128 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



of these, dedicated to the King of Spain, contains the first written 

 account and illustration of " the hearbe tabaco." Monardes tells 

 us that this herb was one " of much antiquity " amongst the 

 Indians, who taught the Spaniards to use it as a wound-herb. 

 It was first introduced into Spain " to adornate Gardens with 

 the fairenesse thereof and to give a pleasant sight, but nowe 

 we doe use it more for his meruelous medicinable vertues than 

 for his fairenesse." The Red Indians called it " picielt." 

 (The name tabaco was given it by the Spaniards, either from 

 the island which still bears the name Tobago, as Monardes 

 declares, or from a native word connected in some way with 

 the use of the dried leaves for smoking.) According to Monardes 

 the leaves, when warmed and laid on the forehead with orange 

 oil, were efficacious to cure headaches. They were also good 

 for toothache. " When the grief e commeth of a cold cause or 

 of colde Rumes, putting to the tooth a little ball made of the 

 leafe of the Tabaco, washing first the tooth with a smal cloth 

 wet in the Juyce, it stayeth it, that the putrifaction goe not 

 forwarde : and this remedie is so common that it healeth euerie 

 one." Of greater interest is the account of its application as a 

 wound-herb and of an experiment made on a small dog at the 

 Spanish Court. 



" A little whiles past, certain wilde people going in their 

 Bootes [boats] to S. John De puerto Rico to shoote at Indians 

 or Spaniards (if that they might find them) came to a place 

 and killed certain Indians and Spaniards and did hurt many, 

 and as by chance there was no Sublimatum at that place to 

 heale them, they remembered to lay upon the wounds the Juice 

 of the Tabaco and the leaves stamped. And God would, that 

 laying it upon the hurts, the griefs, madnes, and accidents 

 wherewith they died were mittigated, and in such sorte they 

 were delivered of that euill that the strength of the Venom was 

 taken away and the wounds were healed, of the which there 

 was great admiration. Which thing being knowen to them of 



