90 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



in wine, helps digestion, discusses wind, 

 hinders crudities abiding in the stomach, 

 and helps the difficulty of making water, 



day, it rather shews the superstition of 

 those that observe it for the time of its 

 flowering, than any great wonder, since 



the biting of venomous serpents, and sting- j the like may be found in divers other places 

 ing of the scorpion, if the herb be also 

 outwardly applied to the place, and is very 

 good against all other poisons. A scruple 

 of the dried root given in wine and vine- 

 gar, is profitable for those that have the 



of this land ; as in Whey -street in Romney 

 Marsh, and near unto Nantwich in Che- 

 shire, by a place called White Green, where 

 it flowers about Christmas and May. If 

 the weather be frosty, it flowers not until 



dropsy. The decoction of the herb taken \ January, or that the hard weather be over, 

 in honey, digests the phlegm in the chest ? Government and virtues. ~\ It is a tree of 

 or lungs, and with Hyssop helps the cough. I Mars. The seeds in the berries beaten to 

 The decoction thereof, and of wild Sue- j powder being drank in wine, are held sin- 

 cory, made with wine, and taken, helps the gularly good against the stone, and are good 

 wind cholic and hardness of the spleen ; it for the dropsy. The distilled water of the 



procures rest and sleep, hinders venery 

 and venerous dreams, cooling heats, purges 

 the stomach, increases blood, and helps 

 the diseases of the icins and bladder. Out- 

 wardly applied, it is singularly good for 

 all the defects and diseases of the eyes, used 

 with some women's milk; and used wilh 

 good success in fretting or creeping ulcers, 

 especially in the beginning. The green 

 leaves bruised, and with a little salt ap- 



flowers stav the lask. The seed cleared 

 from the down, bruised and boiled in wine, 

 and drank, is good for inward tormenting 

 pains. If cloths or sponges be wet in the 

 distilled water, and applied to any place 

 wherein thorns and splinters, or the like, 

 do abide in the flesh, it will notably draw 

 them forth. 



And thus you see the thorn gives a medi- 

 cine for its own pricking, and so dotli 



plied to any place burnt with fire, before ' almost every thing else. 



in 



: 



HEMLOCK. 



blisters do rise, helps them ; as also 

 flammat'ons, St. Anthony's fire, and all j 

 pushes and eruptions, hot and salt phlegm. j 



The same applied with meal and fair waters Descnpt.~\ THE common great Hemlock 

 in manner of a poultice, to any place af- \ grows up with a green stalk, four or five 

 fected with convulsions, the cramp, and j feet high, or more, full of red spots some- 

 such as are out af joint, cloth give help and j times, and at the joints very large winged 

 ease. The distilled water cleanses the skin, heaves set at them, which are divided into 

 and takes away freckles, spots, morphew, many other winged leaves, one set against 

 or wrinkles in the face. jthe other, dented about the edges, of a sad 



HAWTHORN. 1 ^ e n colour branched towards the lop, 



i Avhere it is full of umbels of white flowers, 



IT is not my intention to trouble you i and afterwards with whitish flat seed : The 

 with a description of this tree, which is so \ root is long, white, and sometimes crooked, 

 well known that it needs none. It is ordi- 1 and hollow within. The whole plant, and 

 narily but a hedge bush, although being! every part, has a strong, heady, and ill- 

 pruned and dressed, it grows to a tree of j savoured scent, much offending the senses 

 :i reasonable height. Place.'] It grows in all counties of this 



As for the Hawthorn Tree at Glastonbury, i land, by walls and hedge-sides, in waste 

 which is said to flower yearly on Christmas- j grounds and untilled places. 



