170 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



taste is nothing salt at all ; it hath a hot, | the ground, whereby it is made a great tuft 

 aromatical spicy taste. : in a shorl time. 



Time.~] It flowers in April and May,: Place."] It is found in woods and fields 

 and gives seed ripe quickly after. \ every where. 



Government and virtues, .] It is an herb of j TimeJ] It flowers in May, and some- 

 Jupiter. The English Scurvy grass is more j times in April. 



used for the salt taste it bears, which doth ; Government and virtues.'] Here is another 

 somewhat open and cleanse; but the Dutch ! herb of Venus, Self-heal, whereby when 

 Scurvygrass is of better effect, and chiefly \ you are hurt you may heal yourself: It is 

 used (if it may be had) by those that have \ a special herb for inward and outward 

 the scurvy, and is of singular good effect to > wounds. Take it inwardly in syrups for 



cleanse the blood, liver, and spleen, taking 



inward wounds : outwardly in unguents, 



the juice in the Spring every morning fast- and plaisters for outward. As Self-heal is 

 ing in a cup of drink. The decoction is j like Bugle in form, so also in the qualities 

 good for the same purpose, and opens j and virtues, serving for all the purposes 



obstructions, evacuating cold, clammy and 

 phlegmatic humours both from the liver 

 and the spleen, and bringing the body to a j 



whereto Bugle is applied to with good success, 

 either inwardly or outwardly, for inward 

 wounds or ulcers whatsoever within the 



more lively colour. The juice also helps j body, for bruises or falls, and such like 

 all foul ulcers and sores in the mouth, | hurts. If it be accompanied with Bugle, 

 gargled therewith ; and used outwardly, ; Sanicle, and other the like wound herbs, 

 cleanses the skin from spots, marks, or scars it will be more effectual to wash or inject 

 that happen therein. j into ulcers in the parts outwardly. Where 



i there is cause to repress the heat and sharp- 

 SELF-HEAL. j ness of humours flowing to any sore, ulcers, 



i inflammations, swellings, or the like, or to 



Descnpt.~\ THE common Self-heal which ; stay the fluxes of blood in any wound or 

 is called also Prune!, Carpenter's Herb, | part, this is used with some good success; 

 Hook-heal, and Sickle-wort, is a small, low, | as also to cleanse the foulness of sores, and 

 creeping herb, having many small, roundish I cause them more speedily to be healed. It 

 pointed leaves, like leaves of wild mints, of; is an especial remedy for all green wounds, 

 a dark green colour, without dents on the j to solder the lips of them, and to keep the 

 edges ; from among which rise square hairy j place from any further inconveniencies. 

 stalks, scarce a foot high, which spread! The juice hereof used with oil of roses to 

 sometimes into branches with small leaves ! anoint the temples and forehead, is very ef- 

 set thereon, up to the top, where stand | fectual to remove head ache, and the same 

 brown spiked heads of small brownish j mixed with honey of roses, cleanses and 

 leaves like scales and flowers set together, | heals all ulcers, in the mouth, and throat, 

 almost like the heads of Cassidony, which jand those also in the secret parts. And the 

 flowers are gaping, and of a blueish purple, j proverb of the Germans, French, and 

 or more pale blue, in some places sweet, \ others, is verified in this, That he needs 

 but not so in otheis. The root consists of: neither physician nor surgeon that haih Self- 

 many fibres downward, and spreading i heal and Sanicle to help himself. 

 strings also whereby it increases. The> 

 mail stalks, with the leaves creeping on the I 

 ground, shoot forth fibres taking hold on 



