52 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



and lank, that are apt to grow fat. The i this land, both north and west, and fre- 

 distilled water drank twice a day, helps the j quently by path-sides in the fields near 

 yellow jaundice, and the decoction of the about London, and within three or four 

 herb, in experience, is found to do the same, J miles distant about it, yet it usually grows 

 and stays lasks and bloody-fluxes. The j in or near ditches. 



juice of the leaves, or they a little bruised, i Time.~\ It flowers in June or July, and 

 and applied to any bleeding wounds, stays \ the seed is ripe soon after, 

 the bleeding. The juice also is very good | Government and virtues. ~\ It is under the 

 to close up the lips of greed wounds, and j dominion of the planet Saturn. It is sin- 

 the powder of the dried herb strewed there- j gularly effectual in all fresh and green 

 upon doth the same, and likewise helps 5 wounds, and therefore bears not this name 

 old ulcers. Being boiled in hog's grease, i for nought. And it is very available in 

 it helps all sorts of hard swellings or ker- 1 staunching of blood and to dry up the 

 nels in the throat, being anointed there- i fluxes of humours in old fretting ulcers, 

 with. The juice dropped into the ears, $ cankers, &c. that hinder the healing of 

 fakes away the pain of them. jthem. 



It is a good remedy in the Spring, eaten | A syrup made of the juice of it, is inferior 

 (being first chopped small, and boiled well) \ to none for inward wounds, ruptures of 

 in water-gruel, to cleanse the blood, and veins, bloody flux, vessels broken, spitting, 

 strengthen the liver, thereby to keep the urining, or vomiting blood : Ruptures are 

 body in health, and fitting it for that change j excellent and speedily, even to admiration. 



of season that is coming. 



cured by taking now and then a little of 



the syrup, and applying an ointment or 



CLOWNS WOOD , / v*v u u *. 4.1 i AI -f 



plaister or this herb to the place. Also, if 



Descript^] IT grows up sometimes to 5 , any vein be swelled or muscle, apply a 

 two or three feet, high, but usually about i plaister of this herb to it, and if you add 

 two feet, with square green rough stalks, j a little Comfrey to it, it will not be amiss 

 but slender, joined somewhat far asunder, 1 1 assure thee the herb deserves commenda- 

 and two very long, somewhat narrow, dark 5 tion, though it has gotten such a clownish 

 green leaves, bluntly dented about the j name ; and whosoever reads this, (if he try 

 edges thereof, ending in along point. The; it, as I have done,) will commend it; only 

 flowers stand towards the tops, compassing j take notice that it is of a dry earthy quality, 

 the stalks at the joints with the leaves, and | , 



i V1 J -, j , '. ?COCK S HEAD, RED PITCHING, OR ME- 



end likewise in a spiked top, having long ' mcK FETCH 



and much gaping hoods of a purplish red \ 



colour, with whitish spots in them, standing i DescriptJ] THIS has divers weak but 

 in somewhat round husks, wherein after- j rough stalks, half a yard long, leaning 

 wards stand blackish round seeds. The \ downward, but set with winged leaves, 

 root is composed of many long strings, j longer and more pointed than those of 

 with some tuberous long knobs growing | Lintels, and whitish underneath ; from the 

 among them, of a pale yellowish or whitish \ tops of these stalks arise up other slender 

 colour, yet some times of the year these i stalks, naked without leaves unto the tops, 

 knobby roots in many places are not seen j where there grow many small flowers in 

 in this plant : This plant smells somewhat manner of a spike, of a pale reddish colour, 

 strong. 1 with some blueness among them ; after 



Place.] It grows in sundry counties of i which rise up in their places, round, rough, 



