32 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Mars, being of a gallant cleansing and j or the powder of the seed taken in drink, 

 opening quality. The decoction of the ; purges doAvnwards, and draws phlegmatic 

 root niad-e with wine opens obstructions, | and watery humours from the joints, where- 

 provokes urine, helps to expel gravel and | by it helps the dropsy, gout, sciatica, and 

 die stone, the stranguary and women's j pains of the hips and joints ; it also pro- 

 courses, also the yellow jaundice and the ; vokes strong vomits, and helps the pain* of 

 head-ache ; And with some honey or sugar j the sides, and swelling of the spleen, 

 put thereunto, cleanses the breast of phlegm, ; cleanses also the reins or kidneys and blad- 

 and the chest of such clammy humours jder of the stone, provokes urine abundantly, 

 gathered therein. The decoction of the > and hinders the growing again of the stone 

 root drank, and a poultice made of the fin the body. The continual use of the 

 berries and leaves applied, are effectual in j powder of the leaves and seed doth cure 

 knitting and consolidating broken bones or | the black jaundice. The distilled water of 

 parts out of joint. The common way of j the flowers is profitable for all the same 

 using it, is to boil the root of it, and Parsley | purposes : it also helps surfeits, and alters 

 and Fennel and Smallagein Avhitewine, and | the fit of agues, if three or four ounces 

 drink the decoction, adding the like (man- j thereof, with as much of the water of the 

 tity of Grass-root to them : The more of | lesser Centaury, and a little sugar put there- 

 the root you boil, the stronger will the de- ; in, be taken a little before the fit comes, 

 coction be ; it works no ill effects, yet I and the^ party be laid down to sweat in his 

 hope you have wit enough to give the 

 strongest decoction to the strongest bodies. 



bed. The oil or water that is drawn from 

 the end of the green sticks heated in the 



fire, helps the tooth-ache. The mice of 



BROOM, AND BROOM-RAPE. , , . . J e 



young branches made into an ointment of 

 To spend time in writing a description j old hog's grease, and anointed, or the young 

 hereof is altogether needless, it being so j branches bruised and heated in oil or hog's 

 generally used by all the good housewives j grease, and laid to the sides pained bv 

 almost through this land to sweep their j wind, as in stitches, or the spleen, ease 

 houses with, and therefore very well known them in once or twice using it. The same 

 to all sorts of people. I boiled in oil is the safest and surest medicine 



The Broom-rape springs up in many j to kill lice in the head or body of any ; 

 places from the roots of the broom (but \ and is an especial remedy for joint aches, 

 more often in fields, as by hedge-sides and land swollen knees, that come by the falling 

 on heaths.) The stalk whereof is of the \ down of humours, 

 bigness of a finger or thumb, above two; , ,, 



/. s i i i "- v r i .1, llM BROOM RAPE also IS not Without ItS 



feet high, having a shew of leaves on them,) . 



and many flowers at the top, of a reddish \ 



yellow colour, as also the stalks and leaves j THE decoction thereof in wine, is thought 



are. 1 to be as effectual to void the stone in the 



P/ace.] They grow in many places of j kidney or bladder, and to provoke urine, 

 this land commonly, and as commonly j as the Broom itself. The juice thereof is 

 spoil all the land they grow in. j a singular good help to cure as well green 



Time.~\ They flower in the Summer J wounds, as old and filthy sores and malig- 

 months, and give their seed before "Winter. ! nant ulcers. The insolate oil, wherein theix- 



Government and virtues^] The juice or \ has been three or four repetitions of infusion 

 decoction of the young branches, or seed, \ of the top stalks, with flowers strained and 



