2 THE COMPLETE HERBAL. 



them : Country people commonly take the they are something hairy, each leaf con- 

 berries of it, and having bruised them, ap-jsisting of five or six pair of such wings set 

 ply them to felons, and thereby soon rid j one against the other upon foot-stalks, broad 

 their fingers of such troublesome guests. \ below, but narrow towards the end ; one of 



We have now showed you the external j the leaves is a little deeper at the bottom 

 use of the herb ; we shall speak a word or j than the other, of a fair yellowish fresh 

 two of the internal, and so conclude. Take j green colour: they are of a bitterish taste, 

 notice, it is a Mercurial herb, and there- being chewed in the mouth ; from among 

 fore of very subtile parts, as indeed all \ these rises up a stalk, green in colour, 

 Mercurial plants are; therefore take a; round in form, great and strong in magni- 

 pound of the wood and leaves together, j tude, five or six feet in altitude, with many 

 bruise the wood (which you may easily do, -joints, and some leaves thereat ; towards the 

 for it is not so hard as oak) then put it in j top come forth umbels of small yellow 

 a pot, and put to it three pints or white j flowers, after which are passed away, you 

 wine, put on the pot-lid and shut it close ; ; may find whitish, yellow, short, flat seeds, 

 and let it infuse hot over a gentle fire twelve; bitter also in taste. 



hours, then strain it out, so have you a j Place.~\ Having given you a description 

 most excellent drink to open obstructions | of the herb from bottom to top, give me 

 of the 'iver and spleen, to help difficulty I leave to tell you, that there are other herbs 

 of breath, bruises and fails, and congealed ; called by this name ; but because they are 

 blood in any part or' the body, it helps the j strangers in England, I give only the des- 

 yellow jaundice, the dropsy, and black j cription or this, which is easily to be had 

 jaundice, arid to cleanse women newly j in the gardens of divers places, 

 brought to bed. You may drink a quarter) Time.} Although Gerrard saith, thai they 

 of a pint of the infusion every morning. flower from the beginning of May to the 

 It purges the body very gently, and not lend of Decembei, experience teaches them 

 churlishly as some hold. And when you \ that keep it in their gardens, that it flowers 

 find good by this, remember me. | not till the latter end of the Summer, and 



They that think the use of these medi- ; sheds its seed presently after, 

 cines is too brief, it is only for the cheap- 5 Gorernmetit and virtues.'] It is under the 

 ness of the book ; let them read those books j dominion of Mars, hot, biting, and choleric; 

 of mine, of the last edition, viz. Reverius, j and remedies what evils Mars inflicts the 

 Veslingus, Riolanus, Johnson, Sennertus, and ; body of man with, by sympathy, as vipers' 

 Physic for the Poor. j flesh attracts poison, and the loadstone 



i iron. It kills the worms, helps the gout, 

 I cramp, and convulsions, provokes urine, 



IT is called All-heal, Kercules's All-heal, | and helps all joint-aches. It helps all cold 

 and Hercules's Wound-wort, because it is j griefs of the head, the vertigo, falling-sick- 

 supposed that Hercules learned the herb i ness, the lethargy, the wind cholic. obstruc- 

 and its virtues from Chiron, when he learn- itions of the liver and spleen, stone in the 

 ed physic of him. Some call it Panay, ! kidneys and bladder. It provokes the 

 and others Opopane-wort. j terms, expels the dead birth: it. is excellent 



Descnpl.'] Its root is long, thick, and ex- j good for the griefs of the sinews, itch, stone, 

 eeeding full of juice, of a hot and biting; and tooth-ache, the biting of mad dogs and 

 taste, the leaves are great and large, and | venomous beasts, and purges choler very 

 winged almost like ash-tree leaves, but that; gently. 



