162 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
neither your eyes nor your taste shall dis- 
tinguish them from hermodactyls. 
SAGE. 
Ovr ordinary garden Sage needs no de- 
scription. 
Time.| It flowers in or about July. 
Government and virtues.] Jupiter claims 
this, and bids me tell you, it is good for the 
liver, and to breed blood. A decoction of 
the leaves and branches of sage made and 
drank, saith Dioscorides, provokes urine, 
brings down women’s courses, helps to expel 
the dead child, and causes the hair to be- 
come black. It stays the bleeding of wounds, 
and cleanses foul ulcers. Three spoonfuls 
of the juice of Sage taken fasting, with a 
little honey, doth presently stay the spitting 
or casting of blood of them that are in a 
consumption. These pills are much com- 
mended: Take of spikenard, ginger, of each 
two drams; of the seed of Sage toasted at 
the fire, eight drams; of long pepper, twelve 
drams ; all these being brought into powder, 
put thereto so much juice of Sage as may 
make them into a mass of pills, taking a 
dram of them every morning fasting, and so 
likewise at night, drinking a little pure 
water after them. Matthiolus saith, it is 
very profitable for all manner of pains in 
the head coming of cold and rheumatic 
humours: as also for all pains of the joints, 
whether inwardly or outwardly, and there- 
fore helps the falling sickness, the lethargy, 
_ Such as are dull and heavy of spirit, the 
palsy; and is of much use in all defluctions 
of rheum from the head, and for the diseases 
of the chest or breast. The leaves of Sage 
and nettles bruised together, and laid upon 
the imposthume that rises behind the ears, 
doth assuage it much. The juice of Sage 
taken in warm water, helps a hoarseness 
_ and a cough. The leaves sodden in wine, 
_and laid upon the place affected with the 
alsy, helps much, if the decoction be 
drank: Also Sage taken with wormwood is 
good for the bloody-flux. Pliny saith, it pro- 
cures women’s courses, and stays them com- 
ing down too fast: helps the stinging and 
biting of serpents, and kills the worms that 
breed in the ear, and in sores. Sage is of ex- 
cellent use to help the memory, warming 
and quickening the senses ; and the conserve 
made of the flowers is used to the same pur- 
pose, and also for all the former recited 
diseases. The juice of Sage drank with 
vinegar, hath been of good use in time of 
the plague at all times. Gargles likewise are 
made with Sage, rosemary, honey-suckles, 
and plantain, boiled in wine or water, with 
some honey or allum put thereto, to wash 
sore mouths and throats, cankers, or the 
secret parts of man or woman, as need re- 
quires, And with other hot and comfortable 
herbs, Sage is boiled to bathe the body and 
the legs in the Summer time, especially to 
warm cold joints, or sinews, troubled with 
the palsy and cramp, and to comfort and 
strengthen the parts. It is much com- 
mended against the stitch, or pains in the 
side coming of wind, if the place be fo 
mented warm with the decoction thereof in 
wine, and the herb also after boiling be laid 
warm thereunto. 
WOOD-SAGE. 
Descript.] Woop-sace rises up with 
square hoary stalks, two feet high at the 
least, with two leaves set at every joint, 
somewhat like other Sage leaves, but 
smaller, softer, whiter, and rounder, and 4 
little dented about the edges, and smelling 
somewhat stronger. At the tops of the 
stalks and branches stand the flowers, 00 4 
slender like spike, turning themselves all 
one way when they blow, and are of a pale 
| hooded and gaping like unto them. The seed 
and whitish colour, smaller than Sage, but 
is blackish and round; four usually see™ 
