188 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
wheezings, and shortness of breath, and all 
the defects of the reins and bladder, expell- 
ing the gravel and stone. It is held to be 
good against the biting of serpents, and 
other venomous beasts, against the plague, 
and both tertian and quartan agues. It con- 
solidates and heals also all wounds, both 
inward and outward, stays bleedings, and 
used with some honey, heals all old ulcers 
and fistulas in the legs or other parts of 
the body; as also those ulcers that happen 
in the mouth; or used with hog’s grease, it 
helps the swellings and pains of the secret 
parts in man or woman, also for the piles 
or hemorrhoids; applied with some oil of 
roses and vinegar unto the forehead and 
temples, it eases the inveterate pains and 
ache of the head, and is good for those that 
are frantic. The leaves bruised, or the juice 
of them mixed with some vinegar, doth won- 
derfully cleanse the skin, and takes away 
morphew, freckles, fistulas, and other such 
like inflammations and deformities of the 
skin in any parts of the body. The distilled 
water of the herb when it is in full strength, 
dropped into the eyes, cleanses them from 
films, clouds, or mists, that darken the 
sight, and wonderfully strengthens the 
optic nerves. The said water is very power- 
ful in all the diseases aforesaid, either in- 
ward or outward, whether they be old cor- 
roding sores, or green wounds. The dried 
' root, and peeled, is known to be excellently 
good against all scrophulous and scorbutic 
habits of body, by being tied to the pit of 
the stomach, by a piece of white ribband 
round the neck. 
THE VINE. 
Tue leaves of the English vine (I do not 
_ mean to send you to the Canaries for a 
_ medicine) being boiled, makes a good lotion 
_ for sore mouths; being boiled with barley 
e meal into a poultice, it cools inflammations 
__ of wounds; the dropping of the Vine, when 
it cut in a the Spies eich comely ee 
call Tears, being boiled in a syrup, with 
sugar, and taken inwardly, is excellent to 
stay women’s longings after every thing 
they see, which is a disease many women 
with child are subject to. The decoction of 
Vine leaves in white wine doth the like. 
Also the tears of the Vine, drank two or 
three spoonfuls at a time, breaks the stone 
in the bladder. This is a very good remedy, 
and it is discreetly done, to kill a Vine to 
cure a man, but the salt of the leaves are 
held to be better. The ashes of the burnt 
branches will make teeth that are as black 
as a coal, to be as white as snow, if you but 
every morning rub them with it. It is a 
most gallant Tree of the Sun, very sympa- 
thetical with the body of men, and that is 
the reason spirit of wine is the greatest cor- 
dial among all vegetables. 
VIOLETS. 
Boru the tame and the wild are so well 
known, that they need no description. 
Time.] They flower until the end of 
July, but are best in March, and the begin- 
ning of April. 
Government and virtues.] They are 4 
fine, pleasing plant of Venus, of a mild 
nature, no way harmful. All the Violets are 
cold and moist while they are fresh and 
green, and are used to cool any heat, or dis- 
temperature of the body, either inwardly 
or outwardly, as inflammations in the eyes; 
in the matrix or fundament, in imposthumes 
also, and hot swellings, to drink the decoc- 
tion of the leaves and flowers made with 
water in wine, or to apply them poultice- 
wise to the grieved places: it likewise eases 
pains in the head, caused through want of 
sleep; or any other pains arising of heat, 
being applied in the same manner, or with 
oil of roses. A dram weight of the dried 
leaves or flowers of Violets, but the leaves 
more strongly, doth purge the body of chol- 
eric humours, and assuages the heat, being _ 
| taken in a draught of wine, or any other 
