52 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



and lank, that are apt to grow fat. The 

 distilled water drank twice a day, helps the 

 yellow jaundice, and the decoction of the 

 herb, in experience, is found to do the same, 

 and stays lasks and bloody-fluxes. The 

 juice of the leaves, or they a little bruised, 

 and applied to any bleeding wounds, stays 

 the bleeding. The juice also is very good 

 to close up the lips of green wounds, and 

 the powder of the dried herb strewed there- 

 upon doth the same, and likewise helps old 

 ulcers. Being boiled in hog's grease, it 

 helps all sorts of hard swellings or kernels 

 in the throat, being anointed therewith. 

 The juice dropped into the ears, takes away 

 the pain of them. 



It is a good remedy in the Spring, eaten 

 (being first chopped small, and boiled well) 

 in water-gruel, to cleanse the blood, and 

 strengthen the liver, thereby to keep the 

 body in health, and fitting it for that change 

 of season that is coming. 



CLOWN'S WOODS 



DescriptJ] IT grows up sometimes to 

 two or three feet high, but usually about 

 two feet, with square green rough stalks, 

 but slender, joined somewhat far asunder, 

 and two very long, somewhat narrow, dark 

 green leaves, bluntly dented about the 

 edges thereof, ending in a long point. The 

 flowers stand towards the tops, compassing 

 the stalks at the joints with the leaves, and 

 end likewise in a spiked top, having long and 

 much gaping hoods of a purplish red colour, 

 with whitish spots in them, standing in 

 somewhat round husks, wherein afterwards 

 stand blackish round seeds. The root is 

 composed of many long strings, with some 

 tuberous long knobs growing among them, 

 of a pale yellowish or whitish colour, yet 

 some times of the year these knobby roots 

 in many places are not seen in this plant : 

 This plant smells somewhat strong. 



Place.'] IT grows in sundry counties of 

 this land, both north and west, and fre- 

 quently by path-sides in the fields near 

 about London, and within three or four 

 miles distant about it, yet it usually grows 

 in or near ditches. 



Time.~] It flowers in June or July, and 

 the seed is ripe soon after. 



Government and virtues.'] It is under the 

 dominion of the planet Saturn. It is sin- 

 gularly effectual in all fresh and green 

 wounds, and therefore bears not this name 

 for nought. And it is very available in 

 staunching of blood and to dry up the fluxes 

 of humours in old fretting ulcers, cankers, 

 &c. that hinder the healing of them. 



A syrup made of the juice of it, is inferior 

 to none for inward wounds, ruptures of 

 veins, bloody flux, vessels broken, spitting, 

 urining, or vomiting blood : Ruptures are 

 excellent and speedily, ever to admiration, 

 cured by taking now and then a little of 

 the syrup, and applying an ointment or. 

 plaister of this herb to the place. Also, if 

 any vain be swelled or muscle, apply a 

 plaister of this herb to it, and if you add 

 a little Comfrey to it, it will not be amiss. 

 I assure thee the herb deserves commenda- 

 tion, though it has gotten such a clownish 

 name ; and whosoever reads this, (if he try 

 it, as I have done,) will commend k ; only 

 take notice that it is of a dry earthy quality. 



COCK'S HEAD, RED PITCHING, OR MEDICK 

 FETCH. 



DescriptJ] THIS has divers weak but 

 rough stalks, half a yard long, leaning 

 downward, but set with winged leaves, 

 longer and more pointed than those of 

 Lintels, and whitish underneath ; from the 

 tops of these stalks arise up other slender 

 stalks, naked without leaves unto the tops, 

 where there grow many small flowers in 

 manner of a spike, of a pale reddish colour 

 with some blueness among them ; after 

 which rise up in their places, round rough, 



