AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



29 



colour of it; Hurt-sickle, because it turns 

 the edge of the sickles that reap the corn ; 

 Blue-blow, Corn-flower, and Blue-bottle. 



DescriptJ] I shall only describe that 

 which is commonest, and in my opinion 

 most useful; its leaves spread upon the 

 ground, being of a whitish green colour, 

 somewhat on the edges like those of Corn- 

 Scabio.ns, amongst which rises up a stalk 

 divided into divers branches, beset with 

 long leaves of a greenish colour, either but 

 very little indented, or not at all ; the 

 flowers are of a blueish colour, from whence 

 it took its name, consisting of an innumera- 

 ble company of flowers set in a scaly head, 

 not much unlike those of Knap-weed ; 

 the seed is smooth, bright, and shining, 

 wrapped up in a woolly mantle ; the root 

 perishes every year. 



Place. .] They grow in cornfields, amongst 

 all sorts of corn (pease, beans, and tares 

 excepted.) If you please to take them up 

 from thence, and transplant them in your 

 garden, especially towards the full of 

 the moon, they will grow more double than 

 they are, and many times change colour. 



TimeJ] They flower from the beginning 

 of May, to the end of the harvest. 



Government and virtues.'] As they are 

 naturally cold, dry, and binding, so they 

 are under the dominion of Saturn. The 

 powder or dried leaves of the Blue-bottle, 

 or Corn-flower, is given with good success 

 to those that are bruised by a fall, or have 

 broken a vein inwardly, and void much 

 blood at the mouth; being taken in the 

 water of Plaintain, Horsetail, or the greater 

 Confrey, it is a remedy against the poison 

 of the Scorpion, and resists all venoms and 

 poison. The seed or leaves taken in wine, 

 is very good against the plague, and all in- 

 fectious diseases, and is very good in pes- 

 tilential fevers. The juice put into fresh or 

 green wounds, doth quickly solder up the 

 lips of them together, and is very effectual 

 to heal all ulcers and sores in the mouth. 



The juice dropped into the eyes takes away 

 the heat and inflammation of them. The 

 distilled water of this herb, has the same 

 properties, and may be used for the effects 

 aforesaid. 



BRANK URSINE. 



BESIDES the common name Brank- 

 Ursine, it is also called Bear's-breach, and 

 Acanthus, though I think our English 

 names to be more proper ; for the Greek 

 word Acanthus, signifies any thistle what- 

 soever. 



DescriptJ] This thistle shoots forth very 

 many large, thick, sad green smooth leaves 

 on the ground, with a very thick and juicy 

 middle rib; the leaves are parted with 

 sundry deep gashes on the edges; the leaves 

 remain a long time, before any stalk ap- 

 pears, afterwards rising up a reasonable big 

 stalk, three or four feet high, and bravely 

 decked with flowers from the middle of the 

 stalk upwards ; for on the lower part of the 

 stalk, there is neither branches nor leaf. 

 The flowers are hooded and gaping, being 

 white in colour, and standing in brownish 

 husk, with a long small undivided leaf 

 under each leaf; they seldom seed in our 

 country. Its roots are many, great and 

 thick, blackish without and whitish within, 

 full of a clammy sap ; a piece of them if 

 you set it in the garden, and defend it from 

 the first Winter cold will grow and flourish. 



Place J] They are only nursed in the 

 gardens in England, where they will grow 

 very well. 



Time.'] It flowers in June and July. 



Government and virtues] It is an excel- 

 lent plant under the dominion of the Moon; 

 I could wish such as are studious would 

 labour to keep it in their gardens. The 

 leaves being boiled and used in clysters, is 

 excellant good to mollify the belly, and 

 make the passage slippery. The decoction 

 drank inwardly, is excellent and good for 

 the bloody-flux : The leaves being bruised, 



