10 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



say the flowers never open but when the 

 wind blows. Pliny is my author; if it 

 be not so, blame him. The seed also (if it 

 bears any at all) flies away with the wind. 



Place and Tinted] They are sown usually 

 in the gardens of the curious, and flower in 

 the Spring-time. As for discription I shall 

 pass it, being well known to all those that 

 sow them. 



Government and virtues .] It is under the 

 dominion of Mars, being supposed to be a 

 kind of Crow-foot. The leaves provoke 

 the terms mightily, being boiled, and the 

 decoction drank. The body being bathed 

 with the decoction of them, cures the leprosy. 

 The leaves being stamped and the juice 

 snuffed up in the nose, purges the head 

 mightily ; so does the root, being chewed in 

 the mouth, for it procures much spitting, 

 and brings away many watery and phleg- 

 matic humours, and is therefore excellent 

 for the lethargy. And when all is done, 

 let physicians prate what they please, all 

 the pills in the dispensatory purge not the 

 head like to hot things held in the mouth. 

 Being made into an ointment, and the eye- 

 lids anointed with it, it helps inflammations 

 of the eyes, whereby it is palpable, that every 

 stronger draws its weaker like. The same 

 ointment is excellently good to cleanse ma- 

 lignant and corroding ulcers. 



GARDEN ARRACH. 



CALLED also Orach, and Arage ; it is 

 cultivated for domestic uses. 



DescriptJ] It is so commonly known to 

 every housewife, it were labour lost to de- 

 scribe it. 



Time.'] It flowers and seeds from June 

 to the end of August. 



Government and virtues^] It is under the 

 government of the Moon ; in quality cold 

 and moist like unto her. It softens and 

 loosens the body of man being eaten, and 

 fortifies the expulsive faculty in him. The 

 herb, whether it be bruised and applied to 



the throat, or boiled, and in like manner 

 applied, it matters not much, it is excellently 

 good for swellings in the throat : the best 

 way, I suppose, is to boil it, apply the 

 herb outwardly : the decoction of it, besides, 

 is an excellent remedy for the yellow jaun- 

 dice. 



ARRACH, WILD AND STINKING. 



CALLED also Vulvaria, from that part of 

 the body upon which the operation is most ; 

 also Dog's Arrach, Goat's Arrach, and 

 Stinking Motherwort. 



DescriptJ] This has small and almost 

 round leaves, yet a little pointed and with- 

 out dent or cut, of a dusky mealy colour, 

 growing on the slender stalks and branches 

 that spread on the ground, with small 

 flowers set with the leaves, and small seeds 

 succeeding like the rest, perishing yearly, 

 and rising again with its own sowing. It 

 smells like rotten fish, or something worse. 



PlaceJ] It grows usually upon dunghills. 



Time.~\ They flower in June and July, 

 and their seed is ripe quickly after. 



Government andvirtuesJ] Stinking Arrach 

 is used as a remedy to women pained, and 

 almost strangled with the mother, by smell- 

 ing to it ; but inwardly taken there is no 

 better remedy under the moon for that dis- 

 ease. I would be large in commendation 

 of this herb, were I but eloquent. It is an 

 herb under the dominion of Venus, and un- 

 der the sign Scorpio ; it is common almost 

 upon every dunghill. The works of God 

 are freely given to man, his medicines are 

 common and cheap, and easily to be found. 

 I commend it for an universal medicine for 

 the womb, and such a medicine as will 

 easily, safely, and speedily cure any disease 

 thereof, as the fits of the mother, disloca- 

 tion, or falling out thereof; cools the 

 womb being over-heated. And let me tell 

 you this, and I will tell you the truth, heat 

 of the womb is one of the greatest causes 



