THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Both leaves, seeds, and roots thereof are 

 much used in drink or broth, to make peo- 

 ple more lean that are too fat. The dis- 

 tilled water of the whole herb, or the con- 

 densate juice dissolved, but especially the 

 natural juice, that in some counties issues 

 out hereof of its own accord, dropped into 

 the eyes, cleanses them from mists and 

 films that hinder the sight. The sweet 

 Fennel is much weaker in physical uses 

 than the common Fennel. The wild Fen- 

 nel is stronger and hotter than the tame, 

 and therefore most powerful against the 

 stone, but not so effectual to encrease milk, 

 because of its dryness. 



SOW-FENNEL, OR HOG's-FENNE L. 



BESIDES the common name in English, 

 Hog's Fennel, and the Latin name Peuci- 

 danum, is called Hoar-strange, and Hoar- 

 strong, Sulphur-wort, and Brimstone-wort. 



DescriptJ} The common Sow-Fennel 

 has divers branched stalks of thick and 

 somewhat long leaves, three for the most 

 part joined together at a place, among 

 which arises a crested straight stalk, less 

 than Fennel, with some joints thereon, and 

 leaves growing thereat, and towards the 

 tops some branches issuing from thence; 

 likewise on the tops of the stalks and 

 branchesstand divers tufts of yellow flowers, 

 whereafter grows somewhat flat, thin, and 

 yellowish seed, bigger than Fennel seed. 

 The roots grow great and deep, with many 

 other parts and fibres about them of a 

 strong scent like hot brimstone, and yield 

 forth a yellowish milk, or clammy juice, 

 almost like a gum. 



PlaceJ] It grows plentifully in the salt 

 low marshes near Feversham in Kent. 



Time."] It flowers plentifully in July and 

 August. 



Government and virtues.^ This is also an 

 herb of Mercury. The juice of Sow- Fennel 

 (saith Dioscorides, and Galen,) used with 

 vinegar and rose water, or the juice with a 



little Euphorbium put to the nose, helps 

 those that are troubled with the lethargy, 

 frenzy, giddiness of the head, the falling 

 sickness, long and inveterate head-aches, 

 the palsy, sciatica, and the cramp, and 

 generally all the diseases of the sinews, used 

 with oil and vinegar. The juice dissolved 

 in wine, or put into an egg, is good for a 

 cough, or shortness of breath, and for those 

 that are troubled with wind in the body. 

 It purges the belly gently, expels the hard- 

 ness of the spleen, gives ease to women 

 that have sore travail in child-birth, and 

 eases the pains of the reins and bladder, 

 and also the womb. A little of the juice 

 dissolved in wine, and dropped into the 

 ears, eases, much of the pains in them, and 

 put into a hollow tooth, eases the pain 

 thereof. The root is less effectual to all 

 the aforesaid disorders ; yet the powder of 

 the root cleanses foul ulcers, being put into 

 them, and takes out splinters of broken 

 bones, or other things in the flesh, and 

 heals them up perfectly : as also, dries up 

 old and inveterate running sores, and is of 

 admirable virtue in all green wounds. 



FIG-WORT, OR XHROAT-WORT. 



Descript.~\ COMMON great Fig-wort sends 

 divers great, strong, hard, square brown 

 stalks, three or four feet high, whereon grow 

 large, hard, and dark green leaves, two at 

 a joint, harder and larger than Nettle 

 leaves, but not stinking ; at the tops of the 

 stalks stand many purple flowers set in 

 husks, which are sometimes gaping and 

 open, somewhat like thoseof Water Betony; 

 after which come hard round heads, with 

 a small point in the middle, wherein lie 

 small brownish seed. The root is great, 

 white, and thick, with many branches at it, 

 growing aslope under the upper crust ot 

 the ground, which abides many years, but 

 keeps not his green leaves in Winter. 



Place.] It grows frequently in moist 



