52 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
and lank, that are apt to grow fat. The 
distilled water drank twice a day, helps the 
yellow jaundice, and the decoction of the 
herb, in experience, is found to do the same, 
and stays lasks and bloody-fluxes. The 
juice of the leaves, or they a little bruised, 
and applied to any bleeding wounds, stays 
the bleeding. The juice also is very good 
to close up the lips of green wounds, and 
the powder of the dried herb strewed there- 
upon doth the same, and likewise helps 
old ulcers. Being boiled in hog’s grease, 
it helps all sorts of hard swellings or ker- 
nels in the throat, being anointed there- 
with. The juice dropped into the ears, 
takes away the pain of them. 
It is a good remedy in the Spring, eaten 
(being first chopped small, and boiled well) 
in water-gruel, to cleanse the blood, and 
strengthen the liver, thereby to keep the 
body in health, and fitting it for that change 
of season that is coming. 
CLOWN’s woopwokRT. 
Descript.] Ir grows up sometimes to 
two or three feet, high, but usually about 
two feet, with square green rough stalks, 
but slender, joined somewhat far asunder, 
and two very long, somewhat narrow, dark 
green leaves, bluntly dented about the 
edges thereof, ending in a long point. The 
flowers stand towards the tops, compassing 
the stalks at the joints with the leaves, and 
end likewise in a spiked top, having long 
and much gaping hoods of a purplish red 
colour, with whitish spots in them, standing 
in somewhat round husks, wherein after- 
wards stand blackish round seeds. The 
root is composed of many long strings, 
with some tuberous long knobs growing 
among them, of a pale yellowish or whitish 
colour, yet some times of the year these 
knobby roots in many places are not seen 
in this plant: This plant smells somewhat 
Place.] It grows in sundry counties of 
this land, both north and west, and fre- 
quently by path-sides in the fields near 
about London, and within three or four | 
miles distant about it, yet it usually grows 
in or near ditches. 
Time.] It flowers in June or July, and 
the seed is ripe soon after. 
Government and virtues.] It is under the 
dominion of the planet Saturn. It is sin- 
gularly effectual in all fresh and green — 
wounds, and therefore bears not this name 
for nought. And it is very available in 
stenching of blood, and to dry up the 
fluxes of humours in old fretting ulcers, 
cankers, &c. that hinder the healing of — 
them. 
A syrup made of the juice of it, is in- 
ferior to none for inward wounds, ruptures 
of veins, bloody flux, vessels broken, spit- 
ting, pissing, or vomiting blood: Ruptures — 
are excellent and speedily, even to admira- _ 
tion, cured by taking now and then a little © 
of the syrup, and applying an ointment or | 
plaister of this herb to the place. Also, if 
any vein be swelled or muscle, apply 4 
plaister of this herb to it, and if you add 
a little Comfrey to it, it will not do amiss. 
I assure thee the herb deserves commenda- 
tion, though it has gotten such a clownish 
name; and whosoever reads this, (if he try 
it as I have done), will commend it; only | 
take notice that it is of a dry earthy quality. — 
COCK’s HEAD, RED FITCHING, OR 
MEDICK FETCH. 
Descript.| Tus has divers weak but 
rough stalks, half a yard long, leaning 
downward, but set with winged leaves, — 
longer and more pointed than those of | 
lintels, and whitish underneath; from the 
tops of these stalks arise up other slender 
stalks, naked without leaves unto the tops, — 
where there grow many small flowers in 
manner of a spike, of a pale reddish colour, 
with some blueness among them; after 
which rise up in their places, round, rough, 
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