300 CULPEPER’s ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, 
iyo PURSLAIN. 
GARDEN purflain, being ufed as a fallad herb, is fo well known that it needs 
‘no defcription. 
GovERNMENT AND Virtues. This isan herb of the moon. It is good to cool _ 
any heat in the liver, blood, reins, and ftomach, and, in hot agues, nothing better 
can be adminiftered ; it ftayeth hot and choleric fluxes of the belly, the menfes, 
fluor albus, gonorrhea, and running of the reins; alfo diftillations from the head, 
and pains therein proceeding from heat, want of fleep, or the phrenfy. The feed is 
more effectual than the herb, and is fingularly ufeful in cooling the heat and fharp- 
nefs of the urine, luft, venerious dreams, and the like, infomuch that the over fre- 
quent ufe of it extinguifheth the heat and virtue of natural procreation. The feed, 
bruifed and boiled in wine, and given to children, expelleth worms. The juice of 
the herb is held equally effectual for all the purpofes aforefaid 3 as alfo to ftay vomit- 
ings; taken with fome fugar or honey, it heipeth an old dry cough, fhortnefs of 
breath, and the phthy fic, and ftayeth immoderate thirft. The diftilled water of the 
herb is ufed by many, being more palatable, with a little fugar, to produce the fame 
effects. The juice alfo is good in ulcers and inflammations of the fecret parts, like- 
- wife of the bowels, and hemorrhoids when they are ulcerous, or have excoriations in 
them. The herb, bruifed, and applied'to the forehead and temples, allayeth excef- 
five ‘heat therein, hindering reft and fleep ; and, applied to the eyes, taketh away the 
rednefs and inflammation in them, and thofe other parts where puthes, wheals, pim- 
~ ples, St. Anthony’s fire, and the like, break forth, efpecially if a little vinegar be put 
toit; and being applied to the neck, with equal quantities of galls and linfeed toge- 
_ ‘ther, taketh away all pain therefrom, and what is termed the crick in the neck. 
3 — The j juice is alfo ufed with oil of rofes for the above purpofes, for blafts by light- 
ning, and burns by gunpowder, or for women’s fore breafts, and to allay heat in 
other fores or hurts. Applied alfo to the navels of children that are too prominent, 
cert them. It is likewife good for fore mouths, and gums that are fwelled, _ 
: = en ‘all other nickiics failed, and that the thickened juice, “made into 
he ‘Powd ders of gum tragacanth and arabic, being taken, greatly relieveth 
nake bloody water. Applied to the gout, it eafeth pains thereof, an 
helpeth hardiels of the finews, if not arifing from the cramp, ora cold caufe, This 
herb, if placed under the eaatl affuageth thirft. | . + 
