150 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



fistulas, not suffering them to spread far-j Place.'] They grow in meadows and 



ther. It is also much commended to help j woods generally through this land. 



aches and pains either in the fleshy part, or; Time.] They are in flower from Mid- 



m the nerves and sinews, as also the sciatica, 

 or pain of the hips or knuckle-bone, to 

 bathe the places with the decoction of the 

 herb, or to anoint them with an ointment 



summer until August be past, sometimes. 



Government and virtues.] They are both 

 of them under the dominion of the Moon 

 The Red Rattle is accounted profitable to 



made of the herb bruised and boiled in old 1 heal up fistulas and hollow ulcers, and to 

 hog's suet, with some Mastick and Olibanum -stay the flux of humours in them, as also 

 in powder added unto it after it is strained i the abundance of women's courses, or any 

 forth. In Sussex we call it Ragweed. j other fluxes of blood, being boiled in red 



twine, and drank. 



The yellow Rattle, or Cock's Comb, is 

 OF this there are two kinds which I shall j held to be good for those that are troubled 



speak of, viz. the red and yellow. 



Descript.~] The common Red Rattle hath 

 sundry reddish, hollow stalks, and some- 



i with a cough, or dimness of sight, if the 

 herb, being boiled with beans, and some 

 honey put thereto, be drank or dropped into 



times green, rising from the root, lying for the eyes. The Avhole seed being put into 

 the most part on the ground, some growing i the eyes, draws forth any skin, dimness or 

 more upright, with many small reddish or \ film, from the sight, without trouble, or 

 green leaves set on both sides of a middle ! pain, 

 rib, finely dented about the edges : The 

 flowers stand at the tops of the stalks and 

 branches, of a fine purplish red colour, like 



small gaping hooks ; after which come 

 blackish seed in small husks, which lying 

 loose therein, will rattle with shaking. The 



REST HARROW, OR CAMMOCK. 



Descript.~\ COMMON Rest Harrow rises 

 up with divers rough woody twigs half a 

 yard or a yard high, set at the joints without 

 order, with little roundish leaves, sometimes 



root consists of two or three small whitish { more than two or three at a place, of a 



strings with some fibres thereat. 



dark green colour, without thorns while 



The common Yellow Rattle hath seldom j they are young; but afterwards armed in 

 above one round great stalk, rising from j sundry places, with short and sharp thorns, 

 the foot, about half a yard, or two feet high, {The flowers come forth at the tops of the 

 and but few branches thereon, having two i twigs and branches, whereof it is full 



long and somewhat broad leaves set at a! fashioned like pease or broom blossoms, but 

 joint, deeply cut in on the edges, resembling lesser, flatter, and somewhat closer, of a 



the comb of a cock, broadest next to the 

 stalk, and smaller to the end. The flowers 



faint purplish colour; after which come 

 small pods containing small, flat, round 



grow at the tops of the stalks, with some j seed: The root is blackish on the outside, 

 shorter leaves with them, hooded after the | and whitish within, very rough, and hard 

 same manner that the others are, but of a j to break when it is fresh and green, and as 

 fair yellow colour, or in some paler, and in [hard as an horn when it is dried, thrusting 

 some more white. The seed is contained ; down deep into the ground, and spreading 

 in large husks, and being ripe, will rattle i likewise, every piece being apt to grow 

 or make a noise with lying loose in them. again if it be left in the ground. 

 The root is small and slender, perishing! Place.'] It grows in many places of this 

 every year. Hand, as well in the arable as waste ground- 



