44 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



THE LESSER CELANDINE, USUALL Y | J< ern , e ' s b J the ears and throat, called the 



KNOWN BY THE NAME OP PILE WORT { ^ ***> T *"* Other haF(1 WenS OF 

 AND FOGWORT. 5 tumours. 



Here s another secret for my countrymen 



I WONDER what ailed the ancients to \ and women, a couple of them together; 

 give this the name Celandine, which re-fPilewort made into an oil, ointment, or 

 sembles it neither in nature nor form; itjplaister, readily cures both the piles, or 

 acquired the name of Pilewort from its { haemorrhoids, and the king's evil: The 

 virtues, and it being no great matter where j very herb borne about one's body next the 

 I set it down, so I set it down at all, I j skin helps in such diseases, though it never 

 humoured Dr. Tradition so much, as to set j touch the place grieved ; let poor people 

 him down here. j make much of it for those uses ; with this 



Descript.~] This Celandine or Pilewort 5 1 cured my own daughter of the king's 

 (which you please) doth spread many round j evil, broke the sore, drew out a quarter of 

 pale green leaves, set on weak and trailing j a pint of corruption, cured without any 

 branches which lie upon the ground, and 5 scar at all in one week s time, 

 are flat, smooth, and somewhat shining, 5 



and in some places (though seldom) marked j THB ORDINA * Y SMALL CENTAURY. 

 with black spots, each standing on a long| Descript.~] THIS grows up most usually 

 foot-stalk, among which rise small yellow \ but with one round and somewhat crusted 

 flowers, consisting of nine or ten small nar- * stalk, about a foot high or better, branching 

 row leaves, upon slender foot-stalks, very \ forth at the top into many sprigs, and some 



like unto Crowsfoot, whereunto the seed 

 also is not unlike being many small kernels 

 like a grain of corn sometimes twice as 

 long as others, of a whitish colour, with 



also from the joints of the stalks below ; the 

 flowers thus stand at the tops as it were in 

 one umbel or tuft, are of a pale red, tending 

 to carnation colour, consisting of five, 



fibres at the end of them. ; sometimes six small leaves, very like those 



Placed] It grows for the most part in | of St. John's Wort, opening themselves in 

 moist corners of fields and places that are \ the day time and closing at night, after 

 near water sides, yet will abide in drier \ which come seeds in little short husks, in 

 ground if they be but a little shady. j form like unto wheat corn. The leaves are 



Time.'] It flowers betimes, about March $ small and somewhat round ; the root small 

 or April, is quite gone by May ; so it can- and hard, perishing every year. The whole 



not be found till it spring again. 



Government and virtues.] It is under the 

 dominion of Mars, and behold here another 



plant is of an exceeding bitter taste. 



There is another sort in all things like the 

 former, save only it bears white flowers. 



verification of the learning of the ancients, I Placed] They grow ordinarily in fields, 

 viz. that the virtue of an herb may be i pastures, and woods, but that with the 

 known by its signature, as plainly appears I white flowers not so frequently as the other 

 in this ; for if you dig up the root of it, \ Time.] They flower in July or there- 

 you shall perceive the perfect image of the 5 abouts, and seed within a month after, 

 disease which they commonly call the piles. | Government and virtues.] They are under 

 It is certain by good experience, that the 1 the dominion of the Sun, as appears in that 

 decoction of the leaves and roots wonder- : their flowers open and shut as the Sun either 

 fully helps piles and haemorrhoids, also 1 shews or hides his face. This herb, ooiled 



