Plintes Naturall Hiftorie. AD 
A ifthe partsbe tormented therewith. Over and befides, a fomentation made therewith is fingu- 
Jar for all ftefh wounds, old ulcers, yea and cankers,which could not poffibly be reprefled or hea- 
led by any other medicines : but he appointeth firft that they be bathed in hot waret, and chen a 
cataplafme of the faid woorts to be laid uponthe afflicted place, and the fameto bee reftefhed 
twice a day. By which manner of cure, he faith, gat fiftulous fores may be healed, diflocations 
fer fireight, fwellings and impoftumes drawn outward toan head 5 or otherwife where needis,dif- 
cuffed and refolved, before they tend to fuppuration, Headdeth moreover and faith, That who- 
foever eat good ftore of fodden Coleworts,togither with oile and fale fafting in a morning {hall 
fall to fleepe again in the nightif they were before overcharged with watching, and in their fleep 
thallnorbe troubled with dreams or other unquiet fanfies and imaginations, Furthermore hee 
-B. affirmeth, That worts twice boiledare excellent good for the torments and wrings of the belly, 
fo there be joyned to the fecond deco€tion,oyle, falt, cumin, and barley groats: and thus beeing 
eaten without bread,they are the better. Among other effects that thefe Colewoorts doe worke, 
this isnot tobe forgotten, Thatthey purgechollericke humours,beeing taken with {weet grofle 
wine. More than that, he avoucheth; Thatif his urine who ufe to feed of Coleworts,bereferved, 
it is fingular good for the finews, ifthe grieved part be bathed therein after it is made hot againe. 
But becaufe you fhould fully underftand his meaning, I carenot muchto fer downe his verie 
words for to exprefle thefame the better. If (quoth hee) you wath little children with the faid 
urine preparedin manner aforefaid, they will never be weake and feeble in their lims, Hee advi- 
feth moreover,to drop the juice of Colewoorts warme into the ears with wine,and aflureth us 
C thatitis good for them that be hard of hearing. Finally;that ringworms, tettars, itch, and drie 
skabs ({uch as be not exulcerat) are healed thereby, y ‘ 
Now concerning the opinion of the Greeks alfo,as touching Coleworts,I thinkeit meetto 
fet them: down for Catoes {ake,i mean touching thofe points onely that he overpafled.andomit- 
ted. Firft and foremoft therefore, the Greeks hold, that the Colewort notbeing throughly {fod- 
den; purgethcholler and keepes the bodie foluble ; howbeit twice fodden, it bindeth the bellie. 
Item, That it is contrarie to wine, and a verie enemie to vines. And more particularly,if it be ta 
ken fafting, orin the beginning of a meale before other meat, it preferveth aman from drun- 
kennefle; and eaten after meat when a manis drunken indeed, it riddeth away the fumofities in 
the braine, and bringeth him to befober. Alfo, thatitisa meat appropriat to the eyes,and clea- 
D reththefight very much ; infomuchas the juice of it rawis paffing foveraigne for that purpofe, 
in cafe it be mingled with the pure Atticke honey into.an eye-falve, and therewith the corners of 
the eyes be but touched onely. Moreover,thatit is pafling light of digeftion, & clarifieth all the x 
fenfes, if it bee ordinarily eaten. Evafiffratus and all his{choole, doth ring and refound againe’ + 
with one voice and open mouth, That there is nothing in the world better for the ftomacke, no- 
thing more holefome for the finewss and therfore with one accord they prefcribe the ufe therof, 
for thofe that have the palfie orrefolution ofthe nerves; for as many as be trobled with the trem. 
bling andthaking of theirlims;tofuch alfo as reach andcaft up bloud. Asppocrates giveth coun- 
fell cothem thatbe afflicted with the bloudie flixor exulceration of the guts; to thofe likewife 
who be fubject to the flux proceeding from the weakneffe of the ftomacke, for to eat it wife fod- 
E denwith fale. Alfo he prefcribeth itin the cure of Tinefmos[ which isa provocation orextraor- 
dinarie appetite to feege, without doing any thing ; ] and of the paine in the backe or reines, 
And heis of this judgement, That women in childbed {hall be good nourcesand have plentie 
of milke, if they eat of Cabbages or Coleworts; yea and women in generall, by feeding there- 
upon, fhall fee their monethly tearmes duly. As forthe Cole it felfe, it itbe chewed raw, itis (by 
hisfaying) of forceto expell adead infantin the wombe. Apolledorus holdeth refolutely, That 
either the feed or juice thereof taken in drinke, isa fingular remedie for them who {ufpect that 
they haveeaten venomous mufhroms. PAil:/fzon giveth the juice thereof in Goats milke, to-’ 
gither with faltand honey, unto fuch ashavea cricke or crampe drawing their necks backward, 
thatthey arenot ableto turnetheir heads, 1 find moreover, that by eating Coleworts at meat 
FE ordinarily, and by drinking the decodtion thereof, many have been delivered from the gout, It 
is an ufuall medicine andapprooyed by experience,to give it with falt for the fainting {weats and 
trembling of the heart;as alfo for the falling evill.Such as be troubledwith thefplene,find much — 
cafe thereby, if they continue drinking the juice therof in white wine at their meales fortie daies: 
rogither: like as,thofe that bee fped with the yellow Iaunife, or in fits of phrenfie,bee cured with 
F y 
gargling 
