230 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
a 
dry and binding, cuts tough humours, cools 
_the brain, liver and stomach, cools the blood 
in fevers, and provokes appetite. 
Acanthus. Bears-breech, or Branks 
ursine, is temperate, something moist. See 
the root. 
Adiantum, Album, nigrum. Maiden hair, 
white and black. They are temperate, yet 
drying. White Maiden hair is that we 
usually call Wall-rue; they both open ob- 
structions, cleanse the breast and lungs of 
gross slimy humours, provoke urine, help 
ruptures and shortness of wind. 
Adiantum Aurcum Politrycum. Golden 
Maiden-hair. Its temperature and virtues 
are the same with the former; helps the 
spleen; burned, and lye made with the 
ashes, keeps the hair from falling off the 
head. 
Agrimonia. Agrimony. Galen’s Eupa- 
torium. It is hot and dry in the first degree, 
binding, it amends the infirmities of the 
liver, helps such as evacuate blood instead 
of water, helps inward wounds, opens ob- 
structions. Outwardly applied it helps old 
sores, ulcers, &c. Inwardly, it helps the 
jaundice and the spleen. Take a dram of 
this or that following, inwardly in white 
wine, or boil the herb in white wine, and 
drink the decoction. Galen, Pliny, Diosco- 
rides, Serapio. 
Ageretum. Hot and dry in the second 
degree, provokes urine and the menses, 
dries the brain, opens stoppings, helps the 
green sickness, and profits such as have a 
cold, weak liver; outwardly applied, it 
takes away the hardness of the matrix, and 
fills hollow ulcers with flesh. 
Agnus Castus, §c. Chast-tree. The leaves 
_ are hot and dry in the third degree; expel 
wind, consume the seed, cause chastity 
_ being only borne about one; it dissolves 
= swellings of the testicles, being applied to 
a _ Alla, Lujula, go. Wood Sorrel. It 
held to be more cordial; cools the blood, 
helps ulcers in the mouth; hot defluxions 
upon the lungs, wounds, ulcers, &c. 
Alcea. Vervain Mallow. The root helps 
fluxes and burstness. tius, Dioscorides. 
Allium. Garlick. Hot and dry in the 
fourth degree, troublesome to the stomach; 
it dulls the sight, spoils a clear skin, resists 
poison, eases the pains of the teeth, helps 
the bitings of mad dogs, and venomous 
beasts, helps ulcers, leprosies, provokes 
urine, is exceedingly opening, and profit- 
able for dropsies. 
Althea, §c. Marsh-Mallows. Are moder- 
ately hot and drier than other Mallows; 
they help digestion, and mitigate pain, ease 
the pains of the stone, and in the sides, Use 
them as you were taught in the roots, whose 
virtues they have, and both together will 
do better. 
Alsine. Chickweed. Is cold and moist 
without any binding, assuages swelling, 
and comforts the sinews much; therefore it 
is good for such as are shrunk up; it dis- 
solves aposthumes, hard swellings, and 
helps mange in the hands and legs, out- 
wardly applied in a pultis. Galen. 
Alchymilla. Ladies-Mantle. Is hot and 
dry, some say in the second degree, some 
say in the third: outwardly it helps wounds, 
reduces women’s breasts that hang down: 
inwardly, helps bruises, and ruptures, stay$ 
vomiting, and the Fluor Albus, and is very 
profitable for such women as are subject to 
miscarry through cold and moisture. 
Alkanna. Privet hath a binding quality, 
helps ulcers in the mouth, is good against 
burnings and scaldings,cherishes the nerves 
and sinews; boil it in white wine to wash 
the mouth, and in hog’s grease for burnings 
and scaldings. 
Amaracus, Majorana. Marjoram. Some 
say tis hot and dry in the second degree, 
some advance it to the third. ene os 
Lemmy trelrereae inemnenrns 48 
