232 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
Attractivis hirsuta. Wild Bastard-saf- 
fron, Distaff-thistle, or Spindle-thistle. Is 
dry and moderately digesting, helps the bit- 
ing of venomous beasts: Mesue saith, it is 
hot in the first degree, and dry in the sec- 
ond, and cleanseth the breast and lungs of 
tough flegm. 
Balsamita, §&c. Costmary, Alecost: See 
Maudlin. 
Barbajovis, sedum majus. Houseleek or 
Sengreen: cold in the third degree, pro- 
fitable against the Shingles, and other hot 
creeping ulcers, inflammations, St. An- 
thony’s fire, frenzies; it cools and takes 
away corns from the toes, being bathed with 
the juice of it, and a skin of the leaf laid 
over the place; stops fluxes, helps scalding 
and burning. 
Bardana. Clot-bur, or Bur-dock : temper- 
ately dry and wasting, something cooling; 
it is held to be good against the shrink- 
ing of the sinews; eases pains in the blad- 
der, and provokes urine. Also Mizaldus 
saith, that a leaf applied to the top of the 
head of a woman draws the matrix up- 
wards, but applied to the soles of the feet 
draws it downwards, and is therefore an 
admirable remedy for suffocations, precipi- 
tations, and dislocations of the matrix, if a 
wise man have but the using of it. 
Beta, alba, nigra, rubra. Beets, white, 
black, and red; black Beets I have no 
knowledge of. The white are something 
colder and moister than the red, both of 
them loosen the belly, but have little or no 
nourishment. The white provoke to stool, 
and are more cleansing, open stoppings of 
the liver and spleen, help the vertigo or 
swimming in the head: The red stay fluxes, 
help the immoderate flowing of the menses, 
_and are good in the yellow jaundice. 
_ Beuedicta Cariphyllara. Avens: hot and 
dry, help the cholic and rawness of the 
_ stomach, stitches in the sides, and take 
away clotted blood in any part of the body. 
- Betonica a Common or Wort 
Betony: hot and dry in the second degree, 
helps the falling sickness and all head- 
aches coming of cold, cleanses the breast 
and lungs, opens stoppings of the liver and 
spleen, as the rickets, &c. procures appetite, 
helps sour belchings, provokes urine, breaks 
the stone, mitigates the pains of the reins 
and bladder, helps cramps, and convul- 
sions, resists poison, helps the gout, such as 
evacuate blood, madness and _ head-ache, 
kills worms, helps bruises, and cleanseth 
women after labour: You make take a dram 
of it at a time in white wine, or any other 
convenient liquor proper against the dis- 
ease you are afflicted with. 
Betonica Pauli, §c. Paul’s Betony, or 
Male Lleullin, to which add Elative, or 
Female Lluellin, which comes afterwards; 
they are pretty temperate, stop defluxions 
of humours that fall from the head into the 
eyes, are profitable in wounds, help filthy 
foul eating cankers. 
Betonica Coronaria, §c. Is Clove Gilli- 
flowers. See the flowers. 
Bellis. Dasies: are cold and moist in 
the second degree, they ease all pains and 
swellings coming of heat, in clysters they 
loose the belly; are profitable in fevers and 
inflammations of the testicles, they take 
away bruises, and blackness and blueness; 
they are admirable in wounds and inflam- 
mations of the lungs or blood. 
Blitum. Blites. Some say they are cold 
and moist, others cold and dry: none 
mention any great virtue of them. 
Borrago. Borrage: hot and moist, com- 
forts the heart, cheers the spirits, drives 
away sadness and melancholy, they are 
rather laxative than binding; help swoon- 
ing and heart-qualms, breed good blood, 
help consumptions, madness, and such as 
are much weakened by sickness. 
Bonus Henricus. Good Henry, or all 
good ; hot and dry, cleansing and scouring; 
inwardly taken it loosens the belly; out- 
wardly it cleanseth old sores and ulcers. 
