32 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Mars, being of a gallant cleansing and 

 opening quality. The decoction of the 

 root made with wine opens obstructions, 

 provokes urine, helps to expel gravel and 

 the stone, the stranguary and women's 

 courses, also the yellow jaundice and the 

 head-ache; and with same honey or sugar 

 put thereunto, cleanses the breast of phlegm, 

 and the chest of such clammy humours 

 gathered therein. The decoction of the 

 root drank, and a poultice made of the 

 berries and leaves applied, are effectual in 

 knitting and consolidating broken bones or 

 parts out of joint. The common way of 

 using it, is to boil the root of it, and Parsley 

 and Fennel and Smallage in white wine, and 

 drink the decoction, adding the like quan- 

 tity of Grass-root to them : The more of 

 the root you boil, the stronger will the de- 

 coction be; it works no ill effects, yet I 

 hope jou have wit enough to give the 

 strongest decoction to the strongest bodies. 



BROOM, AND BROOM-RAPE. 



To spend time in writing a description 

 hereof is altogether needless, it being so 

 generally used by all the good housewives 

 almost through this land to sweep their 

 houses with, and therefore very well known 

 to all sorts of people. 



The Broom-rape springs up in many 

 places from the roots of the broom (but 

 more often in fields, as by hedge-sides and 

 on heaths). The stalk whereof is of the 

 bigness of a finger or thumb, above two 

 feet high, having a shew of leaves on them, 

 and many flowers at the top, of a reddish 

 yellow colour, as also the stalks and leaves 

 are. 



Place.] They grow in many places of 

 this land commonly, and as commonly 

 spoil all the land they grow in. 



Time.] They flower in the Summer 

 months, and give their seed before Winter. 



Government and virtues] The juice or 

 decoction of the young branches, or seed, 



or the powder of the seed taken in drink 

 purges downwards, and draws phlegmatic 

 and watery humours from the joints ; where- 

 by it helps the dropsy, gout, sciatica, and 

 pains of the hips and joints; it also pro- 

 vokes strong vomits, and helps the pains of 

 the sides, and swelling of the spleen, 

 cleanses also the reins or kidneys and blad- 

 der of the stone, provokes urine abundantly, 

 and hinders the growing again of the stone 

 in the body. The continual use of the 

 powder of the leaves and seed doth cure 

 the black jaundice. The distilled water of 

 the flowers is profitable for all the same 

 purposes : it also helps Surfeit, and alters 

 the fit of agues, if three or four ounces 

 thereof, with as much of the water of the 

 lesser Centaury, and a little sugar put there- 

 in, be taken a little before the fit comes, 

 and the party be laid down to sweat in his 

 bed. The oil or water that is drawn from 

 the end of the green sticks heated in the 

 fire, helps the tooth-ache. The juice of 

 young branches made into an ointment of 

 old hog's grease, and anointed, or the young 

 branches bruised and heated in oil or hog's 

 grease, and laid to the sides pained by 

 wind, as in stitches, or the spleen, ease 

 them in once or twice using it. The same 

 boiled in oil is the safest and surest medicine 

 to kill lice in the head or body of any; 

 and is an especial remedy for joint aches, 

 and swollen knees, that come by the falling 

 down of humours. 



The BROOM RAPE also is not witJiout its 

 virtues. 



THE decoction thereof in wine, is thought 

 to be as effectual to void the stone in the 

 kidney or bladder, and to provoke urine, 

 as the Broom itself. The juice thereof is 

 a singular good help to cure as well green 

 wounds, as old and filthy sores and malig- 

 nant ulcers. The insolate oil, wherein there 

 has been three cr four repetitions of infusion 

 of the top stalks, with flowers strained and 



