2 
9 
3 
mee ee 
2 ‘The Natural Hiftory of Jamaica. 
Adftringent Root, and yet this Kind does the fame with it, Sarfa or Guajacum, 
#f the (ame methods are followed. It is Cold, Dry, and Adftringenr, but 
bitterith, and of fubtle parts, ftrengthening the Stomach, expelling Wind, 
voiding by the Pores Melancholick Humours and Flegm, which eludes other 
Medicines, thereby giving cafe. Flcriand. 
In the Za/f-/ndies they usd China very much for the cure of Difeafes, 
boiling one Ounce with two Drams of Smallage in fixteen Pints of water 
to ten: they drank a draught warm in Bed, lying two hours after, and ano- 
cher two hours before Supper, and cold other times of the day, meking ir 
freth every day; and many ufe to take two Drams of the powdered Root 
morning and evening in Wine, or its own Decoction when going about their 
Bufinefs, or failing, with happy fuccefs, It is beft preferv’d with broken 
Pepper. Its diftilled water is good in Ruptures, Headaches, Callus’s and 
Ulcers of the Genitals. It is allo proper in Venereal Difeates, but the De- 
coction better, Acof?a. 
Saris, apud Purchas, lib, 4. cap. 2. p. 394. tells us that Chins Roots are a 
Commodity for Fapan. 
China was in ufe to cure a fort of Pox in Eaft India, called Afmaphea or 
Stink, ic came to the knowledge of the Latins in the year 1535. by two 
Chincfe Merchants, Nacmach and Makal, Trathicking in Africa, Don Martin Al- 
fonfe was cured of an otherways incurable Diftemper with the Pox by it, 
which was known to the Arabians before us, and at firft fold for its weight 
in Gold. The Country Mountaineers eat of it raw, oz rofted as Turneps, 
it is boil'd in Potrage by fome. f. 417. Thevet. Cofmograph. 
The White is the beft, whence that from New-Spain is not good, which 
is {o red that a little of ic makes red water, neither is it fo efficacious as 
the other. !t is when frefh fo tender as to be eat either raw, or boiled as 
Turncps here with Flefh. Fragof. 
Canes are made in Virginia of them. Pl. 
It appears by Lame, Hariot and Laudonniere, in the Places mention‘d in 
my Catalogue, that this Root is ufed for Bread in Virginia, from thefe 
Tfnaw Roots, ({ays Hariot) new or frefh, chopt into {mall picces and {tampr, 
is {trained with water, a Juice that maketh Bread, and alfo being boiled a 
very good Spoon-Meat, in manner of a Gelly, which is much better in caft 
if it be tempered with Oil. and Landonniere, p. 55. ap. Hakl. p. 344. fays 
that beat ina Mortar it makes Mea!, which boiled in water is eat in {carcity 
in Florida. 
XX. Bryonia racemofa foltis ficulncis. Plum. p. 83. Fiz. 97. Cat. p. 106. 
This has a ftriated yellowifh green Stalk, being jointed at every two 
Inches diftance, not fo big as a Hens-Quill, having at every joint one 
Leaf, fianding on an Inch and an half long Foot-Staik, each Leaf being 
deeply cur into three parts or Lacizie, like to ordinary white Bryony. The 
two Sections at Bafe have a round Auricle, which is ferrated. The Se- 
tion in the middle is from the Foot-Stalks end to rhe fharp point, two 
Inches and an half long, and ’tis three quarters of an Inch over in the mid- 
dle. ’Tis likewife two Inches from one Auricle to the other, every Sedctioa 
has a middle Rib, furnifhing tranfverfe ones. The Leaf is fomewhat rough, 
and of a ycllowifh green colour: Oppofite to the Leaves ftand Clavicles 
a which it mounts the neighbouring Trees or Hedges, as others of this 
ind. | 7 : 
it groweth every where in Barbados. 7 
XXII. Bry 
