THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 81 



Descript.'] The Winter Cherry hath a running or creep- 

 ing root in the ground, of the bigness many times of 

 one's little finger, shooting forth at several joints in 

 several places, whereby it quickly spreads a great com- 

 pass of ground ; the stalk riseth not above a yard high, 

 ■whereon are set many broad and long green leaves, some- 

 what like Night shade, but larger; at the joints whereof 

 come forth whitish iiowers made of five leaves a-piece, 

 which afterward turn into green berries inclosed with 

 thiu skins, which change to be reddish when they grow 

 ripe, the berries likewise being reddish, and as large as 

 a cherry, wherein are contained many flat and yel- 

 lowish seeds lying within the pulp, which being gathered 

 and strung up, are kept all the year to be used upon oc- 

 casion. 



Time.'] They flower not until the middle or latter end 

 of July ; and the fruit is ripe about August, or the be- 

 ginning of September. 



Government and Virtues.^ This also is a plant of Ve. 

 nus. They are of great use in physic; the leaves being 

 cooling, may be used in inflammations, but not open- 

 ing as the berries and fruit are; which by drawing down 

 the urine provoke it to be voided plentifully when it is 

 stopped or grown hot, sharp, and painful in the pas- 

 sage; it is good also to expel the stone and gravel out of 

 the reins, kidnies, and bladder, helping to dissolve the 

 stone, and voiding it by grit or gravel sent forth in the 

 urine; it also helpeth much to cleanse inward impost- 

 humes or ulcers in the reins or bladder, or those that 

 void a bloody or foul urine ; the distilled water of the 

 fruit, or the leaves together with them, or the berries, 

 green or dry, distilled with a little milk and drank morn- 

 ing and evening with a little sugar, is effc(5lual to all the 

 purposes before specified, and especially against the heat 

 and sharpness of the urine. I shall mention one way, 

 amongst many others, Avhich might be used for ordering 

 the berries, to be helpful for the urine and stone; which 

 is this; take three or four good handfuls of the berries, 

 either green or fresh, or dried, and having bruised them, 

 put them in so many gallons of beer or ale Avhen it is 

 new and tunned up ; this drink, taken daily, hath been 

 found to do much good to many, both to ease the pains, 

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