<? 6 2 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



flicking to the inward pulpe : the roote is not very great, but full of firings, and 

 quickly perifheth with the firft frofts. 



4. Stramonium minus fare geminato purpurante. 

 The fmall double flowred purple Thorne- Apple. 



In the flower of this plant, confifteth the chiefeft difference from the former, which 

 is as large as the laft, pointed into more homes or corners, and beareth two flowers, 

 flanding in one huske, one of them rifing out from the middle of the other, like vnto 

 thofe kindes of Cowflips and Oxelips, called double, or Hofe in hofe, before defcri- 

 bed, which are of a pale purplifh colour on the outfide, and almoft white within : the 

 fruit is round like the laft, and beareth fuch like feede, fo that vntill it bee in flower, 

 their difference can hardly bee difcerned : this is more tender then the laft, although 

 euen it is fo tender, that it feldome beareth ripe feede with vs. 



Sometimes (for I think it is not another kind) the flower will haue as it were double 

 rowes of leaues, clofe fet together, and not confifting of two, rifing fo diftinclly one 

 aboue another. 



The Place. 



All thefe kindes haue been brought or fent vs out of Turkic and Egypt ; 

 but Garcias, and Chriftopherus Acofta, with others, affirme that they grow 

 in the Eaft Indies. The lefTer kindes are very rare with vs, becaufe they fel- 

 dome come to maturity ; and therefore we are ftill to feeke of new feede to 

 fowe. The greater kindes are plentifull enough in our Gardens, and will 

 well abide, and giue ripe fruit. 



The Time. 



The fmaller kindes flower later then the greater ; and therefore their 

 fruit are the sooner fpoyled with the cold ayres, dewes, and frofts, that 

 come at the latter end of the yeare : but the greater kinds neuer miffe lightly 

 to ripen. 



The Names. 



Both the greater and fmaller kindes are generally called Stramonium, 

 Stramonia, Pomum fpinofum, and Datura. Bauhinus vpon Matthiolus his 

 Comentaries on Diofcorides, calleth it Solanum fcztidum fpinofum. Some 

 learned men haue referred it to Nux Mete/, of the Arabian Authors. Wee 

 call them generally in Englifh, Thorne-Apples, and diftinguifh them by 

 their titles of greater and leffer, fmgle and double. 



The Vertues. 



The Eaft Indian lafciuious women performe ftrange acls with the feed (of 

 the fmaller kinde, as I fuppofe, or it may be of either) giuing it their huf- 

 bands to drinke. The whole plant, but efpecially the feed, is of a very cold 

 and foporiferous quality, procuring deep and diftraclion of fenfes. A few 

 of the feeds fteeped and giuen in drinke, will caufe them that take it to feem 

 ftarke drunke or dead drunke, which fit will within a few houres weare a- 

 way, and they recouer their fenfes againe, as a drunken man rayfed after 

 fleep from his wine. It may therefore (in my opinion) be of fafe and good 

 vfe to one, that is to haue a legge or an arme cut off, or to be cut for the ftone, 

 or fome other fuch like cure to be performed, to take away the fenfe of paine 

 for the time of doing it ; otherwife I hold it not fit to be vfed without great 

 caution. But the greene leaues of the greater kindes (as alfo of the lefler, but 

 that with vs they are not fo plentifull) are by tryed experience, found to be 

 excellent good for any fcalded or burned part, as alfo to take away any hot 

 inflammations, being made vp into a falue or ointment with fuel, waxe, and 

 roflin, &c. or with Axungia, that is, Hogs larde. 



CHAP. 



