242 
THE. COMPLETE HERBAL 
the spleen, provoke lust. Dioscorides. 
Water-cresses are hot and dry, cleanse the 
blood, help the scurvy, provoke urine and 
the menses, break the stone, help the green- 
sickness, cause a fresh lively colour. 
Nasturtium Alhum, Thlaspie. Treacle- 
mustard. Hot and dry in the third degree, 
purges violently, dangerous for pregnant 
women. Outwardly it is applied with profit 
to the gout. 
Nicorimi. Tobacco. It is hot and dry 
in the second degree, and of a cleansing 
nature: the leaves warmed and applied to 
the head, are excellently good in inveterate 
head-aches and megrims, if the diseases 
come through cold or wind, change them 
often till the diseases be gone, help such 
whose necks be stiff: it eases the faults of 
the breast: Asthma’s or head-flegm in the 
lappets of the lungs: eases the pains of the 
stomach and windiness thereof: being 
heated by the fire, and applied hot to the 
side, they loosen the belly, and kill worms 
being applied unto it in like manner: they 
break the stone being applied in like man- 
ner to the region of the bladder: help the 
rickets, being applied to the belly and sides: 
applied to the navel, they give present ease 
to the fits of the mother: they take away 
cold aches in the joints applied to them: 
boiled, the liquor absolutely and speedily 
cures scabs and itch: neither is there any 
better salve in the world for wounds than. 
may be made of it: for it cleanses, fetches 
out the filth though it lie in the bones, brings 
up the flesh from the bottom, and all this it 
doth speedily: it cures wounds made with 
_ poisoned weapons, and for this Clusius 
brings many experiences too tedious here to 
relate. It is an admirable thing for car- 
buncles and plague-sores, inferior to none: 
_ green wounds ’twill cure in a trice: ulcers 
_ and gangreens very speedily, not only in 
men, but also in beasts, therefore the In- 
-dians dedicated it to their god. Taken in a 
i (oes mausieasdtete nen! SS ere 
easeth weariness, takes away the sense of 
hunger and thirst, provokes to stool: he 
saith, the Indians will travel four days 
without either meat or drink, by only chew- 
ing a little of this in their mouths: It eases 
the body of superfluous humours, opens 
stoppings. See the ointment of Tobacco. 
Nummularia. Money-wort, or Herb Two- 
pence; cold, dry, binding, helps fluxes, 
stops the menses, helps ulcers in the lungs; 
outwardly it is a special herb for wounds. 
Nymphea. See the flowers. 
Ocynum. Basil, hot and moist. The best 
use that I know of it, is, it gives speedy de- 
liverance to women in travail. Let them 
not take above half a dram of it at a time 
in powder, and be sure also the birth be 
ripe, else it causes abortion. 
Olee folia. Olive.leaves: they are hard 
to come by here. 
Ononis. Restharrow. See the roots. 
Ophioglossum. Adder’s-tongue. The 
leaves are very drying: being boiled in oil 
they make a dainty green balsam for green 
wounds; taken inwardly, they hely inward 
wounds, 
Origanum. Origany: a kind of wild 
Marjoram; hot and dry in the third degree, 
helps the bitings of venomous beasts, such 
as have taken Opium, Hemlock, or Poppy; 
provokes urine, brings down the menses, 
helps old coughs; in an ointment it helps 
scabs and itch. 
Oxylapathum. Sorrel. See Acetosa. 
Papaver, §c. Poppies, white, black, of 
erratick. I refer you to the syrups of each. 
Parietaria. Given once before under the 
name of Helzine. 
Pastinea. Parsnips. See the roots. 
Persicaria, See Hydropiper. This is the 
milder sort of Arsmart I described there: 
If ever you find it amongst the compounds, 
take it under that notion. 
Pentaphyllium. Cinquefoil: very drying: 
yet but meanly hot, if at all; helps ulcers 
