of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 163 
A. before'all others.Being eaten as meat efpecially at meales,they are good forthemwhoreachip 
bloud. The Dates Caryote ferve to make a linimentfor the ftomack,the bladder,belly and guts, 
with an addition of Quince among.Being incorporat with wax & faffron, they reduce the black 
-and blew markesremaining after {tripes in the skin, to their naturall colour. Date {tones with 
their kernels are burnt ina new earthen veflell whichwas never occupied before, and becing 
thus calcined,and theirathes wafhed, they ferve in ftead of Spodium,and doe enter with other 
ingredients into collyries or eye-falves : and with fome Nard among, they make fukes to paint caliiAlephars, 
and embellifh the eye-browes, 
‘Cup. v. | 
B _ oS Of the Myrabolane Date,and the Date Elate. 
He beft Palme or Date tree which beareth a fruit like to Myrabolanes, is that which grows 
ethin Zgypt. Thefe Dates have noftones, like to others. Beeing taken in unripe and hard 
wine,they {top the flux of thebellie, and {tay the extraordinarie courfe of womens fleurs, 
and doe confolidat wounds. : 
As touching the Datetree,called Elate or Spathe, it affourdeth for ufe in Phyficke,the young 
buds,the leaves,and the barke, The leaves ferve to bee applied unto the midriffe and precordial] 
parts,the ftomacke,liver,and {uch. corrofive ulcers,as hardly will bee brought to healeand skin 
up. The tender rind thereof incorporat with wax and rofin,healeth all manner of skals,within 20 
C daies. Thefame boiled and applied accordingly, cureth the accidents befalling to thecods and 
_ _ genetoires. Thevery perfume thereof coloureth the haire of the head blacke: and the fuffumiga- 
tion fetcheth downe the dead infant out of the mothers bellie. It is given inwardly in drinke for 
the infirmities of the kidneies, bladder,and precordial] parts: howbeit,an enemie itis unto the 
head and {finewes. A deco@tion or bath thereof, if a woman fit in it, ftaieth theimmoderat flux 
both of Matrice and bellie, Likewife the afhes taken in white wine,are fingular for the pains and 
torments of the collicke : as alfoa collution therewith, is as effectuall to cure the fall ofthe*Vvula “posters visi. 
and other defects incident to that part. Some read val- 
varum, i.of the 
i matrice and 
Cuap. vin natural] parts - 
e ie : ; i of women. 
D 2 The medicinable vertues confidered in the flowers leaves,fruit,boughs branches; 
barke wood juicer oot and afhes of many trees of feverali kinds, 
J T remaineth nowto decipher the manifold medicines which apples & fuch like fruits tender- 
skinned ,doe affourd,according to the varietie of treeswhich bring them forth.Of which, thus 
much in generall isto be noted, That all fruits which ripen in the Spring,while they bee foure 
aid harfh,be enemies to the ftomacke; they trouble the belly ,difquiet the guts and bladder,and 
withall,be offenfive to the finews:but if they be full ripe or fodden,they are the better.But to grow 
unto particulars: Quinces if they be boiled baked,or rofted,are {weeter and more pleafantto the 
__ taft,thanraw. Yet being throughly ripe upon the tree,although they be eaten raw,theyare good 
E for thofethat fit and reach bloud, and are difeafed with the bloudie flix : fuch alfo.as upon the 
violent motion of unbrideled chollericke humors void upward znd downeward: as alfo for then 
who be fubje€ to continual loofenefle of the bellie,occafioned by the feeblenes of the ftomack. 
Being once boiled or baked ,they are nor of the fame operation:for they loofe therby that aftrin- 
gent yertue which their juice had.In hote and fharpe feavers they ferve for to be applied unto the 
breaft. And yet if they be fodden in raine water, they will doe well in thofe cafes above recited.But 
for the paine of the ftomacke, it mattersnot whether they be raw, fodder, or baked ,fothey bere 
ducedinto the forme of acerot, and laidtoo. Their downe or moffinefle which they bear, ifitbe 
boiled in wine,and reduced into a liniment with wax,healethcarbuncles. And the famemaketh 
the haire to growagaine in bald places occafioned by fome difeafe,Raw Quinces condited and 
/ pieferved in honey;doe ftirre thebellic,and moove to feege.Theyimpart unto the honey a plea- 
fanttaft,whereby itis more familiar andagreeabletothe ftomacke.Butfuch as being parboiled 
before,arethen kept and confited in honey,bethought good for the ftomack, in the opinion of 
. fome, who ordaine and prefcribeto ftampe them firft, and then to take them in manner of a 
meat or conferve,being incorporat with Rofe leaves boiled,for the infirmities of the inii om 
c 
