12 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



the spirits, is good against quartan agues, 

 stancheth bleeding at mouth and nose, if it 

 be stamped and applied to the nape of the 

 neck ; the herb also bruised, and with some 

 salt and vinegar and hog's-grease, laid upon 

 a hard tumour or swelling, or that vulgarly 

 called the king's evil, do help to dissolve or 

 discuss them ; and being in like manner 

 applied, doth much allay the pains, and give 

 ease to the gout, sciatica, and other pains 

 of the joints and sinews. It is also very 

 effectual to heal green wounds, and old 

 ulcers; also to stay their fretting, gnawing, 

 and spreading. It draws forth splinters, 

 and such like things gotten into the flesh, 

 and is very good against bruises and burn- i 

 ings. But the Yellow Archangel is most 

 commended for old, filthy, corrupt sores 

 and ulcers, yea although they grow to be 

 hollow, and to dissolve tumours. The 

 chief use of them is for women, it being a 

 herb of Venus. 



ARS SMART. 



The hot Arssmart is called also Water- 

 pepper, or Culrage. The mild Arssmart 

 is called dead Arssmart Persicaria, or Peach- 

 wort, because the leaves are so like the 

 leaves of a peach-tree ; it is also called 

 Plumbago. 



Description of the mild.'] This has broad 

 leaves set at the great red joint of the 

 stalks ; with semicircular blackish marks 

 on them, usually either blueish or whitish, 

 with such like seed following. The root is 

 long, with many strings thereat, perishing 

 yearly ; this has no sharp taste (as another 

 sort has, which is quick and biting) but 

 rather sour like sorrel, or else a little drying, 

 or without taste. 



Placed] Ttgrowsinwateryplaces, ditches, 

 and the like, which for the most part are 

 dry in summer. 



Time.~\ It flowers in June, and the seed 

 is ripe in August. 



Government and virtues.'] As the virtue of 

 both these is various, so is also their govern- 

 ment ; for that which is hot and biting, is 

 under the dominion of Mars, but Saturn, 

 challenges the other, as appears by that 

 leaden coloured spot he hath placed upon 

 the leaf. 



It is of a cooling and drying quality, 

 and very effectual for putrified ulcers in man 

 or beast, to kill worms, and cleanse the 

 putrified places. The juice thereof dropped 

 in, or otherwise applied, consumes all colds, 

 swellings, and dissolveth the congealed 

 blood of bruises by strokes, falls, &c. A 

 piece of the root, or some of the seeds 

 bruised, and held to an aching tooth, takes 

 away the pain. The leaves bruised and 

 laid to the joint that has a felon thereon, 

 takes it away. The juice destroys worms 

 in the ears, being dropped into them ; if 

 the hot Arssmart be strewed in a chamber, 

 it will soon kill all the fleas ; and the herb 

 or juice of the cold Arssmart, put to a 

 horse or other cattle's sores, will drive away 

 the fly in the hottest time of Summer ; a 

 good handful of the hot biting Arssmart 

 put under a horse's saddle, will make him 

 travel the better, although he were half 

 tired before. The mild Arssmart is good 

 against all imposthumes and inflammations 

 at the beginning, and to heal green wounds. 



All authors chop the virtues of both 

 sorts of Arssmart together, as men chop 

 herbs for the pot, when both of them are 

 of contrary qualities. The hot Arssmart 

 grows not so high or tall as the mild doth, 

 but has many leaves of the colour of 

 peach leaves, very seldom or never spotted; 

 in other particulars it is like the former, but. 

 may easily be known from it, if yon will 

 but be pleased to break a leaf of it cross 

 your tongue, for the hot will make your 

 tongue to smart, but the cold will not. If 

 you see them both together, you may easily 

 distinguish them, because the mild hath far 

 broader leaves. 



