THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 101 



Place.'] It is a common herb, grows usually by the 

 way-sides, and sometimes upon rtnid walls about LondoH ; 

 but it delights must to grow among stones and rubbish. 



Time.'] It flowers in June and July, and the seed is 

 ripe in August and September. 



Gover/mieni and rirtiics,^ It is a plant of a hot and 

 biting nature, under the dominion of Mars. The seed of 

 Black Cresses strengthens the brain exceedingly, being in 

 j)erforming that office little inferior to mustard-seed, if at 

 all ; they are excellent good to stay those rheums which 

 may fall down from the head upon the lungs ; you may 

 beat the seed into powder, if you please, and make it up 

 into an electuary with honey ; so you have an excellent 

 remedy by you, not only for the premises, biifcilso for 

 the cough, yellow jaundice, and sciatica. The herb 

 boiled into a poultice, is an excellent remedy for inllam- 

 mations, both in women's breasts and men's testicles. 



Sciatica Cresses. Tj . (c. cL 2.) 



These also are of two kinds. 



Descript.] The first riseth up with around stalk, about 

 two fdet high, spread into divers branches, whose lower 

 leaves are somewhat larger than the upper, yet all of thetn 

 cut or torn on the edges, somewhat like garden cresses, 

 but smaller; the flowers arc small and white, growing at 

 the tops of branches, where afterwards grow husks, 

 with small brownish seed therein, very strong and sharp 

 in taste, more than the cresses of the garden; the root is 

 long, white, and woody. 



The other hath the lower leaves whole, somewhat long 

 and broad, not torn at all, but only somewhat deeply 

 dented about the edges towards the ends ; but those that 

 grow up higher are lesser. The flowers and seeds are 

 like the former, and so is the root likewise, and both 

 root and seeds as sharp as it, 



Flace.] They grow by the way-sides in untilled places, 

 and by the sides of old walls. 



TiiHo'.] They flower in Ihc end of June, and their seed 

 is ripe in July. 



Government andFirtues.] It is a Saturnine plant. The 

 leaves, but especially the root, taken fresh in summer- 



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