AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



39 



compound Syrup of Calamint are the most 

 effectual. Let no women be too busy with 

 it, for it works very violent upon the femi- 

 nine part. 



CAMOMILE. 



IT is so well known every where, that it 

 is but lost time and labour to describe it. 

 The virtues thereof are as follow. 



A decoction made of Camomile, and 

 drank, takes away all pains and stitches in 

 the side. The flowers of Camomile beaten, 

 and made up into balls with Gill, drive away 

 all sorts of agues, if the part grieved be 

 anointed with that oil, taken from the 

 flowers, from the crown of the head to the 

 sole of the foot, and afterwards laid to 

 sweat, in his bed, and that he sweats well. 

 This is Nechessor, an Egyptian's, medicine. 

 It is profitable for all sorts of agues that 

 come either from phlegm, or melancholy, 

 or from an inflammation of the bowels, 

 being applied when the humours causing 

 them shall be concocted; and there is 

 nothing more profitable to the sides and 

 region of the liver and spleen than it. The 

 bathing with a decoction of Camomile 

 takes away weariness, eases pains, to what 

 part of the body soever they be applied. 

 It comforts the sinews that are over-strained, 

 mollifies all swellings : It moderately com- 

 forts all parts that have need of warmth, 

 digests and dissolves whatsoever has need 

 thereof, by a wonderful speedy property. 

 It eases all pains of the cholic and stone, 

 and all pains and torments of the belly, 

 and gently provokes urine. The flowers 

 boiled in posset-drink provokes sweat, and 

 helps to expel all colds, aches, and pains 

 whatsoever, and is an excellent help to 

 bring down women's courses. Syrup made 

 of the juice of Camomile, with the flowers, 

 in white wine, is a remedy against the 

 jaundice and dropsy. The flowers boiled 

 m lye, are good to wash the head, and 



comfort both it and the brain. The oil 

 made of the flowers of Camomile, is much 

 used against all hard swellings, pains, or 

 aches, shrinking of the sinews, or cramps, 

 or pains in the joints, or any other part of 

 the body. Being used in clysters, it helps 

 to dissolve the wind and pains in the belly ; 

 anointed also, it helps stitches and pains in 

 the sides. 



Nechessor saith, the Egyptians dedicated 

 it to the Sun, because it cured agues, and 

 they were like enough to do it, for they 

 were the arrantest apes in their religion 

 that I ever read of. Bachinus, Bena, and 

 Lobel, commend the syrup made of the 

 juice of it and sugar, taken inwardly, to be 

 excellent for the spleen. Also this is cer- 

 tain, that it most wonderfully breaks the 

 stone : Some take it in syrup or decoction, 

 others inject the juice of it into the bladder 

 with a syringe. My opinion is, that the 

 salt of it, taken half a dram in the morning 

 in a little white or Rhenish wine, is better 

 than either; that it is excellent for the stone, 

 appears in this which I have seen tried, 

 viz., That a stone that has been taken out 

 of the body of a man being wrapped in 

 Camomile, will in time dissolve, and in a 

 little time too. 



WATER-CALTROPS. 



THEY are called also Tribulus Aquaticus, 

 Tribulus Lacusoris, Tribulus Marinus, 

 Caltrops, Saligos, Water Nuts, and Water 

 Chesnuts. 



Descript.~] As for the greater sort oi 

 Water Caltrop it is not found here, or very 

 rarely. Two other sorts there are whicl 

 I shall here describe. The first has a long 

 creeping and jointed root, sending forth 

 tufts at each joint, from which joints rise 

 long, flat, slender, knotted stalks, even to 

 the top of the water, divided towards the 

 top into many branches, each carrying 

 two leaves on both sides, being about two 



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