A 
f. 
D 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 25% 
Nemphar taken infome aftringent or hard wine,*gently purgetii the bellie. Alfo, Pycnocom@n *¢yins contrari- 
is laxative: An hearbe this is like unto Rocket, butthat the leaves beethicker infubftance,and # vim et, 
*grow more thin: it hatha round root,andthe fame yellowifh, and fenting much of the earch : ce ieee ay 
the ftem is foure cornered of a meane height,{mall and {lender,and the flower much like to that *Howis it then 
of Bafill.Found itis ordinarily in ftonie grounds. The root of this hearbe drunke in mead,to the cary Pycnoco- 
weight of two deniers,doth evacuat downeward by thebellic, both chollericke andalfoflegma- 
ticke humors. The feed caufeth troublefome and unquiet dreames,if one drinke adram thereof 
in wine.Fumiterrie alfo*confumeth and difpatcheth the Kings evil]. Polypodium(which we call +1 fe norhow 
in Latine Fidicula)becaufe iris like unto fearne,purgeth choller. The root,which is onely me- ts heel? 
dicinable and in ufe,is full of haires,ofa greeni(h colour within,asbig commonly asa mans lis- “*"°""* 
tlefinger :full of hollowconcavitiesitis, reprefenting thofe holes that the fifhes called Polypi 
have about their feet orclees : fweetifhit is in taft,and groweth either upon rockes,or “els atthe * Yea inthe 
foot of old trees. After that this root hath beene well foaked in water, they ufeto preffe the juice ee of old 
forth of it; or the fame may be fhred & minced fmall,(trewed among pothearbes either of Beets “"""* cae 
ot Mallowes,yea,and put into the pot with them;or els tempered in {ome falt fauce,or fodden in | 
broth: afine medicine anda fafe,gently loofing the bellie,chough the patient were inanaguele 
dothevacuat choller and fleagme both :but fomewhat offenfive it is to the ftomacke. The pou- 
det of itdried,conveighed up into the nofthrils,confumeth the illfavored fore within, called Po- 
lypus or Noli-me-tangere. It *floureth, but feedeth not.Moreover,Scammonie alfo overturnes * It beareth 
and hurteth the ftomacke,unlefletwo drams of Aloebe put unto as many oboli of it:for then it pes oe 
purgeth choller,and fendeth it down by the bellie. Now this Scanimonie is the juice ofa certain 
hearbe(called likewife Scammonea)which branchethvand tufteth immediatly trom the root:the 
leaves be fat,white,and made trianglewife: the root thick,moift,and in handling will make ones 
ftomacke torife,and be readie to heave.It loveth to grow in battle grounds,and thofe of awhice 
leere, About the rifing of the great dog {tar they ufe to make an hollowtrough in the root as it 
groweth,to the end,thacall the moifture'thereof may fall and gather into it: which liquor bee- 
7. oe inthe Sunne,is wrought and made into bals or trochiskes. The rootit felfe allo iscom- 
nly dried, or at leaftwife the rind thereof. In regard of the countrey where it groweth, that is 
commended moft which commeth from Colophon, Myfia,and Priene: butif yourefpect the 
forme and looke of it,chufé that which is neat and cleane, refembling as neare as poflibly may 
be,ftrong Ox glue,fpungeous or fiftulous, full of holes or pafling fmall pipes.If you go by other 
qualities,take that which will foone diflolve or mele: which alfo hath a ftrong and ftinking fmell, 
clammie and gammie,turning into a whitith liquourlike milke,if you taft it at the tongues end, 
exceeding light in the hand,and when it is refolved, growing to a whitifh colour. And yet this 
propertic you fhall fee in that Scammonie which isfophifticat : and that ywis may foone bee 
done, for doe but take the meale or flower of Ervile and the juice of the fea Tithymal(and {uch is 
that commonly which commeth from Iudza)it will counterfeit the right Scammonie:butfuch 
ftuffe as this offendeth the throat, and is readie tochoake or ftrangle as many as ufe it, Howbeit 
thisimay be foone found by the very taft onely :for the Tithymal fetteth the tongue in a heat as 
if it were a bulbe root: and is not good to purge,whether aman take it fafting or full. As for the 
true and fyncere Scammonie,they were wont to exhibit it fora purgation even fimply by it felfe 
alone in a draught of mead with fome falt,and the dofe was foure oboli. But it was found to doe é 
_ the deed beft, and moft effeGually taken with Aloe: fo that the patient, when it began once to 
worke tooke a pretie draught of {weet honied wine, Furthermore,the root ifitbe bosledin vine- 
gre tothe confiftence of honey,maketh a fingularliniment for co annoint the leprofie:yea,and 
in cafe of headach it is found good to annoint the head with itand oile together. As for the Ti- 
thymall aforefaid, our countreymen here in Italie, fomecall it La@taria, as one would fay, the 
Milke hearbe;orher La@uca captina,.Goats Lectuce. Itis commonly faid, that with the milke 
of juice of thefe Tithymals, a man may write upon the skin of the bodie : for draw any letters 
therewith and {trewafhes or duft thereupon, when they bee drie; they will appeare very legible, 
And thisis a tricke practifed by thofe that make court unto other mens wives their miftrefles,de- xor spurges. 
livering their minds fecretly unto them by this meanes, which they dare not fet downe in paper * Ramis, rather 
ot miffive letters.Many kinds there bee of thefe* Tithymals. The firft is known by the addition of Frain 
Characias,which alfo is called the male Tithymall : the*braunches be of a finger thicknes,ted, Diafeor. 
*riveled,five or ftx in number,cunning up tothe height of acubit:and leaved they bee immedi- rue 
; atly j.tuil of fap. 
* 
