90 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



in wine, helps digestion, discusses wind,! day, it rather shews the superstition of 

 hinders crudities abiding in the stomach, I those that observe it for the time of its 

 and helps the difficulty of making water, j flowering, than any great wonder, since 



the biting of venomous serpents, and sting- 

 ing of the scorpion, if the herb be also 

 outwardly applied to the place, and is very 

 good against all other poisons. A scruple 

 of the dried root given in wine and vine- 



the like may be found in divers other place* 

 of this land ; as in Whey-street in Roinney 

 Marsh, and near unto Nantwich in Che- 

 shire, by a place called White Green, whore 

 it flowers about Christmas and May. It 



gar, is profitable for those that have the \ the weather be frosty, it flowers not until 

 dropsy. The decoction of the herb taken ! January, or that the hard weather be over, 

 in honey, digests the phlegm in the chest : Government and virtues.'] It is a tree o 

 or lungs, and with Hyssop helps the cough, j Mars. The seeds in the berries beaten to 

 The decoction thereof, and of wild Sue- j powder being drank in -wine, are held sin- 

 cory, made with wine, and taken, helps the \ gularly good against the stone, and are good 

 wind cholic and hardness of the spleen ; it | for the dropsy. The distilled water of the 

 procures rest and sleep, hinders venery j flowers stay the lask. The seed cleared 

 and venerous dreams, cooling heats, purges! from the down, bruised and boiled in wine, 



the stomach, increases blood, and helps 

 the diseases of the icins and bladder. Out- 

 wardly applied, it is singularly good for 



and drank, is good for inward tormenting 

 pains. If cloths or sponges be wet in the 

 distilled water, and applied to any place 



all the defects and diseases of the eyes, used wherein thorns and splinters, or the like, 

 with some women's milk; and used with! do abide in the flesh, it will notably draw 

 good success in fretting or creeping ulcers, j them forth. 



especially in the beginning. The green 1 And thus you see the thorn gives a medi- 

 leaves druised, and with a little salt ap- ! cine for its own pricking, and so doth 

 plied to any place burnt with fire, before j almost every thing else, 

 blisters do rise, helps them ; as also in- j 



flammat ons, St. Anthony's fire, and alii HEMLOCK. 



pushes and eruptions, hot and salt phlegm, j 



The same applied with meal and fair water* Descript.~\ THE common great Hemlock 

 in manner of a poultice, to any place af- 1 grows up with a green stalk, four or five 

 fected with convulsions, the cramp, and j feet high, or more, full of red spots son iv- 

 such as are out af joint, doth give help and | times, and at the joints very large winged 

 ease. The distilled water cleanses the skin, Heaves set at them, which are divided into 

 and takes away freckles, spots, morphew, : many other winged leaves, one set against 

 or wrinkles in the face. jthe other, dented about the edges, of a sad 



\ green colour, branched towards the top, 

 j where it is full of umbels of while flowers, 



IT is not my intention to trouble you t and afterwards with whitish flat seed : The 

 with a description of this tree, which is so j root is long, white, and sometimes crooked, 

 well known that it needs none. It is ordi- jand hollow within. The whole plant, ami 

 ndrily but a hedge bush, although being j every part, has a strong, heady, and ill- 

 pruned and dressed, it grows to a tree of | savoured scent, much offending the senses 

 a reasonable height. Place.'] It grows in all counties of this 



As for the Hawthorn Tree at Glastonbury, j land, by walls and hedge-sides, in wast 

 which is said to flower yearly on Christmas- 'grounds and unfilled places. 



