, 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 
A outwardly applied upon the wound, be it in juice,fubftance of leale, or decoction, it skilleth not 
the fting of ferpeats, 
whether : for which purpofe a dram weight of the root of great Centaurie drunke in three cyaths 
of white wine is excellent. As for Gentian, itferveth properly againft {nakes.if it be caken to the 
 poife of two drams with Pepper and Rug; in fixcyaths of wine, greene or drie, itmakes no mat- 
ter, Touching hearbe Willow or Lyfimachia, ferpents cannot abide the very {mell thereof but 
flic from it.If any bodie chanceto be {tung alreadie by them,there is not a better inedicine than 
to give Celendine in drinke. But of Beronie above all the reft there is made a moft foveraigne 
falveto bee laid untothe place that is ftung . And fuch,a contrarietie in nature or Antipathie 
thereis(by folkes report)betweene them and this hearbe,that if che leaves thereof be firewedin 
acitcle round abour them, the ferpents within will never give over flapping with their tailes,and 
beating their owne fides, untill they have killed themfelves. Now for their fting, itis an ufuall pra- 
&tife to give inwardly one dram weight of th¢ feed of Betonie in three cyaths of wine, or elfeto 
incorporat three drams of the pouder in one {extar of water, and lay it asa cataplafme to the 
fore,Cantabrica, Di@amnum,and Ariftolochia,ferve likewife for good countrepoyfons, in cafe 
a dram weight of theirroot bee given in one hemine of wine. But then the patient muftufe to 
drinke it often, And verely Ariftolochia worketh the fame effect, if ir be reduced into a liniment 
and fo applied: fo doth Piftolochia, which heatbe is fo adverfative unto ferpents,that if you do 
but hang it up in the chimney over the hearth, it will chafe away all kind of ferpents out of the 
houfe. | 
ON i >. ad ae 
2& Of Argemonic, Agarick,and Echium.Of Henbane and Vervaine, Of Blattaria and Le. 
monia.Of Cingacfoile,Carot,and the Clot or great Bur Of Cyclaminus or Sow- 
bread,and Harftrang:hearbs all fingular againft the fling of ferpents. 
Heroot of Argemonia taken to the weight of one Romane denier in three cyaths of wine, 
- § isfingular againftthe fting of ferpents. And fince lam come to mention this hearb,] think 
it convenient to difcourfe farther thereof :like as of other fimples alfo, which I meane to 
name firft,before that I treat of their vertues and effects. And in this courte of fetting down ms- 
dicines,ever as I meet with any hearbe of any fingularitie,I will raunge it there whereas Lknow it 
tobe moftfoveraigne andeffeCtuall. Well,this *Argemonie aforelaid hath leaves like unto A. 
nemonie,/.Rofe Perfeley or VWWindflower ; jagged they bein manner of garden Perfeley. Heads it 
beareth in the top of every ftalke or branch, refembling thofe of wild Poppie or Corne-rofe:and 
a rootalfo not unliketo that of the faid hearbe.A juice it yeeldeth,ycllow as Saffron, hor,(harp, 
and biting in aft. With us here in Italic itgroweth uponcerne lands,Our countrymen have de- 
fcribed three kinds thereof, butthey allowand commend that onely, which hatha root fenting 
much of Frankincenfe. : 
Touching Agaricke, itis a fungousexcrefcence growing outof certainetreesneare unto the 
ftreights of Bofphorus,much J:ke unto a white Muthrome. The ordinarie dofe or receit thereof, 
to be given, bruifed,and beaten {mall into pouder,isto the weight of twodrams in two cyaths of 
Oxyinell or honied vinegre. That which isfound in Gaule or Fraunce,is thought to bee weaker. 
in operation, Moreover, that Agaricke is counted the male whichis more maffive or compat, 
a more loofe and fofter fubftance : which atthe firft when you taft it feemeth fweez, but within 
while it curneth to be bitter, aials : 
Echium is of two kinds,One of them is like unto Peniroyall garnifhed & crowned(as it were) 
with tufts of leaves in the head: which being giventothe weight of two drams in foure cyaths of: 
wine, is fingular good for the venome of ferpents, inflicted by their fting. The like effe@ hath the 
other alfo, which is diftinétly knowne from the other by the rough and prickie downe that the 
leaves doe beare,andit catieth in the top little knobs refembling vipers heads: and this may be 
taken either in wine or in vinegre,chufe you whether. 7 | 
> The great Clot-bur,called ia Greek Arcion, fome have namedin Latine Perfonata. There is 
nota plantin the field that carieth abroader leafe, and befides, furnifhed itis with as big Burres, 
The root of this hearbe boiled,the Phyficians prefcribeto be given in vinegre to drinke againft 
Hen- 
117, 
* An hearbe 
ike tothe 
wild Poppie. 
_ and bitrerer withall:But one ill qualitie it hath,namely,to make the head to ake. The female is of» 
