218 . | The five and twentieth Booke 
‘renowmed Tribunes of the Commons thatwere ever knowne at Rome (aman whoabove all 
others woon the favour and applaufe of the comminaltie showfoever the nobilitie charged hisa 
to have been the caufe of the Marfians warre) was perfitly cured of the falling fickneflein the 
Ifle Anticyra, by this onely medicine and indeed thofe Iflanders have a way by themfelves to 
prepare their Ellebore with the mixture of Sefamoeides (as havefaid before) whereby the ta- 
* 2 verando,un king of itis moft fafe, Ellebore is called in Latine * Veratrum :the powder as well of the one as 
G 
de veratores & che other {nuffed up into the nofthrils, either alone by itfelfe, or mixed with the powder of the — 
veraculi: and 
becaufefuch Fullers hearbe Radicula, wherewith they wath and {coure their woollen cloth, * provoketh {nee- 
prophets were zing; and yet both of them procurefleepe. Nowforufein Phyficke, there would bechofen the- 
em {maileft roots of Ellebor, fuch as be fhort alfo,and as it were curtailed, and not fharpe pointed 
witstherefore in the botome: and the bett part is thatwhich istoward the nether end ; for the uppermoft pare 
it was fo cal- of theroot which is the thickeft and bulbouslike to an onion head, is good for dogsonely, and 
Jed, forthat it. : 
cured fuck, given unto them for to make them {cummer.In old time they ufedto chufethe Ellebore root by 
*Sterautamen- the barke, and tooke that for the beft which had the moft flethie or thickeft rind, to the end hae 
th facit, ambog, : . a yas yaa , ; 
ini doube they might take out the finer pith or marow within; which they ufed to lap and cover with moift 
whether this {punges, and when itbegan to {well, they divided or flived it longwife into {mall filaments with 
be erve (up. the point of a needle or bodkin. Thefe filamenis or ftrings,they dried in the (hade,and laid them 
Me oe. up toferve asneed fhould require, But now adaies they cut the {mall fhoots or flips braunching 
ding tothe old from the root, fuch as are moft charged with barke, and thofe the Phyficians give unto their Pa- 
Siam visep, tents. The belt white Ellebore is thar, which in taft is hot and biting at the conguesend, and in 
they difeute the breaking feemeth to fmoke or fend dufl from it: ic is commonly faid, that it will continue in 
orfhakeo® force thirtie yeers. The blacke is good for the palfie, for thofe that be lunaticke and beftraughe 
flecpe, uledto . ‘ee : ‘ 
tharparpofe 1 their wits, for fuch as bein a dropfie (fo they be cleare of a fever,) for inveterat gouts as well of 
inlethargies feet and handsas other joynts: it purgeth downward by the belly both choller and fleame: being 
poe taken in water, it gently mollifieth and loofeneth the bodie:and from foure oboli (which is a 
~~" forall or meane dofe) you may riféto a full dram,{0 youexceed not that weight.Some were wont 
to mingle Scammoniuin therewith ; but the fafer way isto putfalc onely thereto: beeing given 
13 any {weet liquor tofome greatquantitie, it is daungerous: and yet a fomentation therewith, 
is gvod to rid away and difpatch the miftineffe that troubleth the eies : and therefore fome ufe to 
beat itiato powder,and when it is reduced intoa liniment or eyefalve,therwith to annoint them 
for the faid purpofe, This propertie moreover it hath, to bring to maturation the fwelling wens 
called the Kings evill,co mollifie any hard tumors,to mundifie alfo the forefaid wens and any bot- 
y ches or impoftumes that be fuppurat and broken. Itcleanfeth likewife the hollow ulcers called 
filtuloes, provided alwaies that itbe not taken out of the fore in two dates and twonights, but 
the third day it ought to be remooved., Incorporat with the skales of brafle and red orpiment, it 
taketh away werts, Made into a pulteffe or cataplafme with barley mealeand wine, itis fingular 
+ good for the dropfie,if itbe applied unto the bellie :take a fliving or flip of therootand drawit 
through the eare of fheepe or horfe ia manner of rowelling, and the morrow after take it foorth 
againe at the fame houresthis healech the gid or wood-evill in fheepe, andcureth the glandres in 
horfes:incorporat with trankincenfe or wax, togither with pitch or oile of pitch, it itfingular 
good for the farcins or {cab in any foure-footed beaft. Touching white Ellebore, the beft is that 
which moft{peedily provoketh {neezing : it is without comparifon farre more terrible-thanthe 
blacke, efpecially ifa man read what adoe and preparation there went unto it in the old time, 
when they were to drinke it againft fhiverings and fhakings, againft the rifing of the mother and 
daunger of fuffocation :in cafe alfo of immoderat and extraordinarie drowfinefle, of exceflive 
hicquets and yexing without intermiflion, and of continual fneezing: moreover, when they 
were troubled with weakenefle and fecbleneffe of ftomacke:in like manner in cafe of vomits, 
when they came either too faft or over-flow, either too little or too much : for this wasa rule ob- 
ferved among them, To givewith Ellebore fome other drugs, for to caufe it worke the fooner, 
and te haften vomit more fpeedily: alfo they ufed meansto fetch away the very Ellebore againe 
if itlay over-long in the bodie, either by other purgative medicines, or by clytters : oftentimes 
alfo by opening a veine or bloud-letting, And fay that Ellebore taken in manner aforefaid, 
wrought very well,yet they ufed to obferve every vomit,the divers colours of humors that came 
away, which many times wece fearefull to behold: yea and when the Patient had done cafting, 
they confidered alfo the ordure and excrementsthat pafled away by the belly: they a o- 
: befides, 
a mei = 
