30 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



or rather boiled and applied like a poultice 

 are excellent good to unite broken bones 

 and strengthen joints that have been put 

 out. The decoction of eitker leaves or 

 roots being drank, and the decoction of 

 leaves applied to the place, is excellent 

 good for the king's evil that is broken and 

 runs; for by the influence of the moon, 

 it revives the ends of the viens which are 

 relaxed. There is scarce a better remedy to 

 be applied to such places as are burnt with 

 fire than this is, for it fetches out the fire, 

 and heals it without a scar. This is an 

 excellent remedy for such as are bursten, 

 being either taken inwardly, or applied to 

 the place. In like manner used, it helps 

 the cramp and the gout. It is excellently 

 good in hectic fevers, and restores radical 

 moisture to such as are in consumptions. 



BRIONT, OR WILD VINE. 



IT is called Wild, and Wood Vine, Tamus, 

 or Ladies' Seal. The white is called White 

 Vine by some ; and the black, Black Vine. 



DescriptJ] The common White Briony 

 grows ramping upon the hedges, sending 

 forth many long, rough, very tender 

 branches at the beginning, with many very 

 rough, and broad leaves thereon, cut (for 

 the most part) into five partitions, in form 

 very like a vine leaf, but smaller, rough, and 

 of a whitish hoary green colour, spreading 

 very far, spreading and twining with his 

 small claspers (that come forth at the joints 

 with the leaves) very far on whatsoever 

 stands next to it. At the several joints 

 also (especially towards the top of the 

 branches) comes forth a long stalk bearing 

 many whitish flowers together on a long 

 tuft, consisting of five small leaves a-piece, 

 laid open like a star, after which come the 

 berries separated one from another, more 

 than a cluster of grapes, green at the first, 

 and very red when they are thorough ripe, 

 of no good scent, but of a most loathsome 

 taste provokes vomit. The root grows to 



be exceeding great, with many long twines 

 or branches going from it, of a pale whitish 

 colour on the outside, and more white 

 within, and of a sharp, bitter, loathsome 

 taste. 



Place.~] It grows on banks, or under 

 hedges, through this land, ; the roots lie 

 very deep. 



TimeJ] It flowers in July and August, 

 some earlier, and some later than the other. 



Government and virtues^] They are furious 

 martial plants. The root of Briony purges 

 the belly with great violence, troubling the 

 stomach and burning the liver, and there- 

 fore not rashly to be taken ; but being cor- 

 rected, is very profitable for the diseases 

 of the head, as falling sickness, giddiness, 

 and swimmings, by drawing away much 

 phlegm and rheumatic humours that op- 

 press the head, as also the joints and 

 sinews; and is therefore good for palsies, 

 convulsions, cramps, and stitches in the 

 sides, and the dropsy, and for provoking 

 urine; it cleanses the reins and kidneys 

 from gravel and stone, by opening thje ob- 

 structions of the spleen, and consume, the 

 hardness and swelling thereof. The de- 

 coction of the root in wine, drank once a 

 week at going to bed, cleanses the mother, 

 and helps the rising thereof, expels the 

 dead child ; a dram of the root in powder 

 taken in white wine, brings down their 

 courses. An electuary made of the roots 

 and honey, doth mightily cleanse the chest 

 of rotten phlegm, and wonderfully help 

 any old strong cough, to those that are 

 troubled with shortness of breath, and is 

 good for them that are bruised inwardly, to 

 help to expel the clotted or congealed blood. 

 The leaves, fruit, and root do cleanse old 

 and filthy sores, are good against all fret- 

 ting and running cankers, gangrenes, and 

 tetters and therefore the berries are by 

 some country people called tetter-berries. 

 The root cleanses the skin wonderfully 

 from all black and blue spots, freckles, 



