oulpkpbr'b OOXPLSTB HXRBAL. 49 



with : yon may boil the leaves into a poultice, or make an 

 omtment of them when the time of year serves. 



BILB£BBI£S. oe WHORTLEBERBISS.— ( Vaccinium 

 MyrtiUut.) 



Detcrip, — Of these there are two sorts which are com- 

 mon in England, viz. — the black and red berries. And 

 first of the olack. 



The small bush creepeth along upon the ground, scarce 

 rising half a yard high, with divers small dark green leaves 

 set in the green branches, not always one against the 

 other, and a little dent^ about the edges ; at the foot of 

 the leaves come forth small, hollow, pale, blueish coloured 

 flowers, the brims ending in five points, with a reddish 

 thread in the middle, which pass into small round berriec 

 of the bigness and colour of the iuniper berries, but of a 

 purple, sweetish, sharp taste ; the juice of them give a 

 parpiiih colour to the hands and lipe that eat and handle 

 them, especially if they break them. The root groweth 

 sslope under ground, shooting forth in sundry places as it 

 creepeth. This loseth its leaves in winter. 



Tne red bilberry, or whortle-bush, riseth up like the 

 former, having 8und[ry hard leaves, like the box^tree leaves, 

 green and round pointed, standing on the several branches, 

 at the top whereof only, and not from the sides as in the 

 former, come forth divers round, reddish, sappy berries, 

 of a sharp taste when they are ripe. The root runneth in 

 the ground as in the former, but the leaves of this abide 

 all the winter. 



Place. — The first groweth in forests, on the heath, and 

 SDch like barren places. The red grows in the north parts 

 oi this land, as Lancashire, Yorkshire, &c. 



Time, — They flower in March and April, and the fruit 

 of the black is ripe in July and August. 



Ocvemment arid Virtttes. — They are under the dominion 

 of Jupiter. It is a pity they are used no more in phyde 

 than they are. The black bilberries are good in hot agues^ 

 and to cool the heat of the liver and stomach : they do 

 somewhat bind the belly, and stay the vomitings and 

 kiathings : the juice of the berries made into a syrup, or 

 the palp made into a conserve with sugar, is good for the 

 pnrposss aforesaid, as also for an old cough, or an ulcer in 

 ilMinD^ or other diseases therein. The red whorts art 

 binding, and stop women's courses, spitting of blood, 



