31 G THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGEH. 



redness in them. The juice or water put into foul ulcers, 

 "whether they be cancerous or fistulous, with tents rolled 

 therein, or parts washed and injected therewith, cleanseth 

 them thoroughly from the bottom, and healeth them up 

 safely. The same juiee or water also cleanseth the skin 

 wonderfully of all sorts of deformity, as leprosy, mor- 

 phew, scurf, wheals, pimples, or .spots, applied of itself, 

 or used with some powder of Lupines. 



Flea- Wort Tj . (c. 2. temp.) 



There are two kinds of Flea-wort, difiering, very little, 

 only the leaves of one kind abide the winter, but the 

 others do not. 



Descn'pt.'] Ordinary Flea-wort riseth up with a stalk 

 two feet high or more, full of joints and branches on 

 every side, up to the top, and at every joint two smaH, 

 long, and narrow whitish green leaves, somewhat hairy. 

 At the top of every branch stand divers small, short, 

 scaly, or chaffy heads, out of which come forth small 

 whitish yellow threads, like to those of the pUiitain herbs, 

 which are the bloomittgs of flowers. The seed inclosed 

 in these heads is small and shining, while it is- fresh, very 

 like unto fleas, both for colour and bigness, but turning 

 black when it groweth old. The root is not long, but 

 white, hard, and woody, perishing every year, and rising 

 again of its own seed for divers years, if it be sufTered to 

 shed. The whole plant is somewhat whitish and hairy, 

 smelling somewhat like rosin. 



Place.'] The first groweth only in gardens, the second 

 plentifully in fields that are near the sea. 



Time.'] They flower in July, or (hereabouts. 



Government and Virtues.^ The herb is cold, dry, and 

 Saturnine. I suppose it obtained the name of Flea-wort, 

 because the seeds are like fleas. The seed fried, and 

 taken, stayeth the flux or lask of the belly, and the cor- 

 rosions that come by reason of hot, choleric, or sharp 

 and malignant humours, or by too-much purging of any 

 violent medicine, as Scammony, or the like. The muci- 

 lage of the seed made with rose water, and a little sugar- 

 candy put thereto, is very good in all hot agues and burn- 

 ing fevers, and other inflammations, to cool the thirst, 



