i 
-childres : Jems, to fuch as be of a foeminineand delicat bodie; asalfoto thofe that be in mind 
/ 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. | 2i9 
A befides, for * bathing either before or after the taking of Ellchore,as occafion belt required s * Miprarates 
appoiatcth 
yeaand they tooke great heed and regard of the whole bodi¢ befides: and yer, did what they patimto bach 
could, che terrible name and report that went of this medicine, paffed all their care and circum- betore,who 
{pection whatfoever: for it was an opinion generally held and received, That Ellebore dorh eat fy ge n0r ea 
away and confume the fleth feething inthe por, if itbee boiled therewith . Butherein wete the bore:sin cafe 
auncient Phyficians much too blame and greatly iu fault, in that they were oyer timorous, and o Oe 
for fearc of fuch accidents enfuing upon this medicine, gave it in too {mall a dofe :whereas in- {yeuene 
deed, the greater quantitie-that one taketh of it, the more {peedily it workerh, and the fooner therof, he pre- 
paffeth out of the bodie, when it hath once done the errand. Themifox uled to prefcribe wo ae 
drams, and not above. The Phyficians who followedafter, allowed the dofe of touredrams 5 
grounding upon a notable and famous apothegme or {peech of Herephylus, who was woont to 
fay, That Ellebore was like unto a valiant and liardie captaine: For when (quoth he) ithath ftir- 
red all the humors within the bodie; it felfe iffueth forth firft and maketh way before them:More- 
over, there isa ftrauinge and fingular devife, To clip the root of Ellebore with fifail fizzers or 
fheares into little peeces$then,to fiftthem through a fercer, that the barke orrind inay remaine 
ftill ; and when itis cleanfed and purged from the pith ot marowwithin, the fame may fall cho- 
row and pafle away : which is pafling good to {tay vomits,in cafe the Ellebore doc worke oo 
extreamely, Furthermore, if wee looke for good fuccefle in our cure by miniftting of Ellebores 
in any wife wee muft take heed and be carefull, how we give it ia clofe weather,and upon.a darke 
and clowdie day; forcerteioly it putceth the Patient to a jumpe or gteathazzard, and canfeth 
moft grievous and intollerable pains and torments, For that it fhould be raken in fummoer. ra- 
ther tltan in winter, no man doubreth thereof. Overand befides, the bodi¢ ought to bee prepa- 
reda feven-night before; during which time, the Patient is tocar tare and fharpe* meats and * Asradifh 
poignant fauces ; to abftaine from wine alrogither;and the fourth and third day before,sto af root ane 
fay by little and little to vomit gently : lait of all, coforbeare fupperover-nigbt, when hecisto © io 
take his Ellebore the tnorrow. As touching the manner of giving Ellebore: the white niay be 
drunke in fome {weet wine; bur the beft and chicieft way of taking it, is in milke, grewell, or pot- 
tage. OF late daics there 1s come up apretie invention, To flic or cutradifh roots, and within 
thofe gafhes to fticke or enterlace peeces of white Ellebore ; which done, to bind them clofe up 
~ againe, that che {trength and vertue thereof niay be incorporat in the forefaidroots: and thus 
by the means of this kind temperature with the radifh, togive it untothe Patient. Ordinarily 
this medicine of Ellebore continueth nor above foure hours within the bedie, buticcommeth 
up againe, and within feven it hath done working. And thus beeing ufed asis beforcfaid, itis a 
molt foyeraigne remedie for the falling ficknefle, the {wimming or dizzineffe of the head zit 
cureth melancholicke perfons troubled 1m mind; {uch as be brainficke, mad, lunaticke, phran- 
ticke,and furious zit is fingular good ior the Hlephansie the foule and daungeraus morphewcal- 
led Leuce, the filthic leprofie, andthe generail convulfion whereby the bodie continueth ftifte or 
and ftarke, asif it were all one peece without any joyntele belpeth thofe thar be troubled with 
trembling, thivering and thaking of their Jims, with the gout,and the dropfie, and namely fuch 
as be entring intoa tympanie: fingular iris for thofe that have weake and feeble ftomacks and 
cankeepe nothing that they take ; for fuch as are given to {pafmes or cramps, lie * bedrid of the + cgnii tome 
dead palfie or fuch chronicke difeafes, encumbred with the fctutica, haunted wieh the quartane read cynica, 8 
aguc, which willnot berid away by any other means; troubled with an old cough, vexed with ener 
ventofities and gtiping wrings and torments which be periodical], andufe to come and S0€ at havetheir 
eectainc fet times: howbeit, Phyficians forbidthe giving of Ellebore to oldfolke and young mous drawn 
é hens awrie to their 
: ; : d i F fie ears :the dif- 
effeminat: likewife to thofe whoare thin and flender, foft and tender : in which regards, we may eatcis called 
not bee alrogither fo bold to give it unto women as unto men . In like manner, this is amedi- OP “P42 
: : i y @ 4 eS ; WU. 
cine that would not bee minittred inwardly to fearefull, timorous, and faint-hearted perfons, 
~ neither to thofe who have any ulcerin the precordiall region about the midritfe, ne yerunto 
fuch as vfually bee given to {well in thofe parts; and leaft of all to thofe that{pit or reach up 
bloud; no more than to fickely and crafie perfons who have fome tedious and lingering mala- 
die,as phthylicke, &c, hanging upon them,andnamely, if they be grieved and difeafed in their 
fides or throat. Nevertheleffe, applied wichout the bodiein manner of a liniment with falted 
hogs greafesit cureth the breaking forth of flegmaticke yar and pimples; as alfo nee old 
vy eet 
