Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. | 37 
A biting of amaddog;if it be ufed in this wife,namely to take a faucet full oracetable of the juice, 
and fo to drinke itwith wine : alfo ro ftampe or but champe inthe mouth the leaves thereof, and 
fo lay them upon the greeved place with honey and {alt ; or elfe to feeth them with vinegre and 
pitch.Folke fay m oreover,that whofoever is well rubbed with the juice of Rue, or otherwife doe 
butcarie it about him (hall be {ure ynough for being either pricked, {tung or bitten with any of 
thofe hurtfulland venomous creatures abovenamed : furthermore,that Serpents naturally doe 
flie from the {moke or fume of Rue when it burneth,and will not come near unto it.But che moft 
foveraigne of all other,and fureft in operation, isthe roorof the wild Rue, if it bee drunke with 
wine.Andthecommon fpeech goeth of it,that the greater and {peedier effect will bee feenc,in 
cafe forfooth one drinke it without the houfe, in the open aire abroad. Pythagoras was of opini-: 
B. nion, Thatthereisa diftinion of fexin thishearbe, and namely, that the male hath {maller, 
Jeaves,and thofe of amore darke and grafle green colourthanthe female,whofe leaves are both’ 
fuller and better fed,andialfo of a more pleafant and gaier hew.Hee was perfuadedalfo that Rue’ 
~ is hurtfull to the eies;bur thereinhe was deceived . For well itis knowne, that engravers,carvers, 
and painters, doe ordinarily eat Rue alone forto-preferve their eie-fight: they take it alfo with, 
bread or Crefles,without any regard whether itbe the wild or the gentle Rue of the garden, By 
report alfo,many have ufed an inunGtion thereof to their cies with the beft honie of Athens,and 
thereby cleared them quite of that muddinefle and mift which dimmed their fight : or elfe in 
ftead of honey they have taken breaft-milke of a woman that lately bare a maiden child ; or no 
more but withthe very purejuice of Rue and nothing els they.have gently touched the corners. 
C ofthecies.Others have cured the waterie humor that hath taken a running thither, only by ap- 
plying the juice of Rue together with Barley groats.[f a man drinkeRue with his wine,hee fhall 
find eafe of his head-ach: orif hee doe but annoint his temples and forehead therewith, being: 
incorporat with vinegre and oile of Rofes into the formeof aliniment. Butif itbeean old and 
inyeterat paine of the head, then would there a frontale be made of the {aid juice, tempered with: 
Barley foureand vinegre, Rue hath this vertue, to difcufle and refolve all crudities and ventofi- 
ties proceeding thereof,yea,and cureth the fettled old paines of the ftomacke. Itis of power to. 
difopilate or open the Marrice : tofertle the Mather into theright place when itis loofe & out 
of frame,ta cafe a liniment be made thereof, and laid all overtheregion both of the womb and 
the breaft.If Rue be eaten with figs,or foddento the confumption of the one halfe-deale,and the 
D decoétion thereof taken in wine, itis good for the Dropfie.And in that manner they ufe to drink 
it for the paines of the breaft,fides,and loines : for Coughsallo and fhortnefle of breath, & ge- 
nerally forall greefes and maladies incident tothe lights, liver,and kidneies:and laft of all, for 
the fhaking cold fits in an intermittentague. Isa man difpofed to drinke freely and to fit fquare 
at it? let him before hee begin take a draught of the decoGtion of Rue leaves, hee fhall beare his’ 
drinke well, and with{tand the fumes that might trouble and intoxicat his brains..In one word;. 
ufed ordinarily at meat, eitherraw,fodden, or preferved and condite any way, itis fingular good 
for the purpofes beforefaid . Boiled with Hyflope and taken in wine, itis fingularfor to afluage 
the torments of the beilie :and being fo prepared, it reitraineth the flux of bloud within the bo- 
dic: like as it {tancheth bleeding atthe nofe,if it be {tamped and put up into the nofethrils. And 
E otherwife acollution thereof to wath the mouth withall,doth much good to the teeth.Sembla- 
- bly,the juice diftulled into the eares, allaicth their paine; provided alwaies(as I have often {aid al- 
readie)that a meane and meafure be kept.As for the juice of the wild Rue,if it bee tempered ei- 
ther with oile of Rofes ot of Baies; orelfe mingled with Cumin and Honnie, it. helpeth thofe: 
that are hard of hearing and difcuffeth the ringing found in the eares.Moreover,thejuice of Rue 
ftampedand drawne with vinegre, isexcellent good tc be inftilled orlet drop trom on high-by 
way of Embrochation upon the region of the braine and temples of the head, for the phrenfie, 
Some put thereto wild running Thimealfo and Baies,therewith annointing the head & neck of « w7¢, some 
the patient.Ochers have prefcribed itin cafe of Lethargieto thofe thatcan dono other burfleep sead Aiphiofis, 
continually, for to fmell unto, And thofe have given counfell alfo to themthat be fubjeét to the Lovt of Dee 
E , falling ficknefle, for to drinke the juice thereof {odden in foure Cyaths of water, before the fit a eee 
camic upon themsforto prevent & avoid the intollerable cold which they fhould endure: as alfo fubje& to the 
to thofe chat be apt to “chill forcold,to be eaten with meat,raw.Rue fendeth out even the blou- te ae 
die urine which is gatheredin the bladder. And as Hippocrates is of opinion, If it be drunke with akindof Lee 
{weet, thicke, and grofie wine, itcaufech womens flowersto come downe,it expelleththe after- Profs or 
: : i : b i rth S.Magnus evill, 
= 3 
a hy, 
