CXTLPEPEB's COMPLiTS HS&BAL. 126 



forth Diany purplish crimson threads, and sometimes, al- 

 though very seldom, white ones. The seed that followeth 

 In the heads, lying in a great deal of white down, is some- 

 what large, long, and round like the seed of Ladies Thistle 

 but somewhat paler. The root is great and thick, spread- 

 ing much, yet it usually dieth after seed time. 



Place. — It groweth in divers ditches, banks, and in 

 corn fields and highways, generally everywhere through- 

 out the land. 



Time. — It flowereth and beareth seed about the end of 

 ■ummer, when other thistles do flower and seed, 



Oovernment and Virtues. — Mars owns the plant, and 

 manifests to the world, that though it may hurt your 

 finger, it will help your body j for I fancy it much for 

 the ensuing virtues. Pliny and Dioscorides write, that 

 the leaves and roots thereof taken in drink help those that 

 have a crick in their neck, whereby they cannot turn 

 their neck but their whole body must turn also (surely 

 they do not mean those that have got a crick in their neck 

 by being under the hangman's hand.) Galen saith, that 

 the roots and leaves hereof are of a healing quality, and 

 are good for such persons as have their bodies drawn to- 

 gether by some spasm or convulsion, as it is with chil- 

 dren that have the rickets, or rather, as the College of 

 Physicians will have it, the rachites ; for which name of 

 the disease they have in a particular treatise lately set 

 forth by them, learnedly disputed and put forth to public 

 view, that the world may see they have taken much pains 

 to little purpose, 



DB, AQOtJ,—{Dracontium,) 



Tbbt are so well known to every one that plants them In 

 their £;ardenfl, that they need no description ; if not, let 

 them Took down to the lower end of the stalks, and see 

 how like a snake they look. 



Oovernment and Virtues. — The plant is under the do- 

 minion of MatSj and therefore it would be a wonder if it 

 should want some obnoxious quality or other: in all herbs 

 of that quality , the safest way ia either to distil the herb 

 in alembic, in what vehicle you please, or else to press 

 out the juice and distil that in a glass-still in sand It 

 soonreth and cleanseth the internal parts of the body 

 mightily, and it cleareth the external parts also, 

 bemg externally applied, from freckle^ morphew, ana 



