AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 29 



colour of it: Hurt-sickle, because it turns | The juice dropped into the eyes lakes away 

 the edge of the sickles that reap the corn ; j the heat and inflammation of them. The 

 Blue-blow, Corn flower, and Blue-bottle, j distilled water of this herb, has the same 

 Descript.~\ I shall only describe that j properties, and may be used for the effects 

 which is commonest, and in my opinion \ aforesaid, 

 most useful ; its leaves spread upon the 

 ground, being of a whitish green colour, 

 somewhat on the edges like those of Corn- 

 Scabions, amongst which rises up a stalk 



BRANK URSINE. 



BESIDES the common name Brank- 

 Ursine, it is also called Bear's-breech, and 



divided into divers branches, beset with | Acanthus, though I think our English 

 long leaves of a greenish colour, either but- names to be more proper; for the Greek 

 very little indented, or not at all ; the I word Acanthus, signifies any thistle what- 

 flowers are of a blueish colour, from whence : soever. 



it took its name, consisting of an innumera- j Descript.~\ This thistle shoots forth very 

 ble company of flowers set in a scaly head, j many large, thick, sad green smooth leaves 

 not much unlike those of Knap-weed ; the j on the ground, with a very thick and juicy 

 seed is smooth, bright, and shining, wrapp- j middle rib; the leaves are parted with 

 ed up in a wooly mantle ; the root perishes j sundry deep gashes on the edges; the leaves 

 every year. | remain a long time, before any stalk ap- 



PlaceJ] They grow in corn fields, amongst | pears, afterwards rise? up a reasonable big 

 all sorts of corn, (pease, beans, and tares * stalk, three or four feet high, and bravely 

 excepted.) If you please to take them up | decked with flowers from the middle of the 

 from thence, and transplant them in your \ stalk upwards ; for on the lower part of the 

 garden, especially towards the full of j stalk, there is neither branches nor leaf, 

 the rnoon, they will grow more double than > The flowers are hooded and gaping, being 

 they are, and many times change colour, i white in colour, and standing in brownish 



Time.~\ They flower from the beginning | husks, with a long small undivided leaf 

 of May, to the end of harvest. j under each leaf; they seldom seed in our 



Government and virtues.'] As they are ! country. Its roots are many, great and 

 naturally cold, dry, and binding, so they j thick, blackish without and whitish within, 

 are under the dominion of Saturn. The full of a clammy sap ; a piece of them if 



powder or dried leaves of the Blue-bottle, 

 or Corn flower, is given with good success 



you set it in the garden, and defend it from 

 the first Winter cold, will grow and flourish. 



to those that are bruised by a fall, or have \ Placed] They are only nursed in the 

 broken a vein inwardly, and void much j gardens in England, where they will grow 

 blood at the mouth ; being taken in the 5 very well. 



water of Plantain, Horsetail, or the greater j Time.'] It flowers in June and July. 

 Comfrey, it is a remedy against the poison 1 Government and virtues.^ It is an exccl- 

 cf the scorpion, and resists all venoms and | lent plant under the dominion of the Moon; 

 poison. The seed or leaves taken in wine, ; I could wish such as are studious would 

 is very good against the plague, and all in- i labour to keep it in their gardens. The 

 fectious diseases, and is very good in pes- 1 leaves being boiled and used in clysters, is 

 tilential fevers. The juice put into fresh or \ excellent good to molify the belly, and 

 green wounds, doth quickly solder up the \ make the passage slippery. The decoction 

 lips of them together, and is very effectual { drank inwardly, is excellent and good for 

 to heal all ulcers and sores in the mouth. ' the bloody-flux : The leaves being bruised. 



