THE ENGLISH FHrSICIAN ENLARGED, 251 



stomach and make the belly soluble ; those that are sour, 

 quench thirst more and bind the belly ; the moist arid 

 waterish do sooner corrupt in the stomach, but the firm 

 do nourish more, and offend less. The dried fruit sold 

 by the grocers under the name of Damask Prunes, do 

 somewhat loosen the belly, and being stewed, are often 

 used, both in health and sickness, to relish the mouth and 

 stomach, to procure appetite, and a little to open the body, 

 allay choler, and cool the stomach. Plum-tree leaves 

 boiled in wine, are good to wash and gargle the mouth 

 and throat, to dry the flux of rheum coming to the palate, 

 gums or almonds of the ears. The gum of the tree is 

 good to break the stone. The gum or leaves boiled in 

 vinegar and applied, kills tetters and ringworms, Mat- 

 thiolus saith, the oil pressed out of the kernels of the 

 stones, as oil of almonds is made, is good against the in- 

 flamed piles, and tumours or swellings of ulcers, hoarse- 

 ness of the voice, roughness of the tongue and throat, and 

 the pains in the ears. And that five ounces of the said 

 oil taken with one ounce of muscadel, driveth forth thft- 

 Stone, and helpeth the cholic. 



Poljpody of the Oak. Tj . (femp. d. 1.) 



Thjs is a perennial herb o^f the fern tribe. 



Descript.l This is a small herb consisting of nothing 

 but roots and leaves, bearing neither stalk, flower, nor 

 seed, as it is thought. It hath three or four leaves rising 

 from the root, every one single by itself, of about a hand 

 length, are winged, consisting of many small narrow 

 leaves, cut into the middle rib, standing on each side of 

 the stalk, large below and smaller up to the top, not 

 dented nor notched at the edges at all, as the male fera 

 hath, of a sad green colour, and smooth on the nppcr 

 side, but on the other side somewhat rough by reason of 

 some yellowish spots set thereon. The root is smaller 

 than one's little finger, lyin^ aslope, or creeping along 

 under the upper ciust of the earth, brownish on the out- 

 side and greenish within, of a sweetish harshness in taste, 

 set -with certain rntigti knags on each side thereof, having 

 also much mossinoisor yel'o.v ha .mess r"oa itj andsoiIl*i 

 £brea uudecueath, thereby »c is nourished,. 

 u © 



