26 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



chiefly nourished up in gardens. The nar- 

 row leafed Bistort grows in the north, in 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland. 



TimeJ] They flower about the end of 

 May, and the seed is ripe about the begin- 

 ning of July. 



Government and virtues '.] It belongs to 

 Saturn, and is in operation cold and dry ; 

 both the leaves and roots have a powerful 

 faculty to resist all poison. The root, in 

 powder, taken in drink expels the venom of 

 the plague, the small-pox, measels, purples, 

 or any other infectious disease, driving 

 it out by sweating. The root in powder, 

 the decoction thereof in wine being drank, 

 stays all manner of inward bleeding, or 

 spitting of blood, and any fluxes in the 

 body of either man or woman, or vomiting. 

 It is also very available against ruptures, 

 or burstings, or all bruises from falls, dissolv- 

 ing the congealed blood, and easing the 

 pains that happen thereupon ; it also helps 

 the jaundice. 



The water, distilled from both leaves and 

 roots, is a singular remedy to wash any 

 place bitten or stung by any venomous 

 creature; as also for any of the purposes 

 before spoken of, and is very good to wash 

 any running sores or ulcers. The decoction 

 of the root in wine being drank, hinders 

 abortion or miscarriage in child-bearing. 

 The leaves also kill the worms in children, 

 and is a great help to them that cannot keep 

 their water; if the juice of Plaintain be 

 added thereto, and outwardly applied, much 

 helps the ghonorrhea, or running of the 

 reins. A dram of the powder of the root, 

 taken in water thereof, wherein some red 

 hot iron or steel hath been quenched, is also 

 an admirable help thereto, so as the body 

 be first prepared and purged from the of- 

 fensive humours. The leaves, seed, or roots, 

 are all very good in decoction, drinks, or 

 lotions, for inward or outward wounds, or 

 other sores. And the powder, strewed upon 

 any cut or wound in a vein, stays the 



immoderate bleeding thereof. The decoc- 

 tion of the root in water, where unto some 

 pomegranate peels and flowers are added, 

 injected into the matrix, stays the immo- 

 derate flux of the courses. The root there- 

 of, with pelitory of Spain and burnt alum, 

 of each a little quantity, beaten small and 

 into paste with some honey, and a little 

 piece thereof put into a hollow tooth, or 

 held between the teeth, if there be no hol- 

 lowness in them, stays the defluction of 

 rheum upon them which causes pains, and 

 helps to cleanse the head, and void much 

 offensive water. The distilled water is very 

 effectual to wash sores or cankers in the 

 nose, or any other part; if the powder of 

 the root be applied thereunto afterwards. 

 It is good also to fasten the gums, and to 

 take away the heat and inflammations that 

 happen in the jaws, almonds of the throat, 

 or mouth, if the decoction of the leaves, 

 roots, or seeds bruised, or the juice of them, 

 be applied ; but the roots are most effectual 

 to the purposes aforesaid. 



ONE-BLADE. 



DescriptJ] THIS small plant never bears 

 more than one leaf, but only when it rises 

 up with its stalk, which thereon bears 

 another, and seldom more, which are of a 

 blueish green colour, broad at the bottom, 

 and pointed with many ribs or veins like 

 Plaintain; at the top of the stalk grow-; 

 many small flowers star-fashion, smelling 

 somewhat sweet ; after which comes small 

 reddish berries when they are ripe. The 

 root small, of the bigness of a rush, lying 

 and creeping under the upper crust of the 

 earth, shooting forth in divers places. 



Place.'} It grows in moist, shadowy, 

 grassy places of woods, in many places of 

 this realm. 



TimeJ] It flowers about May, and the 

 berries are ripe in June, and then quickly 

 perishes, until the next year it springs from 

 the same again. 



