Foreign Vegetables. 307 
lignant Diftempers, and that it is ufeful in the 
Dropfy, Jaundice, Pleurify, Spafmodick Contrac- 
tions, Afthma, difficult Refpiration, Coughs, and 
Hoarfenefs. Externally applied they fay that it re- 
folves tumid Spleens, draws down the menftrual 
Purgations, and that being mixed with Wax it ex- 
tracts Corns of the Feet, if previoufly fcarified 
round about with a Knife : That it is likewife very 
ferviceable to invenom’d Wounds, the Bites of poi- 
lonous Animals, crude Ulcers, Carbuncles growing 
about the Fundament, and to rheumatick and gouty 
Pains. 
Garcias and others tell us that no fimple Medi- 
cine is in more common Ufe among the Indians 
than Alfa Foetida, both in Phyfick and as a Seafoning 
in Food. They mix it with moft of their Victuals, 
as their Soops, Pot-Herbs, CtV. and flrft rub it 
over the Pot in which they are boiled. They take 
it as a Medicine to cure Loathing and raife the Ap- 
petite, to ftrengthen the Stomach, to difcufs Fla- 
tulencies, and to excite Venery. 
However Galen , /. 8. de Simp, afferts that all 
the Parts of Silphium are of a flatulent Nature, and 
therefore difficult of Digeftion : But that outwardly 
ufed they are more efficacious, particularly its Juice, 
to which he attributes a powerful Virtue of draw- 
ing, as alfo of foftening and diflfolving Excrefcencies. 
Pliny likewife accules Lafer , when mixed with 
Food, of being hard of Digeftion. He fays it pro- 
duces Flatulencies, and Beichings, and is hurtful to 
the Urine. Moreover, he is afraid of ufing it in 
the Tooth- Ach from a very remarkable Inftance 
which he had known of its bad Effecfts, in a certain 
Man whom it occafioned, in thatDiforder, to throw 
himfelf headlong from an high Place to put an End 
to hisAnguifh. He alfo adds, that if it be daubed 
upon the Noftrils of Bulls, it makes them mad. 
X 2 Wherefore 
