THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. J 09 



Dandelion. V- (temp. d. 1.) 



This herb is from its effedts also called by country people 

 Piss-a-Bed. 



Descript.^ It is well known to have many long and 

 deep gashed leaves, lying on the ground round about the 

 head of the roots; the ends of each gash or jag, on both 

 sides looking downwards towards the roots ; the nnddle 

 rib being white, which being broken, yieldeth abundance 

 of bitter niHkj but the root much more ; from among the 

 leaves, which always abide green, arise many slender, 

 weak, naked foot stalks, every one of them bearing at the 

 top one large yellow llower, consisting of many ro«s of 

 yellow leaves', broad at the points, and nicked in with 

 deep spots of } ellow in the middle, which growing ripe, 

 the green husk wherein the floivers stood turns itself down 

 to the stalk, and the head of down becomes as round as a 

 ball with long reddish seed underneath, bearing a part of 

 the down on the head of every one, which together is 

 blown away with the wind, or may be at once blown 

 a\^ay with one's mouth. The root growing downwards 

 exceeding deep, which being broken otf within the 

 ground, will yet shoot forth again, and will hardly be 

 destroyed where it hath once taken deep root in the 

 ground. 



Place.'] It groweth frequently in all meadows and 

 pasture-grounds. 



Time.^ It flowereth in one place or other almost all the 

 year long. 



Government and Virtues.'] It is under the dominion of 

 Jupiter. It IS of an opening and cleansing qualify, and 

 therefore very effectual for the obstrutvlions of the liver, 

 gall and spleen, and the diseases that arise from them, as 

 the jaundice and hypociioudriac ; it openeth the passages 

 of the urine both in young and old; poweri'ully cleanseth 

 imposthumcs and inward ulcers in the urinary passage, 

 and by its drying and temperate quality doth afterwards 

 heal them ; for which purpose the decoction of the roots 

 or leaves in white wine, or the leaves chopped as pot- 

 herbs, with a few alisanders, and boiled in their broth, 

 are \ery cfi'cciual. And whoever is drawing towards a 



