178 THE FRUITS OF THE COUNTRY-SIDE 



great prejudice of our healths, especially by the corroding 

 Claret," and greatly commends " Wine of Plums, Rasberry 

 Wine, Wine of Currans," and other home-grown beverages. 

 The elder has been held of great medicinal repute, 

 the various parts of the tree being extolled by our 

 forefathers, generation after generation, as curing almost 

 everything. " The Decoction of the Root of Elder in Wine," 

 affirms the author of that delightful book, Adam in Eden, 

 " cureth the Biting of Venemous Beasts, as also of a mad 

 Dogge ; the berries boyled in Wine perform the same 

 effects : the Haire of the Head washed therein is made 

 black. The luyce of the green Leaves applyed to the 

 Inflammation of the Eyes asswageth them, and the Leaves 

 boyled till they be tender, then mixed with Barly meale 

 asswageth inflammations in any other part, helpeth places 

 that are burnt with fire or scalded with water, and easeth 

 the paines of the Gout, being beaten and boyled with the 

 tallow of a Bull or Goat, and layd warme thereto. The 

 Powder of the seedes first prepared in Vinigar and then 

 taken in Wine for certaine dayes together is a meanes to 

 abate and consume the flesh of a corpulent body. Should 

 I give you all the Vertues of Elder at large I should much 

 exceed the usuall Limits of a Chapter, and therefore I shall 

 only give you a Brevias of them, and referre you to that 

 learned peece of Dr. Martin Blockwich where you may 

 satisfie yourselfe perfectly of euery particular. There is 

 hardly a Disease from the Head to the Foot but it cures. 

 It is profitable for the Head-ach, for Ravings and Wakings, 

 Hypocondriack and Mellancholly, the Falling-sicknesse, 

 Catarrhes, Deafenesse, Faintnesse, and Feavours. The 

 young shoots boyled like Asparagos, and the young Leaves 



