> 
ures 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 201 
A thejuice of thisroot dooth cure and heale wonderfully. The leaves fodden in wine and oile,are 
good to be applied unto any burne or place fcalded.Being eaten in afallad with fale and vinegre; 
they purge the bellie : (odden with honey, and applied as a caraplafme, they are good for diflo- 
cations and bones out of joint. Semblably,the faid leaves,whether they bee greene or dried, are 
excellent for the gout in any joint, if they bee laidtoo with fale. Hippocrates devifed a plaftre of 
them arid honey together, which was fingular for all impoftumations whatfoever. For to bring 
downe the defired ficknefle of women,two drams of the root or feeds(it skils nor whether)caken 
in two cyaths of wine, is a fufficient dofe. The fame potion fetcheth away the after-birth,in cafe it 
make no haftto come away after a woman is delivered of child.And for this purpofe Hippocrates | 
appointed the very 5ulbous root of Aton in fubftance to be applied untothe nature of a woman 
B inthelikecafe, Icis faid,that in time of peftilence itis.afingular prefervative if it bee caren with 
meats.Certes,it is excellent to keepe them for being drunke,who havetaken their liquor liberal= 
lyor at leaftiwife to make them fober againe. And yet the perfume or fmoke thereof,when it burs » 
neth,chaleth ferpéents away,and efpecially the Afpides;or els dooth intoxicat their heads; anid- 
make them fo drunke that aman {hall find them lying benummed and aftonied, as it they were » 
dead. The fame ferpents moreover will not come neare unto thofe that bee annointed ail over } 
with this hearbe Arosand oile of baies : hereupon it is thought, that itis a good prefervative 
againft their ftings,if it be drunke in grofferedwine, They fay moreover, that cheefes will keepe ’ 
pafling well, if they be wrapped within the leaves of Aron. berbide' barib/eais 
To come now to Dragons,called in Latine Dracunculus, whereof Ihave {poken before: The 
C onely time to dig it out of the ground, is when Barley beginneth toripen,and within the two fuft 
* quarters of the Moone, all the whilethat fhe doth encreafe in light. Let one but have the root of 
this hearbe about him in any part of the bodie(it makes no matter how or where hee carie it)hee 
{hall de {ure chatferpents will fie from him. And therfore it is faid,that the greater kind of hem 
is fingular to be givenin dyinke unto thofe who ate {tung alreadic by them; as alfo that it ftop- 
peth the immoderatcourfe of womens fleurs,in cafe it touched novyron inftrument when it was 
gathered. The juice thercof is pafling goodforpaineintheeares. == 
Astorthat Dragon which the Greekes name Dracontium,it hath ben fhewed and defcribed 
unto mein three formes: The one leaved like unto the Beets, growing with an upright main fem 
with a flower of-a purple colour:this Dragon is like unto Aron, Others brought unto’ mee a fe- 
D cond kindwith along root (asit were) marked foorth and devided into certaine joints ; it putteth 
out three finall items and no more: and they declared moreover.and gave direction to feeth the 
leaves therof in vinegre agamft the {ting of ferpents. There was a third fort fhewed unto me,bea-. 
Ting aleafe bigger than that of the Corneil tree, with aroorrefembling thofe of the canes or 
reeds: and(as chey avouched)parted into as many joints and knots juit,asit was yeares old, and 
fo many leaves likewife it had,neither more norlefie, Thofe that prefented it unto me ,ufed to give 
the fame in wine or water againtt ferpents, | 
There is an hearbe alfonamed Aris, growing in the fame Egypt :like unto Aron abovefaid, 
fave that itisleffe, hath {mailer leaves, and not fo big a root, and yec the fameis fullas great as a 
good round and large olive. Of thefe,there bee two kinds : the one which is whitesrifeth up with 
E two ftalks : che other putteth forth but one fingle ftem.Both of them have vertueto cure running 
skals and ulcers ; to healeburnes alo and fittulousfores,if a collyrie or tent be made thereof and 
put into the lore: the leaves boiled in water, and afterwards {tamped and incorporat with oile ros 
fat doe {tay the {preading of corrofive and eating ulcers.But mark one wondertull property that 
this plant hath:touch thenature or fhap of any female beaft therewith, (he will neverlin gadding 
untill fhe die with one mifcheefe or other. : 
Touching Millefoile or Yarrow,which the Greekes call Myriophylion,and we in Latine Mil- 
Jefoliuin : it isan hearbe growing up with atender and feeble {talke,like in fome fort unto Fenell, 
and charged with many leaves, whereupon it tooke the name: it groweth in mooresand fennie 
grounds: ufedto very good purpofe and with fingular fuccefle,in curing of wounds, Over & be- 
F fides,it is piven to drinke with vinegre for the difficultie of urine and the ftoppage of the bladder, 
for thofe that take wind thicke and thort, and fuch as are inwardly bruifed by falling headlong 
from on high: the fameis moft effe@uall to take away the toothach. 
In Tufcane they have another hearb fo called,growing in medows,which putteth forth on ei- 
ther fice of the ftalke or ftem,a number of pretie leaves as fall in manner as hairs, The famealfo 
is 
