ISO OULPSPER'S COMFLKTS HSKBAL. 



sooner ; besides, Bloodwort is exceeding strengthening to 

 the liver, and procures good blood, being as wholesome a 

 pot herb as any growing in a garden. 



DODDER OF TRYME.-^ Cuscuta Europaa.) 



Descrip, — ^This first, from seed, giveth roots in the 

 ground, which shooteth forth threads or strings, grosser 

 or finer as the property of the plant wherein it groweth 

 and the climate doth suffer, creeping and spreading on 

 that plant whereon it fasteneth, be it high or low. The 

 strings have no leaves at all upon them, but wind and 

 interlace themselves so thick upon a small plant, that it 

 taketh away all comfort of the sun from it ; and is ready 

 to choke or stranorle it. After these strings are risen up 

 to that height, that they may draw nourishment from 

 the plant, they seem to be broken off from the ground, 

 either by the strength of their rising or withered by the 

 heat of the sun. Upon these strings are found clusters of 

 small heads or husks, out of which shoot forth whitish 

 flowers, which afterwards give small pale white-coloured 

 seed, somewhat fiat, and twice as big as a poppy-seed. It 

 generally participates of the nature of the plants it clim- 

 beth upon ; but the Dodder of Thyme is accounted the 

 best, and is the only true one. 



Oovemmentand Virtues, — All Dodders are under Saturn. 

 Tell me hot of physicians crying up Epithymum, or that 

 Dodder which grows upon Thyme, ^most of which comes 

 from Hemetius in Greece, or Hybla in Sicily, because 

 those mountains abound with Thyme) he is a physician 

 indeed that hath wit enough to choose his Dodder, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the disease and humour peccant We 

 confess Thyme is the hottest herb it usually grows upon, 

 and thereK>re that which grows upon Thyme is hotter 

 than that which grows upon colder herbs ; for it draws 

 nourishment from what it grows up)on, as well as from 

 the earth where its root is, and thus you see old Saturn 

 is wise enough to have two strings to his bow. This is 

 accounted the most eflectual for melancholy diseases, and 

 to purge black or burnt choler, which is the cause of 

 many diseases of the head and brain, as also for the trem- 

 bling of the heart, faintiugs, and swoonings. It is help- 

 ful in all diseases and griefs of the spleen, and melancho- 

 ly that arises from the windiness of the hypocondria. It 

 pargeth also the reins or kidneys by urine ; it openeth ob- 



