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THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
_ a very dusky green colour. The stalks are 
very weak and slender, about three or four 
fingers in length, set so full of leaves that 
they can hardly be seen, either having no 
foot-stalk at all, or but very short; the 
flowers are so small they can hardly be 
seen, and the seed as small as may be. 
Place.| It is a common herb throughout 
the nation, and rejoices in barren, sandy, 
moist places. It may be found plentifully 
about Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park, and 
in Tothill-fields. 
Time.| It may be found all the Sum- 
mer-time, even from the beginning of April 
to the end of October. 
Government and virtues.| Its operation 
is very prevalent to provoke urine, and to 
break the stone. It is a very good sallad 
herb. It were good the gentry would pickle 
it up as they pickle up samphire for their 
use all the Winter. I cannot teach them 
how to do it; yet this I can tell them, it is 
a very wholesome herb. They may also 
keep the herb dry, or in a syrup, if they 
please. You may take a dram of the pow- 
der of it in white wine; it would bring away 
gravel from the kidneys insensibly, and 
without pain. It also helps the stranguary. 
PARSNIPS. 
Tue garden kind thereof is so well known 
(the root being commonly eaten) that I 
shall not trouble you with any description 
of it. But the wild kind being of more 
physical use, I shall in this place describe 
it unto you. 
Descript.| The wild Parsnip differs 
little from the garden, but grows not so fair 
and large, nor hath so many leaves, and the 
root is shorter, more woody, and not so fit 
to be eaten, and therefore more medicinal. 
_ Place.] The name of the first shews the 
_ place of its growth. The other grows wild 
in divers places, as in the marshes in 
a eens and flowers in { 
July; the seed being ripe about the begin- 
ning of August, the second year after its 
sowing; for if they do flower the first year, 
the country people call them Madneps. 
Government and virtues.] The garden 
Parsnips are under Venus. 
Parsnip nourishes much, and is good and 
wholesome nournishment, but a little windy, 
whereby it is thought to procure bodily 
lust; but it fastens the body much, if much 
need. It is conducible to the stomach and 
reins, and provokes urine. But the wild 
Parsnip hath a cutting, attenuating, clean- 
sing, and opening quality therein. It re- 
sists and helps the bitings of serpents, eases 
the pains and stitches in the sides, and dis- 
solves wind both in the stomach and bowels. 
which is the cholic, and provokes urine. 
The root is often used, but the seed much 
more. The wild being better than the tame, 
shews Dame Nature to be the best phy- 
sician. 
COW PARSNIPS. 
Descript.| Tus grows with three or 
four large, spread winged, rough leaves, 
lying often on the ground, or else raised 4 
little from it, with long, round, hairy foot 
stalks under them, parted usually into five 
divisions, the two couples standing each 
against the other; and one at the end, and 
each leaf, being almost round, yet some- 
what deeply cut in on the edges, in some 
leaves, and not so deep in others, of a whit- 
ish green colour, smelling somewhat strong- 
ly; among which rises up a round, crusted, 
hairy stalk, two or three feet high, with 4 
few joints and leaves thereon, and branched 
at the top, where stand large umbels of 
white, and sometimes reddish flowers, and 
after them flat, whitish, thin, winged seed, 
two always joined together. The root is 
long and white, with two or three long | 
strings growing down into the ground; 
smelling likewise strongly and unpleasant. J 
Place.] It grows in moist meadows, and . 
The garden _ 
