272 CULPEPER’s ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, 
The mace is of the fame property, but fomewhat more warming and comforting” 
than the nutmeg ; the thick oil that is drawn from both nutmegs and mace is good 
in pe€toral complaints, to warm a cold ftomach, help the cough, and to dry up 
diftillations of rheum falling upon the lungs. 
Tue OAK 
IS fo well known (the timber thereof being the glory and fafety of the Britifh 
nation) that it needeth no defcription. 
GOVERNMENT AND Virtugs. Jupiter owns the tree. The leaves and bark of 
the oak; and the acorn cups, do bind and dry very much ; the inner bark of the 
tree, and the thin fkin that covereth the acorn, are moft ufed to ftay the fpitting of 
blood, and the bloody flux ; the decoétion of the bark, and the powder of the cups, 
{tay vomiting, fpitting of blood, bleeding at the mouth, or other fluxes of blood in 
men or women :.lafks alfo, and the involuntary flux of natural feed. ‘The acorns 
in powder taken in wine provoke urine, and refift the poifon of venomous 
creatures. ‘The docoction of acorns and the bark made in milk, and taken, refifteth 
the force of poifonous herbs and medicines, as alfo the virulency of cantharides, 
when any perfon, by eating them, hath the bladder exulcerated, and evacuateth 
blood. Hippocrates faith, he ufedthe fumes of oak-leaves to women that were 
troubled with the ftrangling of the mother ; and Galen applied them, being bruifed, 
to cure green wounds, The diftilled water of the oaken buds, before they break 
out into leaves, is good. to be ufed either inwardly or outwardly to affuage inflam- 
= nations, and ftop all manner of fluxes in man or woman; it is alfo fingularly good 
in peftilential : and hot burning fevers, as it refifteth the fo.ce of the infection, and 
: allayeth the heat; it cooleth the heat of the liver, breaketh the ftone in the kidneys, 
and ftayeth women’s ‘courfes. The decoétion of the leaves hath the fame effects. 
The, aser that is found in the hollow places of old oaks, is very effectual againtt 
iny foul or fpreading fab. The diftilled water or decoction (which laft is. pretet- 
ab] ie. adhe is one of the beft remedies known for the Auor albus, - 
Ago ats. 
, om known : avena is the Latin name ; they are grown in every 
pas? the globe where agriculture is carried on. They are fown in fpring, and 
mown or reaped in September and Oétober ; but in the northern parts of this king- 
dom itis frequently much later before aie are cut down, 
Ses NATURE ° 
