer and broader its roots more crass which after their effossion are cut and dryed and so conveyed to Arabia afterwards into Europe Round Zedoaria may justly be substituted in stead of Zerumbet for it is probable that both Plants are of the same name nature and genus and differ no more than long and round Cyperus Zerumbet is much commended against Poysons Vires it exhilarates the heart roborates and conserves the intrals CHAP. III. Of Zedoaria or Set-wall BY the names Zador Set wall Zeduar Geiduar and Zadura we are to understand the vulgar Zedoaria which Mesue saith is a round root resembling Ginger but more odorate and withall bitter and not so sharp and hot as Ginger It is brought from the Countrey of Sina and the extreams of India it is related to Zerumbet but more vulgar and notorious but neither Plant have been seen whole by any almost in Europe Avicenna saith Zedoaria is like Cyperus others say it is like Costus of which hereafter but all Aromatical Simples are more similar in virtue and power than in form and effigies Zedoaria is hot and dry in the second degree Vires it discusses flatuosity cures the bitings of poysonous Animals helps the colical dolour kills maw-worms and is a good ingredient in Actidotes CHAP. IV. Of Galangal THere are two sorts of Galangal the greater and the lesser both growing in the same soyl but the lesser which is more odoriferous fruticates more plenteously in the Region of Sina Major the greater in Javar and Malabar and it is two cubits high and higher if sown in fat ground Its leaves are almost two cubits long more green above than below its caul is circumvested with the convolution of the leaves its flower is white and inodorate its seed small its root about the head crass bulbous and nodous like that of reeds in other parts it is very like Ginger and it is propagated in like manner to wit by root and not by seed though it thrives very well that is sown it seems to be very like * Orris Flower-de-luce in root leaves and form The lesser Galangal is about two hands high Minor with leaves like Myrtle its root nodous for the most part spontaneous Some simply confound it with sweet Cane and Acorus The Chyneans and Malabareans use it oftner in Condiments than Medicaments It is hot and dry in the third degree it roborates the ventricle cures the colical dolour discusses flatuosity and helps all frigid distempers The lesser must be taken for the better CHAP. V. Of Acorus or Water-flag ACorus is an odorate Plant geniculated like our Orris but its leaves are longer and narrower its caul more tenuious and longer and its roots also more slender which obliquely prostrate themselves along the superficies of the earth which are whitish within and without and of an acroamare sapour They erre shamefully who say that Acorus The errour of many both the
in ruderous places and about ruined aedifices some prefer black Horehound before the white but I choose the white with the more perite and Learned It is hot in the second degree Vires dry in the third it removes obstructions purges the Lungs educes flowers conduces to broken and convelled nerves and is given against the stings of Serpents and poysonous potions CHAP. XLI Of Betony Betony is altogether wild delighting in opagque and watry places yet for its excellent endowments it is cultivated in Gardens it emits long broad green subasperous leafs incided about like a Saw its caulicles are slender quadrangular somewhat hirsute and cubital its flowers are spicated red and white in some places the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Betonica which name may be detorted to another plant which some call Vetonica altilis some flos Armerius and the Germans flos superbus Besides the vulgar Betony there is another latifolious one found in many places which delights more in culture and flourishes most in Gardens Betony is hot and dry in the second degree Vires it is indued with a cephalical and alexiterial faculty wherefore it is good against the Epilepsie and poysonous diseases especially against the bitings of mad dogs and Serpents and if any praeassume this lethall poyson drunk shall not hurt him CHAP. XLII Of Veronica or Speedwell VEronica is twofold one masculine the other foeminine which many call Elatine the former Paulus Aegineta calls Betony it creeps along the earth with many hirsute and pedall surcles with long leafs lesser then Betony somewhat like * Spanish Spurge Teucrion but lanuginous with flowers orderly digested of a purpureous colour with a small rotund black seed contained in cups like boxes and with a slender root variously divaricated The foeminine Veronica which many call Elatine some Reprilis Veronica hath many pedal slender flexile lanuginous and solious surcles with hoary pilous leafs like †Money-wort Nummulary with small white flowers like * Snap-draggon Anthirrhinon with small round black seed like †Anagalidis Pimpernel much of it growes among segetives in fallow ground and sandy places Some make mention of a kind of Veronica with an erect Caul which puts forth more rigid furcles which are renuious ramous and folious like the former Dodonaeus adds another Veronica growing in Meadowes and moist places in effigies and magnitude very like the foeminine but its leafs are lesser not lanuginous but smooth and green its brauches are reptile flowers caeruleous its seed contained in little boxes small and black this and the former are seldom or never used in medicine Sense indicates that Veronica is hot and dry Vires and experience demonstrates it to be astrictive and a good vulnerary it cures the Scab Wounds Ulcers and all vices in the skin it hath a peculiar faculty in curing or at least asswaging cancerous Ulcers Fuchsius writes falsly that the King of France correpted with the Leprosie was cured with the adjument of this herb for no King of France was ever correpted with such a foede disease nor yer with Pestilence CHAP. XLIII Of Ditanny DItiany's caulicles are cubital or shorter which divide themselves into certain wings on whose summities depend flowers proceeding from the same interstices in the form of scales its leafs are rotund but acuminated on the one side very lanuginous and like pennyroyal but higher that is best that growes in Crete and that most laudable that growes on Picte a Mountain in that Region whence it is denominated some of the Greeks call it Beloacon that is Weapon-salve and Belotocon because it excludes infixed darâ—â— for Harts confixed with Arrowes run to Dictanny by the contact whereof they exclude the Arrowes Hence some call it Dorcidium or Cervary because Harts first invented its use Goats also feeding near it and vulnerated demonstrated its efficacy its leafs are tomentous and its flowers of a violaceous black colour Another kind of Dictanny is found in some maritimous places as in the Barofluctuan shores in Normandy very like this in leass which is called Pseudo-Dicamny but its flowers do verticulately circumcinge its surcles and its faculties are not so efficacious as the legitimate Dictamny which some call Diphthomny is hot and dry in the third degree it will by the Ancients testimony extract weapons extinguish introsumed poyson it helps in pestilence excludes flowers young and seconds abates the spleen and cures Strangury CHAP. XLIV Of Stoechas Cassidony or French Lavender SToechas is unjustly firnamed Arabian seeing it equally germinates in other parts and regions as in Crete Belgium and Normandy where it lives well among Snowes and in the Islands Stoechades from which or from their spicated summities they are denothinated Dodonaeus knew three sorts thereof the first the common and true Stoechas the second the Belgian like the former in effigies the third with sawed leafs besides which there is another with golden coloured leafs like Eliochrysum and is called Chrysocome or Orenge-coloured Stoechas this hath short and slender caulicles angust hoary and hispid leafs and luteous splendent flowers like small bubles it growes in rough and Sandy places Pena makes three sorts hereof See him The true Stoechac emits many cubitall slender and lignous cauls with hair on its summities angular like ears of Corn long leafs broad like Lavander spike and heary small caeruleous odorate flowers in a Foliaceous spike which are sua veolent Stoechas is manifestly hot a mare moderately astrictive and very cephalical for it recreates head and all animal faculties discusses frigid humours exhilarates the mind and conduces to all affections of the head flowing from a cold distempet it roborates all the intrals and the whole body CHAP. XLV Of Sage SAge is either domestick or Sylvestrian domestick is twofold the greater and the lesser both called Elelisphacos though some denote the greater onely with this name calling the lesser Sphacelos which some call wild Sage others boske Sage There is another kind of Sage in Crete that bears betries which in figure odour and sapour is very like ours Sage is a ramous plant Diosc C. 41. L. 3. having quadrangular and hoary branches with leafs like Quince leafs but more angust sharp crasse and whiter its flowers which depend on the tops of its branches are fulcated like them of Horminum and caeruleous Salvia is Cephalical nerval calefactive siccative apertive Vires moving flours and urine the lesser must be selected as better to the confection of Stoechas but the greater may well supply its defect CHAP. XLVI Of Horminum or Clary CLary is either sative Species which delights in cultivated and fat soyl or wild which growes in meadowes and macilent places both are well known they emit from one root many cubital angular and subhirsute Cauls but especially the sative their leafs are broad mucronated and sharp like Horehound their flowers besides their leafs do verticulately
Bosphorus in Thracia and Pontus in Euxinum of the crassitude of the greater Radish somewhat black and ruddy like the greater Centory fragile of a dark red colour within and of a ferrugineous subamare astrictive and inodorate sapour void of all acrimony There growes in many Gardens in France especially in such as appertain to them that delight in rare simples Rhaponticum that so well agrees with the antique that it seems to be the very same That root is best which admits no Worms and which in manducation becomes pliant and clammy without much astriction and colours the spittle palely red and Croceous It cures the imbecillity of the stomack Vires is good against the lienous hepatical coxendical and convulsive dolours cures burstnesse circuits of Feavers and bitings of venenate animals it is an useful ingredient in Antidotes CHAP. LXXII Of Meum or Spignell MEu or Meum Species is twofold the one most laudable which is found in Macedonia and copiously in Athamanthe whence they call it Athamanticum the other more vulgar which grows in many places in France and Italy which Herbalists call sometimes the wild Dill sometimes tortuous Fennel both of them have small angust and capillaceous leafs gracile and cubital surcles out of whose summities umbells with candid flowers emerge to which angulous long odorate and acrimoniously amare seeds succeed greater then Cumin seed its roots are very slender and odorate It calefies in the third Vires and siccates in the second degree it incides attenuates expurges removes obstructions moves urine and flours discusses the flatuosity of the stomack takes away the stopings of the Liver and emends the vices of the reins CHAP. LXXIII Of Anethum or Dill. BOth Medicks and women make use of Anethum the women in June at which time it is coronated with flowers and most fragrant excerpe or cut it dry it keep it and recond it with their Linnen to conciliate a pleasant odour to them but the Medicks use its seed also to many things as we shall hereafter declare Now Anethum is of a bicubital procerity with rotund and geniculated surcles leafs dissected small like capillaries luteous flowers on its muscary plain small foliated and pallid seed and a hard fibrous root it is sowen in Gardens and annually revives from the deciduous seed its odour is grave and yet jucund and sweet It calefies and siccates in the second degree Vires being introsumed it moves urine allayes gripings and flatuosity abates singulture evokes milk and augments it it incides attenuates and cocts humours CHAP. LXXIIII Of Macedonian Petroseline PEtroseline is either vulgar frequent in our Gardens which Physitians call Garden Smallage and the vulgarity Parsley which as a gratefull Pot-herb is inservient to culinary uses Or Macedonian which is diversely depinged by herbalists For Lobelius contends that in caul leafes umbells and seed it is very like the vulgar or Garden Parsley onely it growes in Praerupt and saxous places whence it is called Petrapium and Petroseline so that ours and the Garden is one the wild and the Macedonian Parsley the same also yet Fuchsius saith it hath leafes like Pimpinella and seeds like Ammi Odorate Acrmionious and Aromaolent And this same description he received not onely by tradition from Dioscorides but saw and experienced for when he had committed the seed of Macedonian Petroseline to the Earth he found the Plant thence produced to beare leafes respondent to Pimpinella and seed conditionated as Dioscorides had described It growes copiously in Macedonia especially in rough and saxous places It calefies and siccates notably moves urine educes flowers Vires eases the colicall dolour mitigates gripings cures the dolours of the sides Reins and Liver discusses flatuosity attenuates incides and successefully ingredes the confecture of Antidotes CHAP. LXXV Of Coriander THough Coriander be a tetrous and graveolent herb yet is it sowen and cultivated in Gardens for its grains by frication depose their ingratefull odour and become suaveolent its surcle is very slender round cubitall and ramous its leafes are at first like them of Adiantum laciniated and variously incidped for the part next the caul is lesse sected the remoter more its flowers are white on large umbells its seed made round firme somwhat striated and inane which at first is green then luteously white its root short hard and fibrous the odour of its leafes is putrid and tetrous It seed is commonly prepared with Vinegar for the castigation of some inique quality but desiccation effects as much so that it may thenceforth be desumed without further preparation Coriander is refrigerative according to Dioscorides and cures biles pimples and inflammations if taken in bread or pancakes Vires But Galen dissents from this tenent proveing it to be calid and not to help biles or the like but onely small watry powks for it calefies moderately resiccates manifestly and is somwhat astrictive CHAP. LXXVI Of Capers THe Caper shrub growes spontaneously in many places makeing much prouent in dry and desart fields without the help of the Ploughman it is a senticous shrub low and hamated with many a dark Prickles whose aculeated branches are orbicularly spread on the ground its leafes are circinated like them of Quince-Trees out of whose wings erupt long pedicles capitulated with round umbells which dehisteing expand white flwers whereunto long fruits full of Acinous seeds succeed These rudments of flowers or small heads while they are yet nodose and not explicate are by Pharmacopolists evelled condited and brine and kept for Capers the lesser are better then the larger this conditure makes them more suaue and whol-some both for medicinall uses and esure the root of this shrub is also praescinded its bark separated siccated and text Capers afford but small Aliment to their assumers because of the tenuity of their parts and are therefore rather subserivent to mediniall uses yet they mutuate a certain savour pergratefull to the stomack from this brine that invites the ranseative to banquets and revotes the languishing appetite Caper both fruit and root is calefactive extersive and purgative Vires it incides and digests roborates helpes and minuates the spleen removes obstructions and cures all diseases ariseing from the insariture imbecillity of the spleen CHAP. LXVXII Of upright holy suckles or Woodbind THis Plant the Romans call volucrum majus somtimes Caprifolium scribonius largus calls it Matrisglua and some the Lilly among Thornes it is a Surculons Lignous and Scansory shrub circumuoluring it self about the Vicine-Trees and with its obsequious surcles ascending their summities T is leafes which are posited at distance and two together at each Genicle are long smooth sofi of a whitish green colour more white one the lower side its flowers white and somtimes flave long fistulous gapeing in their extremities many congested together Garland wise and suaveolent out of whose middle come some lusts its fruit somwhat red round racemously cohaerem wherein a hard
concoction roborate the ventricle dissipate Flatuosity move Urine and flours take away the suffocation of the uterus and cure the bitings of Serpents CHAP. XI Of Seseli or Hartwort MAny Plants dissident in effigies are donated with this name as Massiliense Aethiopicum the herb Aethiopicum the shrub Creticum or Thordylium Peloponnense pratense herbaceum or that which is like hemblock the Massilian Seseli which is most useful in medicine hath a ferulaceous caul of two Cubits heighth Seseli Massiliense geniculated and hard its leases like Fennel but more ample large and crasse with white flowers in Umbells long seeds like Fennel which are very acrimonious and yet grateful whereof Medicks make much use The Aethiopian fruticious Seseli hath lignous Aethiopicum jrutex rigid subrubeous and cubital surcls long leafes which are indifferent broad smooth and a whitish green yellow flowers upon umbells and long seeds like Libisticum The Aethiopian herbaceous Seseli Aethiop Herba hath ferulaceous bicubital cauls broad leafs like paludapium umbells referted with white flowers membranous broad plain paleaceous odorate and grateful seed The Peloponnesian Seseli Peloponeuse hath a geniculated and ferulaceous caul broad leafes variously dissected patulous Umbells subluteous flowers broad long plain seed and a crass root somewhat blackish without white within acrimonious and amare and grievous to the stomach The Cretian Seseli hath a lowe and more obsequious Caul leass incided and crisped in their margine small white flowers in umbells small broad plain odorate and acrimonious seeds which are seldom used in medicine All Seseli seed is hot and dry in the second degree expels urine Vires drawes flowers and the young and educes urine from the reins and bladder the seed of the Massilian is best CHAP. XII Of Gentian GEntian is not underservedly extolled nor yet indignly denominated after Gentius King of Illyrium for it is a most solemn fugatour of pestilence destroyer of putretude and antidote against Poyson its Leafes are like Plantain or rather white Hellebore veinous a foot long very amare and of a redly green colour it s Caul is cubitall or higher out of whose severall genicls issue flowers consisting of six small angust and radiant leafes vertiginously disposed to which broad tenuious seeds succeed which are included in the long Cauls whereon the flowers stood It growes in any place but delights more in montanous so they be opaque the best come from Illyrium where it arrogated the princely name of its inventor its root is of chiefest use Gentian especially in its root comprises so much of vertue that it keeps not onely men Vires but beasts also from the harm of poyson drunk in water it corroborates the stomach kills the worms arceates puttertude tames pestilentious poyson and securely cures the stinging of poysonous animalls Other plants from some similitude acquire the name of Gentian as the lesser Cruciata and Gentianella but their faculties being little or not at all like the true Gentians they seldom ingrede the composition of Antidotes CHAP. XIII Of Tormentill THis plant is called Tormentilla The denomination because it leniates the torment and pain of Odontalgy or tooth-ache and Septafoile by the Greeks Heptaphyllon because it consists of seven leafes it growes in shady wooddy and opaque places it puts forth many slender simbecil and lower branches betwixt every knot it emits seven leafes of inequal magnitude luteous flowers a crasse tuberous short root black without red within whose use is eximious in curing pestilentious diseases It s root calefies moderately dryes exceedingly to wit Vires in the third degree it astringes moderately wonderfully opposes putretude moves sudor and efficaciously sucurres in pestilentious diseases CHAP. XIV Of Poeony POEony is an herb eximious in name flower and faculties it hath many branches of feets length with fair rubeous flowers on their summities ample like Roses whence some call them Saint Maries Roses There are three sorts of Poeony The first is the Masculine Species which hath leafs like Walnut-trees but lesser in circuit and more crasse The second bears leafs divided like Lovage lesser then the former of a dark green colour with shorter surcl's and all things lesse which is the foeminine The third seems to be neuter or promiscuous bearing an Idea of both which is neither absolutely red nor white but pale Some grow now in Gardens altogether white and very fair the most elegant whereof is multiflorous whose flower is not simple like the rest but manifold All have tuberous and multifidous roots but some of them are more glandulous then the rest they have long cauls divided leafs patulous flowers in the summity of their cauls there are husks like Almond husks which dehisceing shew their small red splendent grains like Orenge grains and in the middle some black lucid medullous ones of a medicated sapour acrimonious subastringent with some amaritude I describe these briefly lest my Work should swell into a greater Volume Many things are supersititiously spoken of Poeony which I willingly omit not judging them worthy recital Its roots are commended to the roboration of the Nerves and Brain Vires to exarceate the Epilepsie and cure it as also to roborate the whole Head CHAP. XV. Of Rubia or Madder THis Plant from its rubetude is by the Latines called Rubia by the Greeks Erythrodanum it puts forth quadrangular sharp and geniculated boughes from the very ground with angust long sharp leafes orbicularly digested about the genicls its flowers in the summities of its branches are small and luteous to which a small round seed succeeds which at first is green after red at last black Its roots are very long numerous flexibly dispersed along the ground red within and without wherewith wooll and skins are infected or dyed the Shopmen calls it Dyers Ruby the vulgar Garensa it growes spontaneously in shady and opaque places so that all regions abound therewith its root is amare to the gust accommodated to infect and dye woollen and therefore most used by Dyers Ruby root moves urine and flours Vires cures the jaundice its seed drunk in vinegar absumes the Spleen its root applyed drawes flours seconds and the birth and illited with vinegar it cures the tetter or ringworm CHAP. XVI Of Oinon or Rest-Harrow THis plant is called Onon Resta Bovis Or Oinon from its flower which in colour represents wine the Barbarians call it the Oxens arrest Remora Aratri Acutella or rest the Romans the Ploughes remora because its long and fibrous roots remorate the Oxen in ploughing it is also called Acutella because with hard and acure pricks it punges its attingents it is a most notorious plant growing in the middle or margins of fields especially in fat and glutinous soyles and most vivacious of plants For happening upon an accommodate foyl it propagates much emitting every year new surcles which spread themselves over the vicine land so it
boy infested with the Epilepsy CHAP. XXII Of Bulbus or the Sea Bulb BUlbus is either Coronative medicative or esculent among the Coronative are enumerated the innumerable varieties of Daffadills Lilionarcisses Tulips and Hyacinths among the medicative Scilla Hermodactylls Pancratium and the vomitory Bulbus and among the esculent which are also desumed to many eximious medicinall uses Leeke the Onyons of Ascalon and such as by a certain antinomasy are called regall Onions as praecelling the rest which excite venery and which come in frequent use among the ancients for meat instead whereof we use common Onions which are the true bulbus and pollicitate the same effects being also alike described with the ancients Bulbi so that when Bulbus seed is praescribed Onion or Scallyons seed may be usurped Bulbus is a certain root corticous short round and tunicated with many membranes the most external whereof is greatest it often growes out of the earth producing some slender radicles like capillaments which keeping in the earth attract convenient succe for the nutriment of the whole Bulbus Its fronts are like them of Onyons round angust inane and mucronated its caulicles of nine inches heighth in whose summity little purpureous flowers emicate to which succeeds seed black without white within All sorts of Bulbus are acrimonious Vires they excalefie excite venery suppeditate Aliment cause inflation and stiffnesse of the yard but two large plenty of them should not be used in meats because they trouble the nerves Of all the Bulbuses I think Satyrium most excites venery the rest are more ignave causing it by their flatuosity CHAP. XXIII Of Satyrion or the True Dogs-stones SOme plants from the effigies of their roots are called Testicls from their effect Satyria because they make men Satyrs-like prone to venery amongst Bulbous roots such as have but one bulb are properly called Satyria that which hath two Cynosorchis that which hath three Triorchis Of every of which there are many differences some desumed from the form of their bulbes How to know the Best others from the number of their leafs others from the colour of their flowers and their positure yet are all alike in facultres and friends to Venus but that is most approved whose root is singular round about the magnitude of an Apple yellow without white within turgid with carnosity sweet to the gust and grateful to the mouth Three leafs emerge out of this root which are depressed towards the ground in figure and colour like Lillies leafs but lesser from which three it is called Trifoile its caul is of a foot heighth its flowers small and white the roots of this praecels the rest for conditure and this I think is the true Satyrium Condited Satyria are analeptical and restaurative they are good for such as are tabid and such as frequently exercise venery for the root of Satyrium is thought so potent in exciting venery that by retension in ones hand it will stimulate them to congresse whence the Greeks design all plants by the nomenclature of Satyrion which excite venery CHAP. XXIV Of Leeks LEeks are sowen in gardens for culinary uses for the plant is rather esculent then medicinal as Cooks well know yet its succe is sometimes usurped in medicinal remedies as in coacting the powders of foetid pills and sometimes in extinguishing or rather educing of Empyreums for though it be calid yet it hath an excellent faculty in attracting and expelling the impressed vestigium of colour Leck is either sative or spontaneous and both are twofold Species the first sort of the sative is called the headed Leek the second the sective Leek the first because it consists of a round root like an Onyon the later because its root is longer and oftner sected one sort of the spontaneous is called Schoen oprasum which bears tenuious leafs like a bulrush the other is called Ampeloprasum which growes spontaneously in vineyards and other places Dioscorides makes mention of one to wit the headed Leek whose head or rather root that it might greatly increase and dilate it self the ancients covered it with a tile or slate and so they obtained their end many other wayes are invented whereby Leeks may acquire a prodigious magnitude but these we leave to Gardners All Leeks calefie extreamly ezsiccate extenuate open incide Vires resolve and help against the bitings of Serpents and Ustions It s seed brayed and drunk in passum or white Wine helps against the difficulty of urine and diduces its passages some write that Leek eaten excites venery and discusses ebriety but its frequent use causes tumultuous sleeps hurts the sight and begets aeruginous bile CHAP. XXV Of Radish root and Rape or wild Navew THere is much affinity betwixt radish root rape root and wild Turnep Radish root is so notorious that it needs not much explication for the vulgar are so delighted therewith that they sustain themselves with this root bread and salt nay all Nations make meat thereof Rephani Species There are three sorts hereof one is the greater which is an enemy to Vines another lesser the third is black radish which some call wild radish the Gardeners Reforum Rape root Rapium unde dicitur Bunias is from its tumescent figure called Bunias from its round figure Gonzylon or rather Strongylon vulgarly Nape its root is very crasse carnous tuberous white and not capillated its leafes long sharp green deeply incided on both sides its Caule bicubitall and ramous its flowers luteous to which Cods succeed praegnant with seeds like Colewort feeds but greater which ingrede the confection of Mithridate whose faculty is eximious in expugning venenate diseases Some suspect that Bunias differs from Nape and that the seed of Bunias and not of Nape ingredes the composition of Mithridate but each may be substituted in defect of the other There are three differences of Napes or Rapes desumed from their Roots the first is orbiculated turbinated and short the second crasse and long the third lesse and vulgar which the vulgarity call Nape Napes or Turneps as they acquire their magnitude so also their bonity from the condition of the Heavens and of the soyl those that grow in the fields about * A Town in France Caen are so sweet and grateful that they are justly preferred before the rest Rapistrum is a certain wild rape root not at all bulbous Rapistrum which germinates in every field with broad green leafs and luteous flowers whose seed the women call Navet There is another sort thereof with leafs like Bank-cresses which is called Lapsana as also a third kind with leafes like rocket and white flowers all of them bear small black round seeds included in Cods Radish roots are eaten raw turneps not without coction all calefie open and move urine CHAP. XXVI Of Anemone or Wind-flower WE have above treated onely of such Calefactives whose Roots were most celebrated save that at the beginning of this Section we described
Effluvium for many abhor many meats which others take with a greedy appetite which though at first they are unlike yet after many concoctions become like and proper to our bodyes whence ariseth a great similitude betwixt the thing nourishing and that which is nourished which scarce can be defined and why this man is more delighted with this meat and that with another The eating of fish and flesh is familiar to our whole Nation yet have we known many faith Amatus Lucianus who altogether abstained from eating of flesh and others Historia notatu dign to whom not onely the eating but also the very smell of Cheese was as poyson Another have we known a Spaniard by Nation who never tasted of Fish but when he was invited by his Friend once to a Supper and had eaten Eggs with which the ashes of dryed Fish was cunningly mixed he fell into such a pain and anguish by vomiting that he was almost killed thereby The same famous Author also saw another a Venetian Monk in whom the smell of Roses would cause Madness which also I have observed in a Noble Lady And Julius Scaliger in a learned Cardinal as he affirms in his Exercises against Cardan viz. Exercit 153. part 10. where he commemorates a certain woman of excellent virtue and beauty named Francis who could by no means be perswaded before she was fourteen years of age to eat Flesh He affirms also that one of his Children as much abhorred Cabbages as himself did the Cressons As also a maid in the City Mediolim dyed with a draught of Cassia fistula for every mans peculiar appetite is proper to himself and many eschew Wint as Poyson others adore it as their God Moreover this inexplicable occult faculty is observed in the food of other Animals For who by reason can declare why the Ostrich delights in Iron why the Hart desires Serpents the Bear Ants the Ass Ferula Some Animals live onely by fishing others by hunting others by Corn others by the natural increase of Plants The Mallet devours the bird Hirron the Beaver little Fishes the Hawk the Eagle and Fox are nourished and fed upon little Birds the Hen the Partridge and the Horse on Corn the Oxe Deer and Hart on little Plants or their tender parts And why these do delight and grow fat rather with that Aliment than this and those rather with this than that cannot easily be explained by reason For the Vulture will sooner perish with Faraine than touch Wheat the Pheasant rather dye than eat by stealth CHAP. IX Of the faculty of purging Medicaments whence it proceeds and how it operates THE disquisition of the faculty of purging Medicaments hath been the exercise of many ingenious men and yet nevertheless as many men as have endeavoured after its knowledge so many several opinions have they left to us their Posterity The Alcumists not without some pains endeavour to demonstrate that it proceeds from the saltness of the Compounds for they lay down this for a general Axiom that all Salts are purgative Others maintain that this faculty is altogether occult not apparently explicable by reason There are others who judge that it arises from the special temperament of the mixture or compound Others look upon it as a fifth quality Mesue would have its original in Heaven and calls it a Heavenly Faculty A purgative Medicine saith he is not such from its temperament not as a Contrary acting upon its Contrary not as a Simile attracting its Simile nor as a heavy matter driving the humour downwards nor as a light substance driving it upwards but it hath this faculty alotted from above acting by a Divine power This Celestial Faculty is also by some Medicks Fernel and Philosophers Scaliger called an Occult Faculty sometimes also the property of the matter alone sometimes the internal principle of every thing The divers denominations of this quality sometimes an unknown cause a super-elementary virtue a property of the whole substance and by some a fifth quality so that one and the same thing hath divers denominations But because that this purgative virtue according to Philosophers of best note must needs be deduced from the Stars Mesue calls it most properly Celestial but he aims amiss in judging that it draws out humours not as a simile attracting its simile contrary to the Antients opinions reason and experience For Hippocrates declares lib. de nat human that purgative Medicaments have a certain congruity with the humours A Medicine sayes he when it is assumed into the body first attracts whatsoever is consonant and most like to its nature in the body and afterwards draws down and purges away the rest Which he proves clearly by this elegant comparison As seeds and plants sown and eradicated in the ground attract to themselves whatever in the earth is congruent to their nature whether sharp or pleasant bitter or salt or whatsoever else they primarily or chiefly allure as having propinquity with their essence Galen demonstrates this more clearly illustrating it with many evidences lib. 1. de nat facult cap. 23. lib. 3. de simplic lib. de Ther. writing in express words that the operations are effected and perfected by the property of the qualities which are in the substances therefore some purgative Medicaments if perchance they be frustrated of their acquired purgation do not hurt the body as some foolishly have imagined but become nutrimental others are turned into corruption and poyson yet a poysonous virtue is not alwayes mixed with them Wherefore they do not alwayes hurt when they do not purge but they concoct and produce such humous as they should have educed which never happens to stronger Medicaments Therefore purgative Medicaments by a certain similitude and congruity to the substance attract and educe humours and by the same principle that the Loadstone attracts Iron and Amber Straw not Iron the Loadstone or Straw Amber for although there be a great similitude betwixt the Loadstone and the Iron yet every simile is not the same neither is the Loadstone Iron nor the Iron a Loadstone yet the thing attracting should be more potent than the thing attracted and therefore the Iron as weaker is drawn and draweth not Objectio Since Traction comes by the similitude of the substance why doth not one Loadstone attract another and one piece of Iron another Responsio I answer One and the same thing doth not draw the same but such things as have an affinity and similitude with them so Agarick draws flegm Rhabarb choler Senna melancholy because there is betwixt them a certain conjugal quality or rather a convenience or similitude which conformity is not altogether manifest for Rhabarb differs much from choler Agarick from flegm and Senna from melancholy Although all Catharticks do attract humours Quae purgant trahendo yet some of them do purge more especially by attraction to wit such as are of a more potent force and have an excrementious humour saith
that is calld or frigid in the beginning of the second degree he that wants a medicament hot in the end of the second degree may exhibit one that 's hot in the beginning of the third Now since the doses of compounds are deduced from simples according to the deficiency of any simple another may be substituted which is Analogicall to the deficient in the mixtion whereof if the aforesaid Lawes be observed the result in the compound will be no way deficient by substitution CHAP. XVI What Medicaments and when they are rightly substituted LEast our Pharmaceuticall treati should be defective or a patient destitute of praesidy when his auxiliatory Physician prescribes him something that neither the Pharmacopolitans shops nor gardens affoard we will here describe the supplements of such defects which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latins Succedanea Substituta or more vulgarly quid pro quo But as we before observed such substitutes should be similar What substitutes ought not to be allowed of inivertue to those whose place they spply and whose vicegerents they are now if such cannot be found then those must be elected which differ in little and respond in many things For its absurd to call those succedaneous Vicegerents which are mdued with opposite not succedaneous and symbolicall qualities and they write without reason who substitute Euphorbium for Agarick Pellitory for Sorrell and Melliote for a Quince for these have no affinity with each other But when some weaker are substituted in place of better their qualities must be augmented by quantity for quantity reduplicated recompenses the weakness of the quality as on the contrary if the substitute be too valid lesse quantity must be exhibited that thereby its rigour may be diminished Now this should not be done without the advice of some skilfull Doctor which many do not onely despise but themselves prescribe Medicaments to the great damage of their patients but such are for the most part unconstant importunate and talkative knaves who trimly apparelled intrude themselves to the sicks presence and deceive them with fair speeches I speake of that impious rabble who deceive the incautious vulgar but the skilfull and prudent who take nothing rashly but at a Phisicians advice and preception may substitute legitimate Vicegerents in the place of such as want or are decayed Those that without choice and care repose for genuine and good what ever Medicament comes first to their hands will make dangerous Medicaments and substitutions One was wont pleasantly to inculcate that of the Ninivite to such a busy fellow Saepe loco illius quid pono Least therefore any errour be committed in reposition of suppositories we shall here place the substitute in opposition to the deficient You may substitute For Wormwood Origanum or southernwood For Southernwood Origanum For The juice of Acaoia The juice of Cistus or Hypocistis For Bears foot Mallowes For Acorus The root of folefoot or Radix Asari For The true Venus haire The Common For Ameos Anise seed For Amomus Acorus For Gum Amoniack Propolis For Bitter Almonds Persian nuts For Woolfs grease Weasels grease For Harts grease Goats grease For Alum Fossile salt For Althea Mallowes For Arsenick Sublimatum For Rain-water Fountain water For Sea water Saltedwater For Anise Carret For Round Aristolochy Long. For The flower of Fomgranate The rind thereof For Balsam Limpid Turpentines For Borrage Buglosse For Bettony Parsley For Spinach Arache For Butter Oyle For Calamus Arom Squinant For Cardamomum Cyperus For Calamintha Wild mint For Germander Ground pine For Cinamon Common Cassia For Cinabrium Red Lead For Juice of Citron Limmons juice For Daucus Creticus English carret seed For Dates Massilian figgs For Dittany Sage For A Bears tooth A hogs tooth For Diphryx Burned Brasse For Liquorice Raisons For Wallwort Elder For White Hellebore Elaterium For Blacke Hellebore Lapis Lazuli For Epithyme Epithymbrum For Eruca Erisimum For Agrimony Liverwort For Sea holly Oenone For Fenygreek Orobus For Fennell Smallage For Partridge gall Cothurnix gall For Verdigrease Rust For Fumitory Sowthistle For The hulls of Senny Twice as much of its leaves For Myrtle leaves Its berryes For Galangale Acorus For Galbanum Sagapenum For Gentian Tormentill For Liverwort Agrimony For Helecampare Flower deluce For Hysope Savoury For The juice of Cistus Acacia For Jasmins flowers Rormary Flowers For Jujubs Raisons For Sweet rush Cardomomum For Henbane Poppy For Lettice Garden Succory For Sorrell Black Violet For Laureola Misletoe For Lacca Storax For Sciatick Cresses Cretian Cresses For Loadstone The Phrygian stone For Mallowes Arach For Mandrake Poppy For Honey Sugar For Mumy Pissaphaltum For Spicnard Schaenanthum For Nep Wildmint For Nutmeg Cloves For Water-Lilly Lettice For Sheepsgrease Calfes marrow For Oyle Butter For The juice of unripe grapes Juice of Limons For Opium Lettice juice For Opobalsamum Oyle of Cloves For The juice of panax Gum Amoniake For Ryce Wheat meale For White thorn Gooseberry tree For Poppy juice Mandrake juice For Petty spurge Sea Lettice For Parsley Smallage For Plaintain Mouse-eare For Pompholyx Burned brass oar For Walwort Ground pine For Quinquenerve Plantain For Radish-seed Its juice For Rosemary Majoram For Gooseberryes * Berberryes For Rue Tansey For Sagapene Pyne gum For Sage Calaminthe For Elder Wallwort For Cantonicum Southernwood For New wine Sweet wine For Cuttlebone A pumick stone For Sutureia Thyme For Saxifrage Burnet For Houseleek Nightshade For White spike Lavander For Tansey Feverfew For Sowthistle Succory For Cuckow bread Sower dock For Thyme Satureia For Thimelaea Chamelaea For Tamariske Citrarch For Tussilage Lungwort For Garden Valerian Wild For Masculine betony The famale For White Hellebore Turpethum For Black Violet White For Red Wine White For Sweet Cassia Cynamon For Yylobalsum Radix Ligustici For Ginger Pepper For Civet Musck But because it seldom falls out that one can erre twice in a Medicine let junior Apothecaryes diligently beware least they substitute any thing without the Physicians advice if they do otherwise they may exhibite and sell spurious Medicaments for legititimate as I have 1000. times observed in some ignorant fellowes who without discretion substitute any simple which of its self is deficient CHAP. XVII Of Adulterate Medicaments MEns insatiable avarice hath rapt some to that heighth of iniquity that they exhibite Adulterate Medicaments for true and genuine the dignotion whereof is of great moment in making Medicaments and should be a Physicians and an Apothecaryes imployment accurately to learn that to be their patients may exhibited none but good which may conduce to their adjument and sanity not adulterate whose end is perill and languour These I thought meet to detect least some unskilfull Apothecary be deceived by such circumforaneous prestigiatours who often sell the flowers of Carthamus for Crocus and Ivory for Monocerots horn and similate many more especially rare and precious Medicaments whose use is frequent and vertues eximious Least therefore the Apothecary in whose hand the
long as in amaritude it resembled that which the Bees collect in Pontus It were supervacaneous to treat any more of Honey since we have abundantly spoken thereof in the third Chapter of the third Book of our Institutions CHAP. VII Of Manna MAnna is the most excellent and divine gift of Nature and not onely that which God preternaturally bestowed on the Israelites but this also which like Honey or Sugar-dew distills upon leaves and daily offers it self for our use For our vulgar Husbandmen do no less admire their small Manna than the Israelites did their Sugar-hail whil'st exulting they sing Jupiter rains Honey down whence it is called Areomel by the Arabians Terenjabin and in the sacred Scriptures Manna with which our Manna or Manna Thuris accords onely in name which is produced by the elision of two bundles one against another for therby certain small fragrancies are congested which is collected for Manna Thuris There is also another kinde they call Manna Larigna collected of the broken boughs of the Larix tree but both these too licentiously usurp this title for Manna properly so called which is used by Physicians for I do not speak of the Man-hu or Manna of the Hebrews is celestial dew sweet and gratefull delabing about the day-spring upon the boughs and leaves of trees and herbs which speedily concretes into the consistency of a gum That is best which is collected of leaves and is called Manna de folio and that worst which is called Manna de terra Now the Calabrian Manna especially that which comes out of a certain part of Oenotria is thought the best where it descends every Summer and is gather'd of all Brassavel in exam fimpl Brassavelus tels us Historia how the Neopolitan Kings once occluded this place that none might assume it without toll or tribute but the Manna thereupon ceased to descend the tribute being taken off and the hindrances removed the Manna again descended the place being again occluded it ceased the inclosure or hedge being again taken away it descended so that the Kings were glad to leave it free and permit any to collect it that would The same is storied of the Tragasaan of Salt in Epirus upon which when Lysimachus imposed a tribute there was none to be found when the tribute was contra-decreed the Salt redounded c. 12. l. 9. Rhod. Cal. But that I may not further rove there is a kinde of Manna in France commonly called Manna Briansonnensis which Medicks sometimes use for want of Calabriensis but it is not near so good There is another kinde round called Manna Mastichina Manna â—â—â—â—china which beaten from the boughs and leaves of trees by the impetuousness of the winde which delabes like hail but neither from Heaven nor from the Air which is improperly called Manna being the tears of trees or their juice concreted Manna is moderately hot it lenifies the throat asper-artery and breast it benignly moves the belly and purges watry humours especially the small Manna as that which comes from Calabria not Terenjabin which the Arabians say is like Honey which we use not because we want it CHAP. VIII Of Cordial Flowers and first of Violets A Violet which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grows in opake and rough places at the foundations of walls or margins of gardens and sometimes in meadows it is green all the year long and flourishes sometimes in February most frequently in March whence it is called Mars his Flower and sometimes in Autumn if it be cultivated it leaves are like Ivy leaves but less and thinner of a short stalk in the end whereof grows a Flower of a ceruleous purple colour and odour like Flower de luce It brings forth a small seed in little round leaves about the end of Summer Now Violets are multifarious and different in colours for some are white some blew and other in a mean betwixt both There are some also which stand upon longer and harder stalks whose flowers are like a purple colour others which are tricolorous and grow upon quadrate slender succulent and reptile stalks in dry places whose leaves are more angust long and lascivious than others from its three-fold colour some call it the herb Trinity others the flammeous Violet and the vulgar Frenchmen the Minute pensea Other small stocks of Violets have got names which because Phyficians seldome use we omit But the martial Violets are wholly used for their flowers being endued with an exhilarating faculty Vires are mixed with Cordials their seeds and leaves being malactical ingrede the decoction of Glysters and confection of Cataplasms All men conclude that their Flowers are refrigerative yet that acrimony they leave in the mouth by mastication speaks them to participate of some calour But because that calour is fugitive being overcome by their exuberant frigidity the Medicks judge them to be frigid CHAP. IX Of the Flowers of Bugloss BUgloss so tearmed from its similitude to an Oxes tongue because it is eximious in inducing hilarity is by Dioscorides and Pliny called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath long broad rough leaves like Cumfrey but straiter shorter and not of so obscure a green Its stalks are bicubital brachiate rough its flowers replenished with spots like stars ceruleous shining in the bottome whereof is a long obscure pithy seed It s root is long crass black without white within succubent sweet it grows in gardens in fandy and also in plain places There is no variety neither in nature nor shape amongst the Hortensian Buglosses onely the flowers of some are white of others purpureous and vulgarly ceruleous But the wild ones differ much for some are alwayes green which will like in any region others are very sharp whose leaves are rigid with prominent pricks which by some are mistaken for Anchusa so named from the blood wherewith its root infects the tangent Bugloss is of a hot and moyst or rather a middle temperature whence it is reckoned amongst the exhilarative Plants which Galen was not ignorant of when c. 80. l. 6. de simpl med he wrote that Bugloss immerged in Wine would cause joy and hilarity CHAP. X. Of Borrage flowers BOrrage is an herb notorious enough its leaves and faculties bear an affinity with Bugloss for both their leaves are long resembling a Neats tongue but Borrage leaves are shorter and broader which the rigour of the winter soon corrupts and kills but Bugloss bears it out and grows but especially its root and those leaves that are next ground flourish It bears broad ceruleous flowers and sometimes white larger than Bugloss in the midst whereof as in its center is defixed a certain dusky crown whose end is acuminated It grows in any ground but it is more florid in humid and fat soyl It is fresh all Summer and also all Autumn if it be sown later its seed is black in all other things it responds to Bugloss Its flowers put into broth give a special taste and
convinced that Splenium commonly called Ceterach was the true Scolopendrium Its leaves are small divided like Polypody yellowish rough narrow and corrugated underneath adhering to a blackish pedicle scarce a palms length disposed in an adverse order yet not so that they are directly opposite one against another like the leaves of the Polytriche but that they oppose each others interstice as of some Polypody It is found in rocks opake walls and such stony and shady places insisting upon no stalk save a small pedicle crowned with no flower and gravidated with no seed It s faculty is to minuate the spleen to break and expell the stone Vires to move urine to abate singulture and cure the Jaundies CHAP. XX. De Salvia vita or Rue-maidenhair THis Plant is next in affinity to a Capillary Salvia vita which from the sunilitude of the leaves and the congruity of place wherein Rue and it grow is called mural Rue and by the Shopmen Salvia vita It thrives best in opake rocks wet stones old edifices and caves which as it were dividing the rocks proceeds out of their incisures with thin short and slender stalks whereon little but crass leaves adhere divided and of a whitely green colour very like to Rue The whole Plant is scarce as long as a mans palm devoyd of seed and slowers alwayes green and therefore it is often used in winter when other Plants are either withered or cradicated It reserates the excrementitious passages Vires takes away obstructions moves excrements exsiccates watry humours and thence conduces to the stoppings of the spleen and mesenteries it moves flowers and urine expells the stone cures the dropsy and helps diseases within the breast They are mistaken that think this is Fellon-grass CHAP. XXI Of some other Plants that are of the second sort of Capillaries and first of Moon-fern THis Herb is from the efficacy of its faculties Hemionitis wherewith it respects the spleen called by Pharmacopolists sometimes Asplenium sometimes Scolopendrium as also Ceterach because in curing the affection of the spleen it hath the precellency yet it is neither Scolopendrium Asplenium nor common Ceterach but a distinct Plant destitute of stalk seed and flower onely a company of leaves issuing out of the earth whence it is often called Phyllitis that is a folious herb for its root emits many fibrous and blockish leaves upon as many filaments which leaves are crass rigid long like Harts tongue as it is sometimes denominated smooth on the upper side rough on the lower with transverse ferrugineous lines Gaza calls it Mula It is of great use to the spleen Vires whose obstructions it doth not onely remove but abates its durity and obtumescence and successfully helps the affections of the liver CHAP. XXII Of Dodder and Epithymum DOdder grows upon fruitfull Herbs like Epithyme Dodder epithymus destitute of a root but as Matthiolus faith issues out of the stalk of a Plant like a wing or long capillament It grows most abundantly about Line whence the Shopmen call it Lines Podagry Fuchsius not without reason believes that Dodder at first proceeds from some root which withers and perishes when its capillaments do involve a plant from which it may suck nutriment and thence it is that the temperament and quality of the Dodder changes according to the variety and nature of the Plants which it involves And many think that Dodder and Epithyme differ not save that the one grows on Line the other on Thyme Yet Matthiolus will not suffrage herewith but contends and that by testimony from Galen that both the form and qualities are in them different for Epithyme calefies in the third degree and Cuscuta onely in the second but here it onely follows that Epithyme borrows its calefactive quality from Thyme Cuscuta from Line They do very dangerously mistake who take the podagry of other Plants for true Cuscuta and Epithyme Neither of them have any leaves they are onely hairy putting forth slender capillaments like Cittern strings out of which issues forth small flowers like glistering stars gravidated with small seeds which ingrede the composition of the laxative syrup of Succory and Rhabarb It is abstersive and roborative it cures the obstructions of the liver and spleen moves urine helps the jaundies and is good for all affections proceeding from cholerick and melancholick humours CHAP. XXIII Of the five Apertive Roots and first of Smallage-root THere are many apertive roots five whereof precell the other in dignity three whereof grow in Gardens to wit Petroseline Sperage and Fennel two in places uncultivated Smallage and Butchers-broom * Smallage Apium in Latine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek differ much as also Parsly and Petroseline For Apios according to Dioscorides cap. 177. lib. 4. hath leaves like Rue short and growing on three or four stalks lying along on the ground and on a root that is extrinsecally black intrinsecally white formed like a Pear which will move the body both by vomit and stool though not vehemently Yea Apios is sometimes taken for a root like a Pear in form and sometimes for some juice that is insipid or at least of an imperceptible sapour Whereas Apium properly so called which Dioscorides names seline or cleofeline is very like Parsley but greater and effects the same with Parsley but because of its ungratefull odour and sapour is excluded the lociety of Pot-herbs It grows most commonly in uncultivated and moyst places whence it is properly called Paludapium or Rustick Smallage It is hot in the second Its virtues and dry in the third degree Gal. l. 8. simp it moves flowers and urine discusses flatuosity and its seed is more efficacious than the Herb it self Pliny saith it cures Spiders poyson It s root is frequently usurped to deduce the passages to remove obstructions and it is thought that its leaves eaten conduce much to the lungs CHAP. XXIV Of Petroseline THat which the Antients called Garden-Apium Petroseline and Parsley we call Petroseline it is most common in Gardens and most frequently used in making broth and dressing meat it grows no where save in Gardens and there most redundantly whether they be hot or cold it refuses no soyl if it be cultivated and fat and suppeditate humour whereon it may live its seed germinates the latest of all to wit about forty or fifty dayes after its sature It bears leaves like Coriander crisped roots it hath long and capillated which are pleasant for Aliments and usefull for Medicaments It is given to such as are troubled with the stone Vires jaundies and difficulty in ureting and to such women as have not their flowers proceeding in due time CHAP. XXV Of Sperage THE name Asparagus is given to this Herb Asparagus either because it grows upon a rough sharp shrub or its stalk being full of pricks or else because it grows spontaneously without sature For many grave Writers have
be cultivated and fat its furcles are short rigid and spinous coronated with leafes like Rue leafes disposed Garland-wise its heads are circinnared its leafs hirsure and suadveolent its flower like Pease blooms but lesser unicolorate and purpureous It s root calefies and extenuates moving Urine breaking and expelling the stone removing obstructions expelling flours and blood and curing the Jaundice CHAP. XVII Of Eryngium or Sea Holly ERyngium is either marine Species which germinating plenteously in maritimous places puts forth broad and angulous leafs circumsepted with hard pricks or campestrian and vulgar whereof there are many varieties some being called the Spanish Pannonian and Alpine Eryngium besides many spurious names The leafs of the vulgar is sected into many acuminated spinous particles its caul is cubital and ramous in whose summity certain globular heads circumcincted with pricks radiate like Stars out of the middles of which heads so horrid with spines issue caeruleous and sometimes flave flowers its root is crasse and long black extrinsecally white intrinsecally succulent sweet and odorate From the indefinite number of its heads many call it centum-caput the rusticks hare thistle and flying thistle for the whole plant withering is evelled by the force of the winds which rolling up and down the fields eminously represents a running hare they mistake that think this is Secacul for Serapio treats of these two in several Chapters and gives them distinct descriptions The Arabians call Eryngium Astaraticon not Scacul or Scekakul yet their faculties being alike as the learned Writers do assert vulgar Eryngium may well be substituted for ignote secacul Eryngiums root is calefactive it deduces the passages Vires moves Urine and flours expels sand out of the reins and bladder and excites venery CHAP. XVIII Of Common grasse SEeing grasse comprehends all plants which bear leafes Species graminis quot or a segetive Idea it is no wonder if perite Herbalists enumerate fourty six differences thereof Yet of all these the dogge-grasse is onely medicative the rest rather affording aliments for beasts then medicaments for man And as dogge-grasse is unknown to none so is it infensive to all Agricolists who with their hands and rakes purge their corn of it which being very feracious would otherwise surrept all aliment from their wheat or vicine plants for it creeps along with numerous genicusated and vivacious radicls which attract to themselves all the fatnesse of the earth Its leafes are hard as broad as them of a small reed tenuious and acuminated whence women call it needle-grasse and dogs-tooth This grasse liberates the reins and other intrals from obstructions Vires and kills the intestines worms the root is more excellent then any other part of the plant CHAP. XIX Of Liqucrice THe whole plant is denominated from the sweetnesse of the root for Glycyrrhiza which Pharmacopolists call Liquorice denotes a sweet root some call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because retained in the mouth it quenches thirst It s root is long numerous spread along the ground which emits a caul of three Cubits high with leaves like Lentisks dense fatt gluminous and gummeous to the touch with purpureous and somtimes white flowers In the Moneth of July or sooner it beares Cods about the bignesse of Vetches or Cicers Theophrastus C. 3. L. 9. calls it Scythica because the Scythians useing a little Liquorice would tolerate thirst eleaven or twelve dayes Children delight herein for which end they demerge small peices of Liquorice in water in a glasse bottle which when it is flave with Liquorice-juice they drink off and put more water thereunto Spanish-Juice which they agitate for more potions The Cappadocians and Spaniards bring us every yeare Liquorice-Juice condensed into Pastills They say it is temperate as to all qualities but accedes nearer to calour Vires it leniates the asperities of the Artery and Ulcers of the Bladder it helpes the Cough moves expectoration and is very good against all diseases in the Lungs and Breast CHAP. XX. Of Cyclamen or Sowe-Bread VArious and many are the nomenclatures of this Sowe-bread for the Barbarians call it Arthanita the Shopmen Hogs-Bread some the Earth-Corke others the Earth-Aple and some Cissophyllon It growes in shady places under Trees in bryars and thick Woods it flourishes in Autumne it bears Leafes like Ivy which are angular crisped about of a greenly purpureous colour maculated with white spots on both sides There is another sort of Cyclamen which hath broad Leaves but scarcely any whit angular but rather round and obscurely maculated And a third sort also which hath lesser roots more purpureous flowers and more suaveolent which some think is that which Pliny calls Chamaecisson Cyclamen is indued with many eximious qualities for it incides potently opens moves floures expells conception though dead cures the Jaundice expells stones it is efficacious against impostumes emends all spots is averse to Poisons either by potion or application drawes menstruous blood and young ones They say if a woman with Child go over the root of Cyclamen she will become abortive Vires but light conjectures oft beguile the credulous The later writers mention two more different from the former in form and magnitude of leaves as also in colour and inversion of their flowers and besides some flourish in the Spring others in Autumn others in the midle time CHAP. XXI Of Scilla or Sea Onyon THat Scilla is caepacious and delights in hot sandy and maritimous places and growes spontaneously is unknown to few for it is of late called the Sea Onjon And he that hath anatomized an Onyon and a Scilla hath found no difference in their internals nor yet in their cores yet in leafe flowers and seed they are much dissident When the leaves of Scilla are marcid its Caule assurges to the height of a Cubit with white flowers issuing out of its midle like strawberry-flowers which from thence pullulate to its very summity short triangular and compressed huskes follow these gravidated with black and full seed The stalk is very long and florid because of the threefold emersion of flowers the first wherof which are like them of Bulbus expand themselves for a long season then the second Garland of flowers performes its course and then the last And it is most remarkeable that the Caule and the Leaves never flourish at once for not till the Caule withers will the leaves erupt nor till the leaves become marcid will the Caule assurge contrary to the nature of other Plants which first emit leaves then prolong their Caules in Scilla the Caule first erupts then the Leafes Scilla calefies in the second degree and is very incisive Galen saith it is best to take it boiled or rosted for so its vehement quality will be castigated duely praepared it helpes against the frigid affections of the braine and Nerves Galen repurged one cut it small demerged it in a melitery insolated it forty dayes and gave it to a
circumcinge their surcles their flowers are of a purpureous caerulcous colour sometimes whitish sometimes altogether white erupting out of boxes which dehisceing for maturity look downwards a small long and black seed is included in these the seed of the wild ones is round and brown Horminum and Orvalla have so much affinity with each other that very grave men and perite Herbalists constitute no difference betwixt them but they are without distinction as Matthiolus hath noted Horminum comes from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it drawes its usurpers to venery Some call it Sage of Rome but Orvall is commonly called All good sometimes Gallitriche by some Cockles center by others Sclarea and by some Scarlea whose four varieties Dodon delivers which here particularly to recenseate would be beyond mine institution Clary is manifestly hot its seed drunk in Wine excites venery Vires takes away the white spot in ones eyes it being demerged in some convenient liquor cructates a certain mucage which wonderfully helps the affections of the eyes the Sylvestrian is more efficacious CHAP. XLVII Of Scordium SCordium is so called from the odour of Allium which it refers it is a surculous plant procumbent on the ground with two leafs issuing out of each genicle which Leafs are long like Germander but greater incided in their circuits soft hirsute and white red flowers erupt out of the wings of the surcles very like the flowers of dead nettle or archangel but lesser that which growes in Crete is not onely laudable but also that which growes in other Regions It is almost miraculous that grave men especially Galen C. 24. L. de Antiq. write of Scordium to wit that those bodies of dead men lying upon the ground without Sepulture which fell upon Scrodium putrified much slower then others and those parts of the carkasses that touched the herb were totally vindicated from putretude wherefore Galen was perswaded that Scordium is averse to the poyson of all reptiles and all noxious medicaments which cause putrefaction it growes copiously in many Fennes beside ditches and other concave and humid places it is found also in many uliginous and fatter Mountains It calefies and siccates Vires preserves from putretude and resists poysons it cures the pestilence and many contagious diseases It is most usefully profitable in a potion against lethall poysons and bitings it purges the intralls and moves flowers and urine CHAP. XLVIII Of Rue RUe is enumerated amongst the graveolent herbs whether it be domestical whereof there is but one sort well known to all or Sylvestrian whereof there are more varieties Rue is a suffrutitious bicubital ramous surculous folious and continually green plant which bears luteous flowers upon whose occase a quadrangular head emerges divided with so many closets and continents as it hath angles wherein is contained that seed which ingredes the composition of the syrrup of Stoechas Rue in Greek is Péganon because its extraordinary dry spirit and calour exsiccate the genital sperme yet it is indued with many other eximious faculties which greatly commend its use Mithridates also set a good estimate upon it who used it in that pcculiar Autidote wherewith he defended himself from many poysons Which he constituted of two hundred Rue Leafs two figs Antidotus Mithrid quibus Constiterit two dry Wallnuts all contrited with a grain of salt The Sylvestrian Rue affords two differences especially the one whereof in leafs odour and effigies is very like the Garden Rue and is called Mountain Rue because it fruitcates on mountains the other being most rare and variously denominated hath exercised many wits in its designation Dioscorides C. 53. L. 3. seems to call it Moly yet in the next Chapter describing Moly he makes its leafs graminous and roots bulbous which can in no wise accord with Rue The Cappadocians have also designed it with this name the Syrians call it Besasan the Arabians Harmel Harmala which name many Shopmen give to common Rue which may rightly be substituted in defect of the true Harmala which is the second sort of Sylvestrian Rue This Harmala emits many caulicles of Nine Inches heighth without any root its leafs are angust small and long its flowers white and quinquefolious its seed is contained in heads like them of the domestick Rue but they are onely triangular it is graveolent it growes in Cappadocia and in many incultivated places in Spain It is hot and dry in the third degree it attenuates incides Vires digests crasse humours and extinguishes Sperm We shall not now treat of Goat-rue improperly so called though we may speak of it in a more proper place CHAP. XLIX Of Litho Sperm or Gromell THis herb is called Lithosperm from the durity of its seed its leafs are like Olive-leafs but longer hispid sharper and of a sad green its surcles are streight slender ligneous sharp and hirsute its flowers white issuing out of the wings of its leafs and depending upon short pedicls A small rotund hard and splendent seed which glisters in the Sun followes upon the occase of its flowers whence it is probable the Shopmen call it Sun-millet There are two sorts thereof Vires which in form and faculties aae alike in magnitude onely dissident besides which two others are found which are either uselesse or not experienced Lithosperm is hot and dry in the second degree it moves urine breaks and expels stones liberates from obstructions opens the passages and helps against Strangury CHAP. L. Of Saxifrage MAny and different plants from their faculty in breaking the stone are called Saxifrages thus Betony by Galen and another ferulaceous herb like Epithyme by Dioscorides Pimpinell also and other Lithontriptical plants are thus nuncupated as also other plants which desume this name not from comminution or contrition of stones in the reins or bladder but from their exortion in rocks as Empetrum or Cristina marinv which as it were dividing the rocks issues out of their rimes and fruticates there long and vivaciously The vulgar Saxifrage especially the greater is very like Pimpinel its leafs are variously descided and serrated in their circuit its caul is cubital angulous and striated its umbels whitish its seed like Garden smalledge acrimonious and fervent to the gust The lesser differs from the former in little save magnitude Many say that Pimpinel differs from Saxifrage onely in hirsutenesse for Pimpinel is pilous the other smooth and glabre Other two plants are referred to the family of Saxifrages the one whereof is called white Saxifrage because it bears a white flower the other aureous because it bears a golden flower the seed of the greater Saxifrage should be selected to the confection of Benedicta Laxativa It is evidently hot and dry Vires it attenuates incides digests expurges takes away obstructions moves flowers educes glutinous humours out of the breast moves urine and breaks and expells stones CHAP. LI. Of Aristolochy or Birthwort ARistolochy is so called
herb recreates the heart exarceates putretude and refrigerates its water distilled helps in continual and pestilent Feavers CHAP. XII Of Oxylapathum or Sowerdock LEst confusion should bring obscurity upon the dignotion of these Simples I shall constitute the difference betwixt Lapathum and Hippolapathum Hydrolapathum Oxylapathum and sanguineous Lapathum Lapathum simply so called is a pot-herb expetible for culinary matters which the Cooks call Patience the Herbalists Parella Hippolapathum is either latifolious or rotundifolious both cultivated and called Monks Rhabarb and sometimes Pseudo-Rhabarbe Hydrolapathum is twofold great and small both like the precedent which grow onely in fenny and watry places Oxylapathum growes copiously in incultivated places with a long and crasse root flave within and croceous without a bicubitall and brachiated surcle green and broad seed depending on very minute pedicles and involved in thin membranes of a yellow colour Some call Sanguineous or maculated Lapathum very inconsiderately Dragons blood as we shall shew in its place Sorrel is a kind of Lapathum as also that hearb which some upon what grounds I know not call slow Henry which I think is a spinaceous wild Pot-hearb CHAP. XIII Of Hepatica Hepatorium and Eupatorium or Agrimony PErite Herbalists doe thus distinguish of Hepatica Hepatorium and Eupatorium Hepatica is liver-wort Hepatorium is the vulgar Eupatorium and the true Eupatorium is Agrimony these three being accommodated to the roboration and cure of the Liver are frequently and rightly called Eupatoryes Hepatica is often called Lichen either because it is the best remedy against Ring Wormes Liver-wort or else because it lickes stones its leafe is succulent and crasse adhaering to a moist and umbrous Rock under which little caulicles in forme of pedicles emitt stellated heads it is abstersive refrigerative Hepatorium doth from its root which is of a moderate magnitude exert bicubitall and ramous surcles Hempe-like Agrimony circumvested with long Canhabine leafes serrated about with small muscous and ruddy flowers which having coronated its fair umbell wither and turne into pappe or down Eupatorium or Agrimony is a fruticous plant very like Wild-tansey but that its leaves are more virid divided into more parts and more serrated and hirsute its caule is slender streight cubitall and pilous out of severall parts whereof small luteous flowers emerge whereunto small seeds sharpe on one side whereby they adheaere to wollen cloaths do succeed Agrimony was called Eupatorium from Eupator its inventer it attenuates expurges and peculiarly helpes the Liver and other bowells Mesue which I would not omitt usurpes another hearb which is cubitall and very amare with leafes like the lesser Centory sharpe and serrated about for Eupatorium we call that Hearb the Hearb Julia the Greeks call it Ageratum CHAP. XIIII Of Primerose THe various denominations of this vulgar hearb have obscured its dignotion for I find it called Primiveria Primerose St. Peters hearb the Paraliticall and Arthriticall hearb Phlomis Brachula Caculi Tusculane violer white Betony and petty Mullein but let the inane investigation of the nomenclature be omitted seeing the thing it self is perspicuous It is called primula veris or Primerose because it flourishs and germinates as soon as the very spring approaches there are three generall differences thereof the hortensian pratensian and nemorall the hortensian or garden Primerose is either simple or multiflorous both their flowers are either green or luteously pallid they that grow in Meadowes and Woods are alike as to leafes dissimilar in flowers for the pratensian flowers are croceous small and almost inodorate the nemoralls pallid more patulous and odorate Primerose is multifolious whose leafes are rugose like Betony but longer broader and more pallid out of whose centre arise long and slender pillars in whose summities three foure or five subluteous and pensile flowers whose extremities are denticulated do dehisce somtimes one only flower growes upon an exile pedicle I have noted six varietyes differenced by the colour of their flowers for some are herbaceous green and elegant others white and vetust some red others aureous and others subflave besides some are onely coronated with a simple flower Paralysis others are so prolifically multiflorous that one flower seems to grow out of another that which produces a simple and luteous flower growes copiously and spontaneously in many places in the lower Neustria especially in the Vallonian field where many rare Plants make their provent It helpes much in paralyticall and arthriticall dolours Vires The decoction of its root will expediate from the infarctures of the Reines protrude Sand and expell the stones of the bladder CHAP. XV. Of Cabbage or Garden Colewort CAbbage which the Greeks call Crambe is so vulgar that it were supervacaneous with much labour to prosecute its designation seeing it is sowen planted and cultivated in every Nation and place for esure yet all its kinds do not flourish in every Region but some require this others that soyle whence some are called Sabaudae because they delight most in that Tract which are patulous not occluse green without and white within others marine because they grow spontaneously in maritimous soyles others Cauliflowers and Italian Cabbages which grow onely in Italy or spring from Italian seed others vulgar which fruticate plenteously in all places others Caulorape which are turbinated from the middle of the caule upwards and Bulbous Furthermore many varieties may be desumed from the conglomeration incisure plainenesse laevity asperity whitenesse viridity rubeding and obscurity of their leafes as also from their crisped racemous laciniated or sessile heads which are rather for looks then Apothecaryes except the Sea Cabbage which is altogether medicamentall Cabbage generates crasse and melancholicall succe Vires and is thought to inebriate the head whence the Germanes do so much desire it the red one is pectorall and praeferred before the rest in confecting ecclegmes CHAP. XVI Of Flebane PSyllium is a pulicary hearb so called from the effigies of its seed it growes in fallow ground and ditches with long angust and hirsute leafes like Crowfoot its Corne begins at the middle of its caule with spicated heads cohaereing like scales at the foot of the leafes out of which small pallid and lanuginous flowers erupt whereunto small black and splendent seeds succeed which clemently mollify and subduce the belly It is refrigerative in the second degree Vires and symmetricall as to humectation and siccation according to Galen Dioscorides and Pliny also affirme that it is thus refrigerative so that I cannot but admire that Mesue should say that it is indued with a sharpe ulcerative and poysonous quality but I beleive he praecipitantly wrote this from the relation of some other man or else excerped it out of some lying book or rather that some changed what he wrote most truely its quality and use is more safe then Mesue his writeings do patifie CHAP. XVII Of Tussilage or Colts-foot THe Romans call this Plant Tussilago the Greeks
Bechion from that speedy help and utility it affords the Coughers and anhelant Apothecaryes call it Colts-foot because its leafes do a little resemble a horses hoofe the inferiour part whereof is tomentous and white the superiour green It s caule is so short scarce aequalling a palme in length that some thought it grew without a caule its flower is luteous rudiated and aureous like Sow thistles flowers which erupts in February or March before the egression of its leafes which standing a few dayes dehisces into dawn its root is slender white and geniculated delighting in moist places and River brinkes Vires It s faculty hath respect unto cough and anhelations it is also credited that its fume in a Tobacco-Pipe will break an imposthume in the breast CHAP. XVIII Of Hops THere is a scansory Plant which creepes up to the summityes of Trees which we call Hop-Tree It growes spontaneously in Hedges and Meadow sides with sharpe leafes like Cucumber or triangular like Briony wherewith it encompasses shrubs its flowers are subalbid herbaceous compacted of many folicles scale-wise disposed and racemously pendent wherein a small seed is contained the Belgians much estimate this fruit for with this and their fruits they make up their drink as we do our Beer its tender branches in the beginning of the spring cocted may be eaten with butter or oyle and vinegar like Sperage or sallets It refrigerates moderately moves Choller Vires diduces the passages removes obstructions moves urine cures the Jaundice exacts Phlegme and hydropicall humours and allayes the heat of the Stomack CHAP. XIX Of Bistort BIstort is so denominated from its intorted and convolved radicles some take it for Dragon-wort others for wild Bete some say but without ground or reason that it is the Arabian Bean others more tolerably call it Britannica of whose family we constitute it for it differs from it onely in the colour of its root for they are both very like in forme and faculties Britannica doth with a peculiar faculty respect stomacate and sceletyrbe which maladyes much molest the Germanes and Septentrionall incolists the like whereof hapned upon Caesars Souldiers when they came beyond Rhene who there finding a River drunk of the water which within two dayes caused their teeth to fall out and resolved the joynts of their knees but the herb Britannica well help such as are thus infested Bistort doth from its nodose intorted rubescent root emit long broad acuminated and venous leafes green above and somwhat white beneath round cubitall or shorter caules circumvested with little leafes from the middle upwards and adorned with purpueous flowers its seed is small and triangular like that of Sorrell It s root is most used in Pharmacy Vires which is inodorate refrigerative and astrictive it roborates the internalls exarceates putretude resists poyson and cures pestilent diseases CHAP. XX. Of the Strawberry-Bush FRagaria is perpetually green never devoid of leafes it depends upon no Caule onely its radicles emit slender and lanuginous pedicles some whereof bear onely leafes others flowers and fine leafes others like fibres creep along the ground and germinate for where ever they touch ground there they radicate and ministrate a new Plant there are three oblong broad serrated leafes like them of Cinquefoile on each pedicle an herbaceous lump erupts after the occasion of the flowers which augments by little and little and becomes white when it attaines maturity it is red like a Mulberry it is candid soft medullous vinose humid gratefull and sweet to the gust referted with minute grains which we call Strawberries It s root is fibrous capillated and blackish neither it nor the leafes of this Plant are much celebrated for Medicinall uses though it accede the confection of the Martian unguent for the commendable quality of this whole Plant is in its fruit as of Rose-trees in their flowers Mulabathrum in its leafe and Ginger in its root it growes spontaneously in Woods and umbrous places but flourishes more in Gardens and beares greater and sweeter berryes Strawberryes refrigerate Vires quench thirst and nourish the body for a while their water destilled deleates the spots of the face expurges it and makes it fairer CHAP. XXI Of Cinquefoile THis herb is so denominated from the number of its leafes it emitts from one root many pedall festucaceous surcles with luteous and fugaceous flowers on their summityes like them of wild Tansey each pedicle beares five oblong flowers crenated about like a Saw the whole Plant is somwhat hirsute and whitish its root long blackish without and ruddy within it growes spontaneously about the margins of fields There is another sort of Cinquefoile with great crenated leafes green above and white and lanuginous below there is a third also which is reptile whose branches are slender and imbecill leafes smooth and green flowers luteous and roots fibrous and exile another sort growes in stagnant places in leafes and magnitude very like the first with double darkly red flowers which grow upon an head referted with many seeds Cinquefoile whose root is most in use allayes the inflammation of the jawes and asper artery Vires it stayes the belly flux and dysentery in drink it cures the dolours of the hips and junctures cures biles and scabs discusses cowles on the neck cohibites pimples represses watry swellings the succe of its root while young and tender is good against the affections of the Liver and Lungs CHAP. XXII Of Goosse-grasse or Cleavers GOosegrasse hath either soft surcles and leafes and is called Mellugo or sharpe ones and is called Asperugo or Spargula and Asperula for the whole Plant adhaeres to the Cloaths of such as passe by through its tenacious asperity whence the Greeks call it Philanthropon and Philadelphon Pliny Lappago Goosegrasse is a Plant growing besides hedges ditches and amongst thornes adhaereing to vicine shrubs with imbecill obsequious quadrangular surcles of many cubits length with angust leafes decussated like Starres and orbicularly cohaereing to the genicles of its surcles as in Ruby to which it is very like its flower is small and white its seed hard white round concave in forme of a navil whence some call it Omphalocarpon Goosegrasse is moderately extersive and desiccative the succe of the whole Plant drunk in Wine auxiliates against the biteings of Spiders and Vipers the Plant infused therein cures the eares aches Vires its leafes brayed and collected in Wine-Lees discusse swellings in the neck Gallion is very like Spargula or Mollugo which is often put into milke to co-agulate it CHAP. XXIII Of Scabiose SInce this Plant is neither that which Dioscorides calls Scrobe nor that which Aëtius calls Psora we cannot learn from the ancients what it is however it is a Plant which is now for its frequency and excellent effects very well known it beares long broad hirsute and laciniated leafes incided like Rocket its root is simple and long it s Caule halfe a foot
that name is now almost abrogated for the Barbarians out of some hatred conceived against the Cyrenians eradicated and extirpated all their Laserpitium as Strabo denotes The Syrian Laser is best after the Cyrenian and the Median after the Syrian There are two sorts of Asa the one pure sincere and transparent the other turbid and impure wherewith bran or Sagapene is mixed whole halite and stinking odour it well resembles Hence the Germans call it the Devills dung both of them are very odorate but graveolent so that I cannot easily assent to their opinion who think that one sort of Asa is sweet for neither the odour of the one nor of the other can be tolerated without loathsomnesse whence I admite that Garcias should say that no simple medicament in all India should be more in use then Asa foetida both in medicines and also in meats The Indians are wont to mix it with their Pot-hearbs in their pottage having first rubbed their kettles therewith useing no other condiment to any meat but take it to recall their appetite when they nauseate any thing If this be not a fable Asa must either not stink in India or the Indians must have brasen throats as the Proverb goes this Asa is so ingratefull to us both in odour and sapour that we can easily pardon Matthaeus Sylvaticus who reposed it amongst Poysons yet Dioscorides commends it for meat Who enumerated so many and so great faculties Vires wherewith it is indued that he was able to move loathsomnesse The more recent hold it very efficacious but only to a few affections who never use it save against the ascent and aberration of the uterus and some other diseases appertaining to women CHAP. IX Of Sagapene or Serapine SAgapene by Apothecaryes Serapinum is a concrete liquour flowing out of the sauciated root of a ferulaceous Plant in Media whose description Dioscorides omitted because perhaps he had not so much knowledge of the Plant as of the succe which Plant I neither yet saw nor read designed by any authour for being exoticall it is either not cicurable or if cicurated sterile without sucee and marcid It s concrete succe therefore is only brought us the best whereof is translucid yellow white within acrimonious graveolent and crasse in substance Sagapene calefyes in the third degree siccates in the second purges crasse Phlegme and other viscid humours as Mesue attests yet its purgative faculty is in some very ignave in others potent for either drunk or used by way of suppository it evokes flowers kills the young cures the dolour and praefocation of the uterus resolves attenuates dissipates moves and solves CHAP. X. Of Galbanum GAlbanum is also the concrete succe of a Syrian Ferula copiously growing in the Mountain Amanus which succe some call Metopium Dioscorides knowing this Gummeous succe better then the Plant left nothing in writing of its dignotion but as the ferulae are well known so also are their liquors and succes and that not only by their consistency but colour odour sapour and facultyes for Galbanum in aspect repraesents Asa in odour Opopanax The best is cartilaginous syncere like Gumme Ammoniack not lignous in which there is some ferula seed graveolent not very humid nor squalid this as all other Gummes may be easily dissolved in water Vinegar or Wine It is excalefactive extractive discussive it accelerates flowers deliverance in Child-bearing either by admotion or suffumigatiō dissolved with Vinegar and mixed with a little nitre it deleats pimples it discusses boyles and lumps on the junctures Vires it is adverse to Poysons and drives away Serpents CHAP. XI Of Opopanax THat Opopanax is the succe of Panax both its name demonstrates and Dioscorides affirmes but seeing there are many sorts of Panax it is not apparent out of which of them it emerges Mesue saies it flowes from the ferulaceous Panax Dioscorides from th◠Heraclean and some say from the Chironian Panax Dodoneus tells us that it distills from a peregrine Panax to wit the Syrian Panax which hath ample sharpe hirsute long and broad leafes a geniculated and ferulaceous Caule of three or four cubits heighth supernally disterminated into many boughs with luteous flowers erupting out of ample umbells after which broad plain and subflave seeds do emerge its root is whitish long succulent and odorate a Gummeous succe flowes out of its Caule vulnerated especially towards the root in summer which Pliny and many more call Opopanax which is laudable for many uses as the nomenclature of the Plant from which it flowes demonstrates for Panax or Panaces denotes the abigation of all dolours and the remedy of all diseases hence many Pseudomedicks call some medicaments which are more perilous then the diseases Panaceous remedyes thus did a lying drunken vain salacious Pseudomedick deceive many Country and credulous persons while he lived Opopanax is a kind of Gumme easily dissolvable by water it excalefyes in the third degree siccates in the second mollifyes digests Vires attenuates dissipates flatuosity leniates and expurges that which is very amate white within or somwhat yellow fatt tender friable easily liquestible and graveolent is good the black and soft is not good CHAP. XII Of Sarcocolla SArcocolla is both the name of a peregrine Plant and a Gumme flowing out of it it growes in Persia it is fruticous and spinose with nodose boughs appressed to the Tree which sauciated and somtimes spontaneously lacrymates a kind of Frankincense like Powder of a yellowish colour and amare sapour It calefyes in the second degree siccates not so much it cocts deterges carnifyes and glutinates whence it is called Sarcocolla Vires for it heales wounds wonderfully for it doth by a proper faculty expurge them from filth repleate them with flesh and obduce them to a skarre The Arabians say that Sarcocolla doth not only subduce the belly but educe crasse and viscid humours from places much dissited as from the cavityes of the Articles but reason and their effects seem to refragate this it doth indeed with much efficacy conglutinate wounds inhibite the fluxions of the eyes and digest but not so much as Galbanum if it be five dayes macerated in Asses milke in a glasse-vessell and the milk daily changed it will exceedingly help such as have pearls or dimme and clowdy eyes CHAP. XIII Of Gumme of Jvy THe trunk of the greater Ivy vulnerated and somtimes spontaneously elacrymates a certain Gummeous succe of an aureous colour graveolent and sharpe to the gust which they call Ivy-Gumme Now Ivy is a Scansory Tree which circumvests walls and vicine Plants which it kills with its multifarious convolutions and virour Wherof there are two prime kinds the one greater which erects it selfe on high the other lesser which creeps along the ground with slender and obsequious branches neither beareing flower nor fruit There are three varietyes of the greater Ivy one is called white Ivy because it beares