128 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
NIGHTSHADE, 
Descript.| Common Nightshade hath 
an upright, round, green, hollow stalk, 
about a foot or half a yard high, bushing 
forth in many branches, whereon grow 
many green leaves, somewhat broad, and 
pointed at the ends, soft and full of juice, 
somewhat like unto Bazil, but longer and a 
little unevenly dented about the edges: At 
the tops of the stalks and branches come 
forth three or four more white flowers made 
of five small pointed leaves a-piece, stand- 
ing on a stalk together, one above another, 
with yellow pointels in the middle, com- 
posed of four or five yellow threads set to- 
gether, which afterwards run into so many 
pendulous green berries, of the bigness of 
small pease, full of green juice, and small 
whitish round flat seed lying within it. The 
root is white, and a little woody when it 
hath given flower and fruit, with many small 
fibres at it: The whole plant is of a water- 
ish insipid taste, but the juice within the 
berries is somewhat viscous, and of a cool- 
ing and binding quality. 
Place.] It grows wild with us under our 
walls, and in rubbish, the common paths, 
and sides of hedges and fields, as also in 
our gardens here in England, without any 
planting. 
Time.| It lies down every year, and 
rises up again of its own sowing, but springs 
_ not until the later end of April at the 
soonest. 
Government and virtues.| It is a cold 
Saturnine plant. The common Nightshade 
is wholly used to cool hot inflammations 
either inwardly or outwardly, being no 
ways dangerous to any that use it, as most 
of the rest of the Nightshades are; yet it 
must be used moderately. The distilled 
water only of the whole herb is fittest and 
_ safest to be taken inwardly: The juice also 
_ clarified and taken, being mingled with a 
- little vinegar, is good to wash the mouth 
and throat that is inflamed: But out- 
wardly the juice of the herbs or berries, 
with oil of roses and a little vinegar and 
ceruse laboured together in a leaden mortar, 
is very good to anoint all hot inflammations 
in the eyes. It also doth much good for the 
shingles, ringworms, and in all running, 
fretting, and ‘corroding ulcers, applied 
thereunto. The juice dropped into the ears, 
eases pains thereof that arise of heat or in- 
flammations. And Pliny saith, it is good for 
hot swellings under the throat. Have a care 
you mistake not the deadly nightshade for 
this; if you know it not, you may let them 
both alone, and take no harm, having other 
medicines sufficient in the book. 
THE OAK. 
Ir is so well known (the timber thereof 
being the glory and safety of this nation 
by sea) that it needs no description. 
Government and virtues.| 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 skin that covers the acorn, are 
most ‘used to stay the spitting of blood, and 
the bloody-flux. The decoction of that 
cnaptineisinensnnnenintinemcmmpnnrae 
bark, and the powder of the cups, do stay — 
vomitings, spitting of blood, bleeding + 
the mouth, or other fluxes of blood, in 
men or women; lasks also, and the noctur- 
nal involuntary flux of men. The acorn in 
powder taken in wine, provokes urine, and 
resists the poison of venomous creatures- 
The decoction of acorns and the bark made 
in milk and taken, resists the force of poi 
sonous herbs and medicines, as also the 
virulency of cantharides, when one by eat 
ing them hath his bladder exulcerated, and 
voids bloody urine. Hippocrates saith, he 
used the fumes of Oak leaves to women that 
were troubled with the strangling of the 
mother; and Galen applied them, being 
bruised, to cure green wounds. The dis _ 
Aled ater of sie Deen ne Sete 
