AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



85 



or swelling, doth very effectually dissolve 

 and consume them ; yea, even the swell- 

 ings of the throat called the king's evil ; 

 the juice of the leaves or roots heals the 

 itch, and all running or spreading scabs, 

 sores, blemishes, or scars in the skin, 

 wheresoever they be. 



GOLDEN ROD. 



DescriptJ] THIS rises up with brownish 

 small round stalks, two feet high, and 

 sometimes more, having thereon many 

 narrow and long dark green leaves, very 

 seldom with any dents about the edges, or 

 any stalks or white spots therein, yet they 

 are sometimes so found divided at the tops 

 into many small branches, with divers 

 small yellow flowers on every one of them, 

 all which are turned one way, and being 

 ripe, do turn into down, and are carried 

 away by the wind. The root consists of 

 many small fibres, which grows not deep 

 in the ground, but abides all the winter 

 therein, shooting forth new branches every 

 year, the old one lying down to the ground. 

 Place.~\ It grows in the open places of 

 woods and copses, an both moist and dry 

 grounds, in many places of this land. 



Time.~\ It flowers about the month of 

 July. 



Government and virtues.] Venus claims 

 the herb, and therefore to be sure it res- 

 pects beauty lost. Arnoldus de Villa Nova 

 commends it much against the stone in the 

 reins and kidneys, and to provoke urine in 

 abundance, whereby also the gravel and 

 stone may be voided. The decoction of 

 the herb, green or dry, or the distilled 

 water thereof, is very effectual for inward 

 bruises, as also to be outwardly applied, it 

 stays bleeding in any part of the body, and 

 of wounds ; also the fluxes of. humours, 

 the bloody-flux, and women's courses ; and 

 is no less prevalent in all ruptures or burst- 

 ings, being drank inwardly, and outwardly 

 applied. It is a sovereign wound herb, 



inferior to none, both for the inward and 

 outward hurts ; green wounds, old sores 

 and ulcers, are quickly cured therewith. 

 It also is of especial use in all lotions for 

 sores or ulcers in the mouth, throat, or privy 

 parts of man or woman. The decoction 

 also helps to fasten the teeth that are loose 

 in the gums, 



GOUT-WORT, OR HERB GERRARD. 



Descript.] IT is a low herb, seldom rising 

 half a yard high, having sundry leaves 

 standing on brownish green stalks by three, 

 snipped about, and of a strong unpleasant 

 savour : The umbels of the flowers are 

 white, and the seed blackish, the root runs 

 in the ground, quickly taking a great deal 

 of room. 



Place.'] It grows by hedge and wall- 

 sides, and often in the border and corner ol 

 fields, and in gardens also. 



Time.] It flowers and seeds about the 

 end of July. 



Government and virtues."} Saturn rule it. 

 Neither is it to be supposed Gout- wort hath 

 its name for nothing but upon experiment 

 to heal the gout and sciatica ; as also joint- 

 aches, and other cold griefs. The very 

 bearing of it about one eases the pains of 

 the gout, and defends him that bears it 

 from the disease. 



GROMEL. 



OF this I shall briefly describe their 

 kinds, which are principally used in physic, 

 the virtues whereof are alike, though some- 

 what different in their manner and form of 

 growing. 



Descript.~] The greater Gromel grows up 

 with slender hard and hairy stalks, trailing 

 and taking root in the ground, as it lies 

 thereon, and parted into many other small 

 branches with hairy dark green leaves there- 

 on. At the joints, with the leaves, come 

 forth very small blue flowers, and after them 

 hard stony roundish seed. The root is long 



