THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



veiy large, thick, soft, woolly leaves, lying 'found without it growing by it. Ergo, it 

 on the ground, much cut in, or torn on the I is an herb of Saturn. The leaves of Hen- 

 edges, of a dark, ill greyish green colour ; r bane do cool all hot inflammations in ih 

 among which arise up divers thick and \ eyes, or any other part of the body ; and 

 short stalks, two or three feet high, spread j are good to assuage all manner of swellings 

 into divers small branches, with lesser leaves* of the privities, or women's breast, orelse- 

 on them, and many hollow flowers, scarce \ where, if they be boiled in wine, and either 

 appearing above the husk, and usually torn | applied themselves, or the fomentation 

 on one side, ending in five round points, j warm; it also assuages the pain of the gout, 

 growing one above another, of a deadish the sciatica, and other pains in the joints 

 yellowish colour, somewhat paler towards \ which arise from a hot cause. And applied 

 the edges, with many purplish veins | with vinegar to the forehead and temples, 

 therein, and of a dark, yellowish purple! helps the head-ache and want of sleep in 

 in the bottom of the flower, with a small \ hot fevers. The juice of the herb or seed, 

 point of the same colour in the middle, * or the oil drawn from the seed, does the 

 each of them standing in a hard close husk, Hike. The oil of the seed is helpful for 

 which after the flowers are past, grow very \ deafness, noise, and worms in the ears, 

 like the husk of Asarabacca, and some- 1 being dropped therein; the juice of the 

 what sharp at the top points, wherein is j herb or root doth the same. The decoction 

 contained much small see"d, very like Poppy {of the herb or seed, or both, kills lice in 

 seed, but of a dusky, greyish colour. The \ man or beast. The fume of the dried herb, 

 root is great, white, and thick, branching! stalks and seed, burned, quickly heals 

 forth divers ways under ground, so like a I swellings, chilblains or kibes in the hands 

 Parsnip root (but that it is not so white) j or feet, by holding them in the fume therc- 

 that it has deceived others. The whole plant * of. The remedy to help those that have 

 more than the root, has a very heavy, ill, j taken Henbane is to drink goat's milk, 

 soporiferous smell, somewhat offensive. j honeyed water, or pine kernels, with^swect 



Place.'] It commonly grows by the way- j wine ; or, in the absence of these, Fennel 

 sides, and under hedge-sides and walls. 5 seed, Nettle seed, the seed of Cresses, 



Time.'] It flowers in July, and springs j Mustard, or Radish ; as also Onions or 

 again yearly of its own seed. I doubt my Garlic taken in wine, do all help to free 

 authors mistook July for June, if not for * them from danger, and restore them to their 

 May. due temper again. 



Government and virtues.'] I wonder how j Take notice, that this herb must never 

 astrologers could lake on them to make this ; be taken inwardly ; outwardly, an oil oint- 

 an herb of Jupiter; and yet Mizaldus, a j meat, or plaistcr of it, is most admirable 

 man of a penetrating brain, was of that; for the gout, to cool the vcneral heat of the 

 opinion as well as the rest ; the herb is in- j reins in the French pox ; to stop the tooth- 

 deed under the dominion of Saturn, and; ache, being applied to the aching side: to 

 I prove it by this argument: All the herbs j allay all inflammations, and to help the 

 which delight most to grow in saturnine diseases before premised, 

 places, are saturnine herbs. Both Hen- j HEDGE HYSSOP 



bane delights most to grow in saturnine | 



places, and whole cart loads of it may bet DIVERRS sorts there are of this plant ; 

 found near the places where they empty the j the first of which is an Italian by birth, and 

 common Jakes, and scarce a ditch to be j only nursed up here in the gardens of the 





