114 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



ground, whicli shootctli forth threads or strings, grosser 

 or finer as (he property of the plant wherein it giowcth, 

 and the climate doth sulfcr, creeping and spreading ou 

 that plant whereon it fasteneth, be it high or low. The 

 strings have no leaves at all upon them, but wind and 

 interlace themselves so thick upon a small plant, that it 

 takefh away all comfort of the sun from it ; and is ready 

 to choak or strangle it. After these strings arc risen up 

 to that height, that they may draw nourishment from that 

 plant, they seem to be broken off from the ground, either 

 by the strength of their rising or withered by the heat of 

 the sun. Upon these strings are found clusters or small 

 heads or husks, out of which shoot forth whitish, flowers, 

 ■which afterwards give small pale coloured seed, somewhat 

 flat, and twice as big as Poppy-seed. It generally parti- 

 cipates of the nature of the plant which it climbeth upon ;. 

 but the Dodder of Thyme is accounted the best, and is 

 the only true Epithymum. 



Government and Virtues.'] All Dodders are under 

 Saturn. Tell not me of physicians crying up Epithymum, 

 or that Dodder which grows upon Thyme, (most of which 

 comes from Hemetius in Greece, or Hybla in Sicily, be-^ 

 cause those mountains abound with Thyme) he is a 

 physician indeed, that hath wit enough to choose his 

 Dodder, according to the nature of the disease and hu- 

 mour peccant. We confess Thyme is the hottest herb it 

 usually grows upon ; and therefore that which grows 

 upon Thyme is hotter than that which grows upon 

 colder herbs; for it draws nourishment from what it 

 grows upon, as well as from the earth where its root is, 

 and thus you sec old Saturn is wise enough to have two 

 strings to his bow. This is accounted the most effeftual 

 for melancholy diseases, and to purge black or burnt 

 choler, w hich is the cause of many diseases of the head 

 and brain, as also for the trembling of the heart, faint- 

 ings and swoonings. It is helpful in all diseases and 

 griefs of the spleen, and melancholy tiiat arises from the 

 windincss of the hypocondria ; it purgeth also the reins 

 or kidnies by urine; it openeth obstrutitions of the gall, 

 whereby it protiteth them that have the jaundice ; as also 

 the leaves, the spleen ; purging the veins of the choleric 

 and phlegmatic humours, and helpeth children iu agues, 

 a little worm seed being put thereto. 



