40 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



inches long, and half an inch broad, thin 

 and almost transparent; they look as though 

 they were torn ; the flowers are long, thick, 

 and whitish, set together almost like a 

 bunch of grapes, which being gone, there 

 succeed, for the most part, sharp pointed 

 grains all together, containing a small white 

 kernel in them. 



The second differs not much from this, 

 save that it delights in more clean water; 

 its stalks are not flat, but round; its leaves 

 are not so long, but more pointed. A s for 

 the plaee. we need not determine, for their 

 name shews they grow in water. 



Government and virtues] They are under 

 the dominion of the Moon, and being made 

 into a poultice, are excellently good for 

 hot inflammations, swellings, cankers, sore 

 mouths and throats, being washed with the 

 decoction ; it cleanses and strengthens the 

 neck and throat, and helps those swellings 

 which, when people have, they say the 

 almonds of the ears are fallen down. It 

 is excellently good for the rankness of the 

 gums, a safe and present remedy for the 

 king's evil. They are excellent for the stone 

 and gravel, especially the nuts, being dried. 

 They also resist poison, and bitings of 

 venomous beasts. 



CAMPION. WILD. 



Descript] THE wild White Campion 

 has many long and somewhat broad dark 

 green leaves lying upon the ground, and 

 divers ribs therein, somewhat like plantain, 

 but somewhat hairy, broader, but not so 

 long. The hairy stalks rise up in the mid- 

 dle of them three or four feet high, and 

 sometimes more, with divers great white 

 joints at several places thereon, and two 

 such like leaves thereat up to the top, send- 

 ing forth branches at several joints also ; 

 all which bear on several foot-stalks white 

 flowers at the tops of them, consisting -of 

 five broad pointed leaves, every one cut in 



on the end unto the middle, making them 

 seem to be two a-piece, smelling somewhat 

 sweet, and each of them standing in a 

 large green striped hairy husk, large and 

 round below next to the stalk. The seed is 

 small and greyish in the hard heads that 

 come up afterwards. The root is white and 

 long, spreading divers fangs in the ground. 



The Red wild Campion grows in the same 

 manner as the White ; but its leaves are not 

 so plainly ribbed, somewhat shorter, rounder, 

 and more woolly in handling. The flowers 

 are of the same form and bigness ; but in 

 some of a pale, in others of a bright red- 

 colour, cut in at the ends more finely, which 

 makes the leaves look more in number than 

 the other. The seeds and the roots are 

 alike, the roots of both sorts abiding many 

 years. 



There are forty-five kinds of Campion 

 more, those of them which are of a phy- 

 sical use, having the like virtues with those 

 above described, which I take to be the two 

 chief kinds. 



Place.] They grow commonly through 

 this land by fields and hedge-sides, and 

 ditches. 



Time] They flower in Summer, some 

 earlier than others, and some abiding longer 

 than others. 



Government and virtues.] They belong 

 to Saturn, and it is found by experience, 

 that the decoction of the herb, either in 

 white or red wine being drank, doth stay 

 inward bleedings, and applied outwardly 

 it does the like ; and being drank, helps 

 to expel urine, being stopped, and gravel 

 and stone in the reins and kidneys. Two 

 drams of the seed drank in wine, purges 

 the 'body of choleric humours, and helps 

 those that are stung by scorpions, or other 

 venomous beasts, and may be as effectual 

 for the plague. It is of very good use in 

 old sores, ulcers, cankers, fistulas, and the 

 like, to cleanse and heat them, by con- 

 suming the moist humours falling into 



