20 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



chiefly nourished up in gardens. The nar- ^immoderate bleeding thereof. The decoc- 

 row leafed Bistort grows in the north, in ! tion of the root in water, where unto some 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland. | pomegranate peels and flowers are added, 



Time.'] They flower about the end of j injected into the matrix, stays the immo- 

 May, and the seed is ripe about the begin- i derate flux of the courses. The root there- 

 ning of July. ; of with pelitory of Spain, and burnt alum, 



Government and virtues.'] It belongs tojof each a little quantity, beaten small and 

 Saturn, and is in operation cold and dry ; > into paste with some honey, and a little 

 both the leaves and roots have a powerful j piece thereof put into an hollow tooth, or 

 faculty to resist all poison. The root in j held between the teeth, if there be no hoi- 

 powder taken in drink expels the venom j lowness in them, stays the defluction of 

 of the plague, the small-pox, measels, pur- j rheum upon them which causes pains, and 

 pies, or any other infectious disease, driv- $ helps to cleanse the head, and void much 

 ing it out by sweating. The root in powder, ; offensive water. The distilled water is very 

 the decoction thereof in wine being drank, t effectual to wash sores or cankers in the 

 stays all manner of inward bleeding, or j nose, or any other part ; if the powder of 

 spitting of blood, and any fluxes in the 1 the root be applied thereunto afterwards, 

 body of either man or woman, or vomiting, j It is good also to fasten the gums, and to 

 It is also very available against ruptures, : take away the heat and inflammations that 

 or burstings, or all bruises from falls, dissolv- \ happen in the jaws, almonds of the throat, 



ing the congealed blood, and easing the 

 pains that happen thereupon ; it also helps 

 the jaundice. 



The water distilled from both leaves and 

 roots, is a singular remedy to wash any 

 place bitten or stung by any venomous 

 creature ; as also for any of the purposes 

 before spoken of, and is very good to wash 



or mouth, if the decoction of the leaves, 

 roots, or seeds bruised, or the juice of them 

 be applied ; but the roots are most effectual 

 to the purposes aforesaid. 



DescriptJ] THIS small plant never bears 

 more than one leaf, but only when it rises 



any running sores or ulcers. The decoction j up with its stalk, which thereon bears 



of the root in wine being drank, hinders 

 abortion or miscarriage in child-bearing. 

 The leaves also kill the worms in children, 



another, and seldom more, which are of a 

 blueish green colour, broad at the bottom, 

 and pointed with many ribs or veins like 



and is a great help to them that cannot keep | Plaintain ; at the top of the stalk grow 

 their water; if the juice of Plaintain be J many small flowers star-fashion, smelling 

 added thereto, and outwardly applied, much ! somewhat sweet ; after which comes small 

 helps the ghonorrhea, or running of the! reddish berries when they are ripe. The 

 reins. A dram of the powder of the root \ root small of the bigness of a rush, lying 

 taken in water thereof, wherein some red I and creeping under the upper crust of the 

 hot iron or steel hath been quenched, is also \ earth, shooting forth in divers places, 

 an admirable help thereto, so as the body j Place.'] It grows in moist, shadowy, 

 be first prepared and purged from the of- j grassy places of woods, in many places of 

 fensive humours. The leaves, seed, or roots j this realm. 



are all veiy good in decoctions, drinks or; Time.'] It flowers about May, and the 

 lotions, for inward or outward wounds, or ! berries are ripe in June, and then quickly 

 other sores. And the powder strewed upon | perishes, until the next year it springs from 

 any cut or wound in a vein, stays the ; the same again. 



