142 CULPEPER’s ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, 
planet Venus ; they are of a moift temperate refrething nature ; the red and white 
currants are good to cool and refrefh faintings of the ftomach, to quench thirft, and » 
ftir up an appetite, and therefore are profitable in hot and fharp agues: it tempereth 
the heat of the liver‘and blood, and the fharpnefs of choler, and refifteth putrefac- 
tion; it alfo taketh away the loathing of meat, and weaknefs of the ftomach by much 
vomiting, and is good for thofe that have any laofenefs of the belly; Gesner faith 
that the Switzers ufe them for the cough, and fo well they may; for, take dry cur- 
” yants a quarter of a pound, of brandy half a pint, fec the brandy on fire, then bruife 
the currants and put them into the brandy while it is burning, ftirring them until the 
brandy is almoft confumed, that it becomes like unto an electuary ; it is an excellent 
remedy to be taken hot for any violent cough, cold, or rheum. The black currants 
and the leaves are ufed in fauces by thofe who like the tafte and {cent of them; which. 
I believe very few do of either. 2 
Th COKAR-NUT TREE. 
Description and Names. THIS groweth to bea large timber-tree, the body 
__ covered with a fmooth bark ; bare or naked, without any branch, to a great height, 
(for which caufe the Indians do either bore holes therein, at certain diftances, and 
knock ftrong pegs into them, which ftick out fo far as may ferve for footing to get 
up into the tree, to gather the juice or liquor, and the fruit; or fatten ropes with 
ee nails round about thetree, with fpaces which ferve as fteps to go up into it) and to- 
: Re scab t fpreadeth out into fundry great arms, which bow themfelves almoft 
round ; with large leaves on them like the date tree leaf, but larger, whofe middle rib 
os iS very great, and abiding always green, and with fruit alfa, continually one fucceed- 
‘ing another: from. between the lower boughs come forth fmaller ftalks, hanging 
_ Gown, and bearing fundry flowers on them, like thofe of the cheftnut-tree ; after 
a Which come large, three-fquare fruit ‘or nuts, ten or twelve, and fometimes twenty 
sc! phonetics, as big as one’s head, or as a fmaller pompion, almoftround, buta 
rat theend, covered with a hard, tough, afh-coloured, thick bark, aninch 
Places, and within it a hard, woody, bro wnith fhell, but black, being 
; tag head or top thereof three holes, fomewhat refembling the 
3 between which outer bark and this fhell, grow many 
aes the Indians maro, in Malaca, ‘rican and in 
emations, The timber of this tree is folid and firm, 
ut-tree, and fit for any building; and Garcias faith, 
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