P2 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



very large, thick, soft, woolly leaves, lying : found without it growing by it. Ergo, it 

 on the ground, much cut in, or torn on the j is an herb of Saturn. The leaves of Hei.- 

 edges, of a dark, ill greyish green colour ;, bane do cool all hot inflammations in the 

 among which arise up divers thick and | eyes, or any other part of the body; and 

 short stalks, two or three feet high, spread | are good to assuage all manner of swellings 

 into divers small branches, with lesser leaves \ of the privities, or women's breast, or else- 

 on them, and many hollow flowers, scarce j where, if they be boiled in wine, and either 

 appearing above the husk, and usually torn j applied themselves, or the fomentation 

 on one side, ending in five round points, j warm; it also assuages the pain of the gout, 

 growing one above another, of a deadishjthe sciatica, and other pains in the joints 

 yellowish colour, somewhat paler towards ? which arise from a hot cause. And applied 

 the edges, with many purplish veins | with vinegar to the forehead and temples, 

 therein, and of a dark, yellowish purples helps the head-ache and want of sleep in 

 in the bottom of the flower, with a small jhot fevers. The juice of the herb or seed, 

 point of the same colour in the middle, j or the oil drawn from the seed, does the 

 each of them standing in a hard close husk, | like. The oil of the seed is helpful for 

 which after the flowers are past, grow very i deafness, noise, and worms in the ears, 

 like the husk of Asarabacca, and some- being dropped therein ; the juice of the 



what sharp at the top points, wherein is 

 contained much small seed, very like Poppy 



herb or root doth the same. The decoction 

 of the herb or seed, or both, kills lice in 



seed, but of a dusky, greyish colour. The \ man or beast. The fume of the dried herb, 

 root is great, white, and thick, branching j stalks and seed, burned, quickly heals 

 forth divers ways under ground, so like a | swellings, chilblains or kibes in the hands 

 Parsnip root (but that it is not so white) j or feet, by holding them in the fume there- 

 thai it has deceived others. The whole plant j of. The remedy to help those that have 

 more than the root, has a very heavy, ill, j taken Henbane is to drink goat's milk, 

 soporiferous smell, somewhat offensive. j honeyed water, or pine kernels, with sweet 



Placed] It commonly grows by the way- j wine ; or, in the absence of these, Fennel 

 sides, and under hedge-sides and walls. j seed, Nettle seed, the seed of Cresses, 



Time.~\ It flowers in July, and springs | Mustard, or Radish ; as also Onions or 

 again yearly of its own seed. I doubt my Garlic taken in wine, do all help to free 

 authors mistook July for June, if not for * them from danger, and restore them to their 

 May. I due temper again. 



Government and virtues^] I wonder how | Take notice, that this herb must never 

 astrologers could take on them to make this ; be taken inwardly ; outwardly, an oil oint- 

 an herb of Jupiter; and yet Mizaldus, ajment, or plaister of it, is most admirable 

 man of a penetrating brain, was of that? for the gout, to cool the veneral heat of the 

 opinion as well as the rest ; the herb is in- \ reins in the French pox ; to stop the tooth- 

 deed under the dominion of Saturn, and | ache, being applied to the aching side: to 

 I prove it by this argument : All the herbs j allay all inflammations, and to help the 

 which delight most to grow in saturnine j diseases before premised, 

 places are saturnine herbs. Both Hen-j HEDGE 



bane delights most to grow in saturnine 



places, and whole cart loads of it may be 

 found near the places where they empty the 



D i VEERS sorts there are of this plant ; 

 the first of which is an Italian by birth, and 



common Jakes, and scarce a ditch to be only nursed up here in the gardens of the 



