17*2 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Government and dtrftits.] It is under the 



SOPEWORT, OR BRUISEWORT. I dominion of Venus. Sorrel is prevalent in 



I all hot diseases, to cool any inflammation 



DescriptJ] THE roots creep under j and heat of blood in agues pestilential or 

 ground far and near, with many joints j choleric, or sickness and fainting, arising 

 therein, of a brown colour on the outside I from heat, and to refresh the overspent 

 and yellowish within, shooting forth in : spirits with the violence of furious or fiery 

 divers places weak round stalks, full of * fits of agues ; to quench thirst, and procure 

 joints, set with two leaves a-piece at every janappetitein fainting ordecaying stomachs: 

 one of them on a contrary side, which are } ! For it resists the putrefaction of the blood, 

 ribbed somewhat like to plantain, and; kills worms, and is a cordial to the heart, 

 fashioned like the common field white cam- : which the seed doth more effectually, being 

 pion leaves, seldom having any branches! more drying and binding, and thereby stays 

 j'rom the sides of the stalks, but set with j the hot fluxes of women's courses, or of 

 flowers at the top, standing in long husks j humours in the bloody flux, or flux of the 

 like the wild campions, made of five leaves | stomach. The root also in a decoction, or 

 a-piece, round at the ends, and dented in | in powder, is effectual for all the said pur- 

 the middle, of a rose colour, almost white, I poses. Both roots and seeds, as well as the 

 sometimes deeper, sometimes paler ; of a ; herb, are held powerful to resist the poison 

 reasonable scent. of the scorpion. The decoction of the roots 



Place.~\ It grows wild in many low and is taken to help the jaundice, and to expel 

 wet grounds of this land, by brooks and the j the gravel and the stone in the reins or kid- 

 sides of running waters. j neys. The decoction of the flowers made 



TimeJ] It flowers usually in July, and; with wine and drank, helps the black jaun- 

 so continues all August, and part of Sep-ldice, as also the inward ulcers of the body 

 ternber, before they be quite spent. .5 and bowels. A syrup made with the juice 



Government and virtues."] Venus owns it. ; of Sorrel and fumitory, is a sovereign help 

 The country people in divers places do use j to kill those sharp humours that cause the 

 to bruise the leaves of Sopewort, and lay it i itch. The juice thereof, with a little vine- 

 to their fingers, hands or legs, when they: gar, serves well to be used outwardly for 

 are cut, to heal them up again. Some 5 the same cause, and is also profitable for 

 make great boast thereof, that it is diureti-' tetters, ringworms, &c. It helps also to 

 cal to provoke urine, aud thereby to expel : discuss the kernels in the throat; and the 

 gravel and the stone in the reins or kidneys, I juice gargled in the mouth, helps the sores 

 and do also account it singularly good to -therein. The leaves wrapt in a colewort 

 void hydropical waters : and they no less j leaf and roasted in the embers, and applied 

 extol it to perform an absolute cure in the 5 to a hard imposthume, botch, boil, or plague 

 French pox, more than either sarsaparilla, j sore, doth both ripen and break it. The 

 guiacum, or China can do ; which, how ; distilled water of the herb is of much good 

 true it is, I leave others to judge. : use for all the purposes aforesaid. 



* 



SORREt,. WOOD SORREL. 



I 

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 \ 



OUB ordinary Sorrel, which grows in j De&cripl.] Tins grows upon the ground, 

 gardens, and also wild in the fields, is so having a munluT of leaves coining from 

 well known, that it needs no description, jthe root made of three leaves, like a trefoil. 



