AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 65 
property of the plant wherein it grows, 
and the climate doth suffer, creeping and 
spreading on that plant whereon it fastens, 
be it high or low. The strings have no 
leaves at all upon them, but wind and in- 
terlace themselves, so thick upon a small 
plant, that it takes away all comfort of the 
sun from it; and is ready to choak or stran- 
gle it. After these strings are risen to that 
height, that they may draw nourishment 
from that plant, they seem to be broken off 
from the ground, either by the strength of 
their rising, or withered by the heat of the 
Sun. Upon these strings are found clus- 
ters of small heads or husks, out of which 
shoot forth whitish flowers, which after- 
wards give small pale white coloured seed, 
somewhat flat, and twice as big as Poppy- 
seed. It generally participates of the na- 
ture of the plant which it climbs upon; 
but the Dudder of Thyme is accounted the 
best, and is the only true Epithymum. 
Government and virtues.] All Dodders 
are under Saturn. Tell not me of phy- 
Sicians crying up Epithymum, or that 
Dodder which grows upon Thyme, (most 
of which comes from Hemetius in Greece, 
or Hybla in Sicily, because those moun- 
tains abound with Thyme), he is a physician 
indeed, that hath wit enough to choose his 
Dodder according to the nature of the 
disease and humour peccant. We confess, 
Thyme is the hottest herb it usually grows 
upon; and therefore that which grows upon 
Thyme is hotter than that which grows 
upon cold herbs; for it draws nourishment 
from what it grows upon, as well as from 
the earth where its root is, and thus you 
see old Saturn is wise enough to have two 
strings to his bow. This is accounted the 
most effectual for melancholy diseases, and 
to purge black or burnt choler, which is the 
cause of many diseases of the head and 
brain, as also for the trembling of the heart, 
_ faintings and swoonings. It is helpful in all 
ee ee 
melancholy that arises from the windiness 
of the hypochondria. It purges also the 
reins or kidneys by urine; it opens obstruc- 
tions of the gall, whereby it profits them 
that have the jaundice; as also the leaves, 
the spleen: Purging the veins of the 
choleric and phlegmatic humours, and helps 
children in agues, a little worm seed being 
put thereto. 
The other Dodders do, as I said before, 
participate of the nature of these plants 
whereon they grow: As that which hath 
been found growing upon nettles in the 
west-country, hath by experience been 
found very effectual to procure plenty of 
urine where it hath been stopped or hin- 
dered. And so of the rest. 
Sympathy and antipathy are two hinges 
upon which the whole mode of physic 
turns; and that physician which minds 
them not, is like a door off from the hooks, 
more like to do a man mischief, than to 
secure him. Then all the diseases Saturn 
causes, this helps by sympathy, and 
strengthens all the parts of the body he 
rules; such as be caused by Sol, it helps by 
antipathy, What those diseases are, see 
my judgment of diseases by astrology; and 
if you be pleased to look the herb Worm- 
wood, you shall find a rational way for it. 
DOG’S-GRASS, OR COUGH GRASS. 
Descript.| Ir is well known, that the 
grass creeps far about under ground, with 
long white joined roots, and small fibres 
almost at every joint, very sweet in taste, 
as the rest of the herb is, and interlacing 
one another, from whence shoot forth many 
fair grassy leaves, small at the ends, and 
cutting or sharp on the edges. The stalks 
are jointed like corn, with the like leaves 
on them, and a large spiked head, with a 
| long husk in them, and hard rough seed in 
them. If you know it not by this descrip- . 
tion, watch the dogs when they are sed | 
ee ye ahs te 
