of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 
A. oronion-root:the belt of which kind, groweth in thelland of Crete :next to it in goodnefc,is 
that of the Ifle Naxos: andin a third degree, isto be placed that of Phoenice: and indeed that 
of Crete or Candie, in * whiteneffe and odour commmeth neareto Nard, The Naxian Cypirus 
hath a quicker fent :the Phoenician Cypirus{melleth buta litle. As forthatin gypt, ichath 
nofavour atall ; for there alfo groweth Cypirus, But now to come unto the properties thereof,it 
hath vertue to difcufle and refolve hard fwellings in the bodie, For now my purpofe is to fpeake 
of their medicinable vertues, for as much as there is great ufe'in Phyfick, as well of fueh aroma- 
ticall finpples, as odoriferous floures. As touching Cypirus therefore; I profefle verely that I will 
* follow 4pollodor ws ,who forbiddeth expreflely totake Cypirus inwardly in any drinke sand yet 
he protefteth, that itis moft effectual for chem that be trobled with the ftone,and full ofgravells_ 
B  but,by way of fomentation onely. Hee affirmeth moreover; that without all doubt it caufeth wo- 
men to travaile before their time,and to flip their untimely fruit.But one miraculous effe ther- 
- of hereporteth, namely, That the Barbarians ufe toreceivethe fume of this hearbe into their + » é Ids 4 é 
mouth, and thereby waft and confume their {welled {plenes: alfo, they never go forth of dores, ” 
before they have diunke a pipe thereof in thatmanner :for perfuaded they are verely (faith hee) 
that bythismeans they are more youthfull, lively,and ftrong. He faith moreover,that ifitbe ap- 
plied asa liniment with oile, it healeth all merry-galls and raw places where the flefh is rubbed 
lol 
* Candor :fome 
read Color: 
jin colour. 
eak 
° off orchafed:it helpeth the ranke rammith finell under the arme-holes ; and without faile cu- 
reth any chilling, numneffe, andthrough-cold, Thusmuch of Cypirus. 
Astor Cyperus, aRufhitis (as I have faid) growing {quare and cornered: neare the ground 
C_ itis white; toward the top, of a darke blackifh greene,and fattifh: the under-leaves that be low- 
eft,are flenderer than lecke-blades : the uppermoftin the head, are{mall, among which is the 
feed. The rootis like unto a blacke Olive, which if it grow long-wile, is called Cyperis, and 1s of 
fingular operation in Phyficke. The beft-Cyperus is that which groweth among the fands in 
Africke, neatethe temple of Japiter Ammon ; ina fecond ranke, isthat of Rhodes :ina third 
place may be raunged the Cyperus in Thracia: and in the loweft degree, that of Egypt. And 
hereupon caine the confounding of thefe two plants, Cyperusand Cypirus, becaufe both the 
one andthe other grow there. *But the Cyperus of Agypt is very hard,and hath no {mell at ail; 
whereas in the other, thereisa favour refembling the very Spikenard. Thereis another hearhe 
alfocomming from the Indians,called * Cyperis,ofafeverall kind by ie felfe, in torme like vnto 
D’ Ginger: ifaman chew it inthe mouth, it coloureth the fpittle yellow, like as Saffron. 
Butta come again to Cyperus, and the medicinable properties therof, Itis counted to have 
_adepilatorie vertue for tofetch off haire. Ina linimentit is fingular good for the excrefcenfe of 
the fle{haboutthe naileroots, or the departure and loofeneffe thereof about them; which both 
imperfections be called Pterygia : it helpeth theulcers of the {ecret parts, and generally all ex- 
ulcerations proceeding of rheumaticke humors,as thecankers in the mouth. The root of Cype- 
rus isa prefentremedic againft the ftinging of ferpents,and{corpions efpecially. Taken in drinke 
it doth defopilat and open the obftructions of the matrice: but ifa woman drink too much ther- 
of;icisfo forcible that it will drive the matrice out of the bodie. It provoketh urine,fo as it expel: 
lech the ftone and gravell withall: in which regard alfO, it is an excellentmedicine tor the dropfie, 
E Alinimentthercof is fingular for cancerous and eating fores, but efpecially for thofe that be in 
_ *thedtomacke, if icbe annointedwith wine or vinegrerempered with it. 
Asconcerning the Rufhesbeforefaid,their root fodden in three hemines of water, untill one 
thirdpart be coniumed, cureth the cough, Thefeed parched againft the. fire, andfo drunke in 
water, ftaieth the flux of the belly, and {toppeth the jimmoderatcourfe of womens months ; but 
it procureth headach. As for the Ruthcalled Holofchcenos, take thar part of it whichis next 
the root, and chew itsthen lay it to the place that is {tung with a venomous fpidet, itis an appro- 
ved remediesI find one forrmore of Ruthes, which they cali Euripice ; and this propertie with- 
all, That it bringeth onetofleepe: bucit mutt be ufed with moderation, for otherwife it breedeth 
drowlinefle, fib to the lethargie. Nowfecing lam entred into the treatife of Ruthes,I muftneeds 
F fezdowne the medicinable vertues of the fweet Ruth called Squinanth ; and the rather, becaufe 
(as have alreadie fhewed) it growethin Syria furnamed Coele. Themoft excellent Squinanth 
commeth out of Nabatoea, andthe fame isknowneby theaddition or f{urname Teuchites. Ina 
fecond place is thatof Babylon. The woorft ofallis brought outof Affricke, anditis alroge- 
sher without fmel!, Squinanth is round, of an hoteand * fierie taft, biting at the tongues ot 
ne "2 K ij The 
* No more 
hath Cy pins ia 
Egypt, by his 
ownc faying. 
# This Cyperts 
istaken tobe 
Curcuina, OF 
Tcvrameritas 
called there- 
upon cosrapt- 
ly, Lérmerithe. 
* Ignee morda- 
CIALIS, 
Sf 
™n 
