THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 191 



dance of women's courses ; it is a singular good wound- 

 herb for green wounds, to stay the bleeding, and quickly 

 close together the lips of the wound, if the herb be 

 bruised, and the juice only applied. It is often used ia 

 gargling for sore mouths, as also for the secret parts. 

 The smoak hereof being burned, driveth away flics and 

 gnats, which in the night-time molest people inhabiting 

 near marshes, and in the fenny countries. 



Loosestrife, with spiked Heads of Flowers. 

 5 . in 2S. (c. m, I.) 



This is also known by the name of Grass.polly. 



Descript.^ Itgroweth with many woody square stalks 

 full of joints, 3 feet high at least ; at every one whereon 

 stand two long leaves, shorter, narrower, and a larger 

 green colour than the former, and some brownish. The 

 stalks are branched into many long stems of spiked flow- 

 ers, half a foot long, growing in bundles, one above 

 another, out of small husks, very like the spiked heads 

 of lavender, each of which flowers have five round point, 

 ed leaves of a purple violet colour, or soir,? >hat inclining 

 to redness ; in which husks stand small round heads after 

 the flowers are fallen, wherein is contained small seed. 

 The root creepeth under ground iikeunto the yellow, but 

 is greater than if, and so are the heads of the leaves when 

 they first appear out of the ground, and more brown than 

 the other. 



Flace.'] ItgrOAveth usually by rivers and ditch-sides in 

 wet grounds, as about the ditches at and near Lambeth, 

 and in many other places of this land. 



Time.'] Itflowereth in the months of June and July. 



Government and Virtues.'] It is an herb of the Moon, 

 and under the sign Cancer; neither do I k:;ow a better 

 preserver of the sight when 'tis well, nor abetter cure of 

 sore eyes, than Eyebright, taken inwardly, and this used 

 outwardly; 'Ei^ cold in quality. This herb is not a whit 

 inferior unto the former, it having not only all the virtues 

 which the former hath, but some peculiar virtues of its 

 ewn, found out by experience; as namely, that distilled 

 water is a present remedy for hurts and blows on the 

 eyes, and for blindness, so as the crystalline humour be 



