of Plintes Naturall Hiftorie. 119 
A cometo particulars, for ftings and bitings of venomous creatures,the root thereof tothe quanti- 
tie of one dram, is taken in wine.And in cafe(as moft times it falleth out)that a fever follow upon 
fuch accidents, then the patient muft drinke it with water, A {peciall and effeCtuall propertie it 
hath againft certaine land-{nakes called Cherfydri,and venomous todes, if it be reduced into a 
liniment,and fo applied tothe fore, But Heractides the Phyficianis of opinion, That if the faid 
root bee boiled in the broth of a Goofe, itis of more efficacie than all other,againft the Toxica 
atid Aconita.But whereas others doe boile it in {heere water againft the poyfons Toxica, Apollo- 
dor#s would have a frog foddengvithall. The hearbe it {elfeis of fubftance hard, branching much, 
full of leaves,and thofe befet with prickes.A {tem or {talke it carieth parted by knots and joints,a 
cubit high and fomewhat more.Moreover,as there is white Erynge,fo you fhall have of it black: 
B. Therootis odorifeious, Eryngion verely commeth up ordinarily of feeds andby fetting. Bur it 
groweth alfo in rough and {tonite places of the owneaccord.And that which wefee along the fea 
fhore, is harder and blacker than the reft,leaved alfo like common Ach or Perfeley. 
Crap. vil 
2S of the hearbe or thiftle commonly called Centum-capita, isthe hundred heads, 
S for the whiteErynge,our countreymen call it in Latine Centum-capita.But they bee all 
. of one and the {ame operation and effect, And the Greekes verely make their ordinarie ~ 
meat as well of their ftalkes asroots, both waies, to wit, either raw or boiled, as they lift. 
C Certes,there be wondersreported of this hearbe,namely, That the root of this white Eryngioa, 
(which is very geafon and hard to be found)refembleth one while the male fex,and otherwhiles 
the female,of ourkind. Buctif icchauncethata man doe meet with that Eryngion which ts like 
unto that member which diftinguitheth him from a woman, he fhall be very amiable and belo- 
ved of women. VVhich was thereafon (men fay) that ladie Sappho was fo enamoured upon the 
yong knight P40 of Lesbos, And verely,astouching this heabe,not onely the Magicians, but 
the difciples alfo and followers of Pythagoras,tell us many vagne and foolifh tales. 
Butto come indeed to the ufe of itin Phyficke. Over and befides thofe vertues and proper- 
ties which I have related alreadie,good itis to refolve ventofities: it eafeth the gripes and wrings 
in the bellie: it cureth the difeafes and debilitie of the heart: it helpeth the ftomack and liver.For 
D the midriffe and precordiall parts,itis very holefome taken in honied water : and for the fpleen, 
in vinegre and water together. Aliodrunk in mead or honied water aforetaid,tt is fingular for the 
kidneies,the {trangurie,the crampe of cricke that pulleth the head of a bodie backward: for other 
{paiines alfo and convulfions: for the loines, the dropfie,and the falling ficknefle, Soveraigne it 
is moreover for womens monthly fleurs, whether they doe {tay uponthem, orconttariwife run 
exceflively from them: and in one word,it cureth all the accidents and infirmities of the matrice, 
Being applied asa liniment with honey, it draweth forth any offenfive thing flicking within the 
bodie.Andif it be laid too with falt,lard,or hogs greafe,and{o incorporatintoacerot,ithealeth | 
the kings evill,the {welling kernils behindthe eares,and the flat biles and botches.Jt rejoineth al- 
fo the flefh that is gone from the bone:and finally, foudereth and knitteth broken bones orfra- 
E tures. Taken before a man fit downe to eat or drinke, it preferverh him from furfet or drunken- 
nefle : and bindeth the bellie. Some of our Latine writers would have it to be gathered a litle be- 
fore the Summjet Solitice,faying moreover, That if it bee applied with raine water,it helpeth all 
the infirmities incident tothe nape of the necke : and by their report, if it be bound to the eyes, 
_itcureth the pinand web. : 
Cuar 1X. 
2g Of Acanus and Ligquirice. 
* Omethete be who take Acanus for a kind of Eryngium. And they defcribe itto bee a low 
F hearbe,and yet growing broad and large, full of prickes and thornes,and thofe likewile big- 
gecthan ordinarie : Being applied outwardly,wonderfull efleCtuall it is (by their faying) to 
ftanch bloud.Ozhers there are,who have thought Eryngeand Liquirice to bee all one, but they 
ate deceived. Howbeit, for fomerefemblance thatis betweene them, thinke it notamifle to fet 
downe the delcriptionthereof immediately after thefe Erynges. Doubileflé,this Liguitice alfo is 
: to 
z / 
