70 THE ENGLISH THYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



the belly; anointed also, it helpetli stitches and pains in 

 the sides. 



IVichessor saith, the Egyptians dedicated it to the Sun, 

 because it cured agues, and they were like enough to do 

 it, for they were the arrantest apes in their religion I ever 

 read of. Bachinus, Bena, and Lobe!, commend the sy- 

 rup made of the juice of it and sugar, taken inwardly, 

 to be excellent for the spleen. Also this is certain, that 

 it most wonderfully breaks the stone ; some take it in sy- 

 rup or decoction, others injcdt the juice of it into a blad- 

 der with a syringe. My opinion is, that the salt of it ta- 

 ken half a dram in the morning in a little white or rhen- 

 ish wine is better than either; that it is excellent for the 

 stone, appears in this which I have tried, viz. That a 

 stone that hath been taken out of the body of a man, be- 

 ing wrapped in Camomile, will in time dissolve and ia 

 a little time too. 



Water Caltrops. D. (c. m. 3.) 



They are called also Tribulus Aquaticus, Tribulus 

 J^aucosoris, Tribulus Marinus, Caltrops, Saligoss, VVat«r 

 Nuts, and Water Chesnuts. 



Dcscript.'] As for the greater sort of Water Caltrop it is 

 r.ot found here, or very rarely ; two other sorts there are, 

 •which 1 shall here describe: the first hath a long creeping 

 and jointed root, sending forth tufts at each joint, from 

 •which joints arise long, Hat, slender-knotted stalks, even 

 to the top of the water, divided towards the top into many 

 branches, each carrying two leaves on both sides, being 

 about two inches long, and half an inch broad, thin and 

 almost transparent, they look as though they were torn; 

 the flowers are long, thick and whitish, set together 

 almost like a bunch of grapes, which being gone, there 

 succeed for the most part sharp-pointed grains altogether, 

 containing a small white kernel in them. 



The second difi'ers not much from this, save that it 

 delights in more clear water ; its stalks are not flat, but 

 lound ; its leaves are not so long, but more pointed. As 

 for the place we need not determine, for their name 

 sheweth they grow in the water. 



