AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 
181 
of the plague: as also to open the obstruc- 
tions of the liver and spleen, and thereby is 
good against the jaundice. It provokes 
urine, breaks and expel the stone, and is 
good for the dropsy. It is effectual also for 
the pains in the sides, and many other in- 
ward pains and gripings. The seed and 
distilled water is held powerful to all the 
purposes aforesaid, and besides, it is often 
applied both outwardly with cloths or 
spunges to the region of the liver, to cool 
the distemper thereof, and to the region of 
the heart, against swoonings and the pas- 
Sions of it. It cleanses the blood exceed- 
ingly: and in Spring, if you please to boil 
the tender plant (but cut off the prickles, 
unless you have a mind to choak yourself) 
it will change your blood as the season 
changes, and that is the way to be safe. 
THE WOOLLEN, OR COTTON THISTLE. 
Descript.| Tus has many large leaves 
lying upon the ground, somewhat cut in, and 
as it were crumpled on the edges, of a green 
colour on the upper side, but covered over 
with a long hairy wool or cotton down, 
set with most sharp and cruel pricks; from 
the middle of whose heads of flowers come 
forth many purplish crimson threads, and 
Sometimes white, although but seldom. 
The seed that follow in those white downy 
heads, is somewhat large and round, re- 
sembling the seed of Lady’s Thistle, but 
paler. The root is great and thick, spread- 
ing much, yet usually dies after seed time. 
Place.| It grows on divers ditch-banks, 
and in the corn-fields, and highways, gene- 
rally throughout the land, and is often 
gTowing in gardens. 
Government and virtues.] It is a plant of 
Mars. Dioscorides and Pliny write, That 
the leaves and roots hereof taken in drink, 
help those that have a crick in their neck, 
that they cannot turn it, unless they turn 
their whole body. Galen saith, That the 
Toots and leaves hereof are good for such 
persons that have their bodies drawn to- 
gether by some spasm or convulsion, or 
other infirmities; as the rickets (or as the 
college of physicians would have it, Rach- ° 
ites, about which name they have quarrelled 
sufficiently) in children, being a disease 
that hinders their growth, by binding their 
nerves, ligaments, and whole structure of 
their body. 
THE FULLER’S THISTLE, OR TEASLE, 
Ir is so well known, that it needs“no 
description, being used with the ies 
workers. 
The wild Teasle is in all things like the 
former, but that the prickles are small, soft, 
and upright, not hooked or stiff, and the 
flowers of this are of a fine blueish, or pale 
carnation colour, but of the manured kind, 
whitish. 
Place.| The first grows, being sown in 
gardens or fields for the use of clothwork- 
ers: The other near ditches and rills of 
water in many places of this land. 
Time.| They flower in July, and are os 
in the end of August. 
Government and virtues.] It is an herb 
of Venus. Dioscorides saith, That the root 
bruised and boiled in wine, till it be thick, 
and kept in a brazen vessel, and after 
spread as a salve, and applied to the funda- 
ment, doth heal the cleft thereof, cankers 
and fistulas therein, also takes away warts 
and wens. The juice of the leaves dropped 
into the ears, kills worms in them. The dis- 
tilled water of the leaves dropped into the 
eyes, takes away redness and mists in them 
that hinder the sight, and is often used by 
women to preserve their beauty, and to take 
away redness and inflammations, and all 
other heat or discolourings. Z 
TREACLE MUSTARD. Bet 
Descript.] Iv rises up with ahecdiouad s 
stalk, about a foot high, parted into some 
= — sheik pokk ‘green ave 
