CULPEPER's complete HERBAlL. 63 



adding the like aaautity of grass root to tuuui ; the more 

 of the root you boil the stronger will the decoction be ; 

 it works no ill etfeots, yet I hope yoii have wit enough to 

 give the strongest decoction to the strongest bodies. 



BROOM, OR BROOM-RAPE.— (Oro6ancA« Major.) 



To spend time in writing a description hereof is altogether 

 nee<ile8s, it being so generally used by all the good house- 

 wives almost throughout this land to sweep their houses 

 with, and therefore very well known to all sorts of people. 



The broom-rape springeth up on many places from the 

 roots of the broom, but more often in fields, as by hedge- 

 sides and on heaths : the stalk whereof is of the bigness 

 of a finger or thumb, above two feet high, having a show 

 of leaves on them, and many flower at the tops of a reddish 

 yellow colour, as also the stalks and leaves are. 



Place, — They grow in many places of this land com- 

 monly, and as commonly spoil all the land they grow in. 



Tijne. —They flower in tne summer months, and give 

 their seed before winter. 



Oovemment and Virtues.— -The juice or decoction of the 

 young branches, or seed, or the powder of the seed taken 

 in drink purgeth downwards, and draweth phlegmatic 

 and watery humours from the joints, whereby it helpeth 

 the dropsy, gout, sciatica, and pains of the hips and joints ; 

 it also provoketh strong vomits, and helpeth the pains of 

 the sides, and swelling of the spleen ; cleanseth also the 

 reins or kidneys, and bladder of the stone, provoketh 

 urine abundantly, and hindereth the growing again of the 

 stone in the body. The continual use of the powder of 

 the leaves and seed doth cure the black jaundice ; the 

 distilled water of the flowers is profitable for all the same 

 purposes ; it also helpeth surfeits, and altereth the fit of 

 agues, if three or four ounces thereof with as much of the 

 water of the lesser centaury, and a little sugar put there- 

 in, be taken a little before the fit cometh, and the party 

 be laid down in his bed : the oil or water that is drawn 

 from the end of the ^een sticks heated in the fire, helpeth 

 the tooth-ache : the juice of young branches made into ao 

 ointment of old hog's grease, and anointed, or the young 

 branches bruised and heated in oil or hog's grease, and 

 laid to the sides pained by wind, as in stitches or the 

 ■pleen, easeth them in once or twice using it : the same 

 boiled in oil is the safest and surest medicine to kill lioe 



