of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 207 
A> thefewordsthree times pronounced, dejunus jejano med:camentum do,[7, I being yet falting give 
thee a medicine alfo whiles thou art fafting : ] and with that,to bind the foref2id knots and roots 
unto the parts affected, and fo continue this courfe for three daies togither. Furthermore, that 
kind of graffe which hath feven joynts in theroot,neither more nor leffe,is fingular for the head- 
ach, and worketh great effects ifthe Patient carrieth it tied faft about him. Some Phyficians doe 
prelcribe for the intolerable paine of the bladdet,to take the decoction of this grafle boiled in 
wine unto the confumption of one halfe, and give it to drinke unto the Patients prefently upon 
the comming out of the baine or hot-houfe, POR DIN \ fimiuer fae 
_ Touching the grafle which by reafon of the pricks thatit beareth is named Aculeatum,there 
bethreeforts of it: The firft is that which ordinarily hath five fuch pricks in the head or top 
B thereof, and thereupon they call it Penta- Da@ylon,7. the five-finger graffe: thefe pricks when 
they be wound togicher,they ufe to put up into the nofthrils and draw them downe againe,forto . 
make the nofe bleed. The fecond is like to* Sengreen or Houflecke:fingular good itis for the * Some take 
whitflaws, and excrefcences or rifings up of the fleth about the naileroots, if it bee incorporat Sen 
intoa liniment with hogs greafe: and this graffe they call Da@ylos, becaufe it is a medicine for on aneraee™ 
the fingers. * Thethird kind named likewife Datylos,butfasaller than the other,groweth upon !nd of Adi 
old decaied walls or tyle-houfes: this is of’a caufticke and burning nature, good to reprefle the Be 
canker inrunning and corrofive ulcers, Generally, achaplet made of.the hearbe Gramen or madam. 
Dogs-graffe,and worne upon the head, ftancheth bleeding at the nofe. The Gramen thar grow- | Fs5 
eth along the high waiesin thecountrey about Babylon, tsfaidto kill camels that grafe upon it. great Stene- 
C _ Fenigreeke commeth not behind the other hearbs before {pecifted,in creditand account for cropswiid Pure 
the vertues which it hath : the Greeks call it Telus and Carphos: fome name it Buceras and A- wet pepper, 
goceras, for that the *feed refembleth little horns: wee in Latine tearme it Silicia or Siliqua. soy patherthe 
‘The manner of fowing ir, [have declared in due place faffictently. The vertues thereof, is to sods wherein 
drie,mollifie, and refolve: the juice drawne out of it after the decodtion, is right foveraigne for poe ake: 
many infirmities and difeafes incident to women, and namely in the naturall parts, whether the 
matrice havea fchurre init and be hard or fwolne, or whether the necke thereof be drawne too 
ftreight and nazrow : for which purpofes, it isto bee ufed by way of fomentation , infeffion, or 
bath; alfo by infufion or injection with the metrenchyrte. Very proper it is toextenuat the fcurfe 
or {calf like dandruffe appearing in the vifage: being fodden and applied togither with {al-nitre, 
D ithelpeth the difeafe of the fplene, The like effect it hath with vinegre: and being boiled therin, 
' itis good for the liver.For {uch women as have painefull travaile in chuld-birth, and bee hardly 
delivered, Discles appointed Fenigrecke feed to the quantitie of one acetable, to bee given in 
nine cyaths of wine cuit forthtee draughts: withthis direction, that the woman firft thould take 
one third part of this driake, and then goe toa hot bath, and whiles the were {weating therein,to. 
drinke one halfe of that which was left: and prefently after {he is out of the baine, {up off the reft. 
And he faith there is not the like medicine to be found in this cafe,when all others will rakeno ef- 
feét, Phe fower or meale of Fenigreeke feed boiled in mead or honied water,together with Barly 
or Linefeed is ftngular for the paine of the matrice,cither applied to the {hare in maner ofa cata- 
plafme, or put up into the naturall parts as a peflarie,according as the abovenamed D ccies faith ; 
who was wont likewife to curethe leprie or S. wagnws evill; to cleanfe and munaifie the skin, of 
freckles & pimplesswith a liniment made with the forefaid dower incorporat with the like quan- 
titie of brimftone:wich this charge,to prepare the skin by rubbing it with falnice, betore the faid 
ointment were ufed,and then to annoine it oftentimes ina day. Theodorus: wed to mix with Fent- 
gieeke a fourth part of the feed of garden Crefles well cleanfed,and to temper.them in the ftron- 
geft vinegre that he could come by which he tooke to be an excellent medicine forthe leprofie; 
Damiom ordained to make a drink with halfe an acetable of Fenigreck {eed put intoninecyaths of 
cuit or fheere water,and foto give it for provoking of womens fleurs.And no man doubteth but 
the decoction of Fenigreeke is moft holiome for the matrice 8 the exulceration ofthe guts: luke 
F 2 the feed it felfeis excellent for the joints and precordial] parts about the heart.But in cafe itbe 
bosled with Mallows,it is good forthe matrice & the guts, fo there be put unto the faid decoction 
{ome honied wine,and then given in drinke ; foreven the very vapor or fume of the laid decoétis | 
on doth much good to thofe parts. Alfo the decodtion of Fenigreeke feed rectifieth the ftinking 
* sanke{fmell of che arme- pits, if they be wafhed therewith . The flower made of Fenigrecke feed, 
incorporat with nitre and wine, quickly cleanfeth the head of {cuile,icallssand dandiuffe. but 
T ij boiled 
