40 culpxfxr's complxtx herbal. 



and as it helps the deficiency of Venus in one kind, so it 

 spoils all her actions in another. I dare write no more of 

 it 



BAY TREE,— (ZattTM* Nohilis.) 



This is so well known, that it needs no description ; I 

 shall therefore only write the virtues thereof, which are 

 Biany. 



Oovemment and Virtiies. — I shall but only add a word 

 or two to what my friend hath written, viz. — That it is a 

 tree of the Sun, and under the celestial sign Leo, and 

 resisteth witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old 

 Saturn can do the body of man, and they are not a few ; 

 for it is the speech of one, and I am mistaken if it were 

 not Mizaldus, that neither witch nor devil, thunder nor 

 lightning, will hurt a man where a bay tree i& Qalen 

 said, that the leaves or bark do dry and heal veir much, 

 and the berries more than the leaves ; the bark of the 

 root is less sharp and hot, but more bitter, and hath some 

 astrictions withal, whereby it is effectual to break the 

 stone, and good to open obstructions of the liver, spleen, 

 and other inward parts which bring the jaundice, dix)psy, 

 Ac. The berries are very effectual against all poisons of 

 venomous creatures, and the stini^ of wasps and bees, as 

 also against the pestilence, or other infectious diseases, 

 and therefore put into sundry treacles for that purpose. 

 They likewise procure women's courses ; and seven of 

 them given to a woman in sore travail of child-birth, do 

 cause a speedy delivery, and expel the after birth, and 

 therefore not to be taken by such as have not gone out of 

 their time, lest they procure abortion, or cause labour too 

 soon. They wonderfully help all cold and rheumatic 

 distiUations from the brain to the eyes, lungs, or other 

 parts ; and being made into an electuary with honey, do 

 nelp the consumption, old coughs, shortness of breath, 

 and thin rheums, as also the megrim. They mightily 

 expel the wind, and provoke urine ; help the mother, and 

 kill the worms. The leaves also work tne like effects. A 

 bath of the decoction of the leaves and berries, is singular 

 good for women to sit in that are troubled with the 

 mother, or the diseases thereof, or the stoppings of their 

 courses, or for the diseases of the bladder, pains in the 

 bowels by wind and stopping of urine. A decoction like- 

 wise of equal parts of bay berriei, camin-seed, hyssops 



