17fl THE ENCiLlMI FlIVSICIAN ENLAIIGLD. 



St. John's Wort. 0. in a- (h. d. 2.) 



This is a beautiful shrub, and a great ornament to our 

 meadows. 



Descript.'] Common St. John's Wort shootcth forth 

 brownish, upright, hard round stalks, two feet high, 

 spreading branches from the sides up to the tops of them, 

 with two smalS leaves set one against another at every 

 place, which are of a deep green colour, somewhat like 

 the leaves of the lesser Centaury, but narrow, and full of 

 bioall holes in every leaf, which cannot be so well per- 

 ceived as when they are held up to the light; at the tops 

 of the stalks and branches stand yellow flowers of five 

 leaves a-piece, whith many yellow threads in the middle, 

 which being bruised, do }ield a reddish juice like blood; 

 after which come small round heads, wherein is contained 

 small blackish seed smelling like rosin. The root is hard 

 and woody, with divers strings and libres at it, of a 

 brownish colour, which abideth in the ground many years, 

 shooting anew every Spring. 



Flacc.'] This groweth in woods and copses, as well 

 those that arc shady, as open to the sun. 



Time.'\ They flower about Midsummer and July, and 

 their seed is ripe about the latter end of July or August. 



Government and Virtues.^] It is under the celestial sign 

 Leo, and the dominion of the Sun. It may be, if you 

 meet a Papist, he will tell you, especially if he be a 

 lawyer, that St. John made it over to him by a letter of 

 attorney. It is a singular wound herb ; boiled in wine 

 and drank, it hcalcth inward hurts or bruises ; made 

 into an ointment, it opens obstructions, dissolves swel- 

 lings, and closes up the lips of Avounds. The decoction 

 of the herb and flowers, especially of the seed, being 

 drank in wine, with the juice of knot-grass, helpeth all 

 manner of vomiting and spitting of blood, is good for 

 those that are bitten or slung by any venomous crea- 

 ture, and for those that cannot make water. Two drams 

 fo the seed of St. John's Wort made into powder, and 

 drank in a little broth, doth gently expel cholcr or 

 congealed blood in the stomach. The dcco6tion of (he 

 leaves and seeds drank somewhat warm before the lits of 



