328 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



claret wine colour, and a fine tart rilish, jjlcasiiiff the taste. 

 Violets taken, or iiiaiio ii|) with lioiiey, do more d.-anse 

 and cool, and with sugar coiilrary-wise. 'I'lie dried 

 flowers ol' V^ioiets arc accounted amon^ the cordial drinks, 

 powders, and other medicines, especially where cooling 

 cordials are necessary. The green leaves are used with 

 other herbs lt> make j)laistcrs and |)ouUices lor inllanima- 

 tioiis and swellings, and to ea'-e all pains uhatioever, 

 arising of heat, and for the piles also, being fried with 

 }olks of eggs and applied thereto. 



Viper's Bug\oss.(temp. m. 2.) Q. 



Of this there are two kinds, one with reddish purple, the 

 other with while flowers. 



Descript.'] This hath many long rough leaves lying ou 

 the ground, from among which arise up divers hard round 

 stalks, very rough, as if they were (hick set with prickles 

 or hairs, whereon are set such like rough, hairy, or 

 prickly sad green leaves, somewhat narrow : the middle 

 rib being for the most part white. The flowers stand at 

 the top of (he stalk, branched forth in many long spiked 

 leaves of flowers, bowing or turning like the turnsole, 

 all opening for the most part ou the one side, which are 

 long and hollow, turning up (he brims a litllcj of a pur- 

 plish violet colour in (hem that arc fully blown, but more 

 reddish while they are in the bud, as also upon their decay 

 and withering ; but in some places of a paler purple 

 colour, with a long pointel in the middle, feathered or 

 parted at the top. After the flowers are fallen, the seeds 

 growing to be ripe, are blackish, cornered and pointed 

 somewhat like the head of a viper. The root is somewhat 

 great and blackish, aiUl woody, Avhea it groweth towards* 

 seed time, and jierisheth in the Winter. 



Place.^ The flrst groweth wild almost every where. 

 That with white flowers about old walls. 



Time.^ They flower in Summer, and their seed is ripe 

 quickly after. 



Govcrninait and Virtues.'] It is a most gallant herb of 

 the Sun ; it is a pity it is no more in use than it is. It is 

 an especial remedy against the biting ofthe V ipcr, and all 

 Other Tcnomous beasts or serpents 3 as l->o against poison, 



