174 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



Ycry quickly. The distilled water of the herb is pro- 

 fitable lor all the purposes aforesaid. The leaves being 

 gently rubbed on any place stung with nettles or bees, 

 doth quickly take away the pain. 



Hound's Tongue, ?• (c. d. 9.) 



The great Hounds-tongue, or Dog's-tong&e, hath a 

 disagreeable scent, resembling that of mice. 



Descript.'\ The great ordinary Hound's Tongue hath 

 man}' long, and somewhat narrow, soft, hairy, darkish 

 green leaves lying on the ground, somewhat like unto 

 Biigloss leaves, from amongst which riseth up a rough 

 hairy stalk about two feet high, with some smaller leaves 

 thereon, and branched at (he tops into divers parts, with 

 a small leaf at the foot of every branch, which is somewhiit 

 Jong, with many flowers set along the same, which branch 

 is crooked or turneth inwards before it flowereth, and 

 openeth by degrees as the Uuwers do blow, which consist 

 of small purplish red leaves of a dead colour, rising out 

 of the husks wherein they stand with some threads in the 

 middle. It hath sometimes a white flower. After the 

 flowers are past, there cometh rough flat seed, with a small 

 point in the middle, easily cleaving to any garment that 

 it toucheth, and not so easily pulled off again. The root 

 is black, thick, and long, hard to break, and full of 

 clammy juice, smelling somewhat strong, of an evil scent, 

 as the leaves also do. 



Place."] It groweth in moist places of this land, in waste 

 grounds and unfilled places, by highway-sides, lanes, and 

 hedge-sides. 



Time.^ It flowereth about May or June, and the seed 

 is ripe shortly after. 



Government and Virtues.'] It is a plant under the domi- 

 nion of Mercury. The root is very effe(5lually used in 

 pills, as well as the deco6tion, or otherwise, to stay all 

 sharp and thin defluftions of rheum from the head into 

 the eyes or nose, or upon the stomach or lungs, as also 

 for coughs and shortness of breath. The leaves boiled 

 in wine (saith Dioscorides, but others do rather appoint 

 it io bo made with water, and do add thereto oil and 

 salt) lu'iliifieth or openoth the belly downwards. It als-a 



