98 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



good for all inward heats as well as out- 

 ward, and in the eyes or other parts of the 

 body ; a posset made with the juice of 

 Houseleek, is singularly good in all hot 

 agues, for it cools and tempers the blood 

 and spirits, and quenches the thirst; and 



which consist of small purplish red leaves 

 of a dead colour, rising out of the husks 

 wherein they stand with some threads in 

 the middle. It has sometimes a white 

 flower. After the flowers are past, there 

 comes rough flat seed, with a small pointle 



also good to stay all hot deductions or sharp * in the middle, easily cleaving to any gar- 

 and salt rheums in the eyes, the juice being >ment that it touches, and not so easily 

 dropped into them, or into the ears. J pulled off again. The root is black, thick, 

 It helps also other fluxes of humours in the i and long, hard to break, and full of clammy 

 bowels, and the immoderate courses ofi juice, smelling somewhat strong, of an evil 

 women. It cools and restrains all other hot \ scent, as the leaves also do. 

 inflammations, St. Anthony's fire, scald- j Place.'] It grows in moist places of this 

 ings and burnings, the shingles, fretting! land, in waste grounds, and untillecl places, 

 ulcers, cankers, tettors, ringworms, and the! by highway sides, lanes, and hedge-sides, 

 like; and much eases the pains of the gout| Time.~\ It flowers about May or June, 

 proceeding from any hot cause. The juice j and the seed is ripe shortly after, 

 also takes away worts and corns in the] Government and virtues.'] It is a plant 



hands or feet, being often bathed therewith, 

 and the skin and leaves being laid on them 

 afterwards. It eases also the head-ache, 

 and distempered heat of the brain in 

 frenzies, or through want of sleep, being 

 applied to the temples and forehead. The 

 leaves bruised and laid upon the crown or 



under the dominion of Mercury. The root 

 is very effectually used in pills, as well as 

 the decoction, or otherwise, to stay all sharp 

 and thin defluxionsof rheum from the head 

 into the eyes or nose, or upon the stomach 

 or lungs, as also for coughs and shortness 

 of breath. The leaves boiled in wine (saith 



seam of the head, stays bleeding at the nose j Dioscorides, but others do rather appoint it 

 very quickly. The distilled water of the | to be made with water, and add therelo 



herb is profitable for all the purposes afore- 

 said. The leaves being gently rubbed on 

 any place stung with nettles or bees, doth 

 quickly take away the pain. 



HOUND S TONGUE. 



Descript.~\ THE great ordinary Hound's 



oil and salt) molifies or opens the belly 

 downwards. It also helps to cure the biting 

 of a mad dog, some of the leaves being also 

 .applied to the wound : The leaves bruised, 

 | or the juice of them boiled in hog's lard, 

 Jand applied, helps falling away of the hair, 

 which comes of hot and sharp humours ; 



Tongue has many long and somewhat as also for any place that is scalded or 



narrow, soft, hairy, darkish green leaves, 

 lying on the ground, somewhat like unto 

 Bugloss leaves, from among which rises 



up a rough hairy stalk about two feet high, paste or wet paper, or in a wet double cloth 



burnt ; the leaves bruised and laid to any 

 green wound doth heal it up quickly : the 

 root baked under the embers, wrapped in 



with some smaller leaves thereon, and; 

 branched at the tops into divers parts, with 

 a small leaf at the foot of every branch, 

 which is somewhat long, with man}' flowers 



and thereof a suppository made, and put 

 up into or applied to the fundament, doth 

 very effectually help the painful piles or 

 haemorrhoids. The distilled water of the 



set along the same, which branch is crooked herbs and roots is very good to all the pur- 

 or turned inwards before it flowers, and j poses aforesaid, to be used as well inwardly 

 opens by degrees as the flowers blow, | to drink, as outwardly to wash any sore 



