198 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



some bean or barley flour, and oil of roses added, is an 

 especial remedy against all hard tumours and iniiaiiuna- 

 tions, or iniposthumes, or swellings of the privates and 

 other parts, and caseth the pains of them ; as also af^Dinst 

 the hardness of the liver or spleen, being applied to the 

 places. The juice of the Mallows boiled in old oil and 

 applied, takcth away all roughness of the skin, as also 

 the scurf, dandritf, or dry scabs in the head, or other 

 •parts, if they be anointed therewith, or washed with the 

 decoction, and preserveth the hair from falling oft". It i» 

 also effe^^nal against scaldings and burnings, St, Anthony's 

 lire, and all other hot, red, and painful swellings in any 

 part of the body. The flowers boiled in oil or water, 

 (as every one is disposed) whereunto a little honey and 

 allum is put, is an excellent gargle to wash, cleanse, or 

 Jical any sore moutluor throat in a short space. If the 

 feet be bathed or washed with the decoCtion of the leaves, 

 roots and flowers, it helpeth much the defluxions of rheum 

 from the head : if the head be washed therewith, it stayeth 

 the falling and shedding of the hair. The green leaves 

 (saiih Pliny) beaten with nitre, and applied, draw out 

 thorns or prickles in the flesh. 



The Marshmallows are more efie(5lual in all the dis- 

 eases before-mentioned : the leaves are likewise used to 

 loosen the belly gently, and dcco6tions for clysters to 

 case all pains of the body, opening the strait passages, 

 and making them slippery, whereby tiie stone may de- 

 scend the more easily, and with!)ut pain, out of the reins, 

 kidnies and bladder, and to ease the torturing pains 

 thereof. But the roots are of more special use for those 

 purposes, as well for coughs, hoarseness, shortness of 

 breath and whcczings, being boiled in wine, or honied 

 ■water, and drank. The roots and seeds hereof boiled in 

 ■wine and water, are with good success used by them that 

 have excoriations in the guts, or the bloody-flux, by 

 qualifying the violence of sharp fretting humours, easing 

 pains, and healing the soreness. It is profitably taken of 

 them that are troubled with ruptures, cramps, or con- 

 vulsions of the sinews; and boiled in white wine, for the 

 imposthumes of the throat, commonly called the king's 

 Cfil, and of those kernels that rise behind the ears, and 

 iuilairniations and swellings iu women's breasts. The 



