Willi) 
Jed with a white Pith , and not hollow, near a Man’s 
height, with Joints and Leaves on them, from the 
lower part upwards a good way, but bare and naked 
from thence to the lop, where they have //mill, long, 
and round heads, Jhcwing forth at Jirfl fome yel- 
lowijb blowers, which being poll, the Torch-head or 
Spike grows greater, and confifis whclly of a Towny 
jubilance, of a blacklfb brown, and J onto limes of a 
reddifh brown color on the out fide, and whitifh with- 
in Jbmewhat folid or weighty, which yet is in time 
blown away with the Wind. 
IV. The fecond differs nothing from the former, 
but in this, that it grows not Jo high, nor great, the 
heads being alfo lefs than them of the former. 
V. The third differs not from the Jccond, but in 
being /mailer than it, in both Leaf an l Stalk, which 
are more hard and rough ; and in the head or top , 
which in fome places bears a J. 'mailer J pike above, the 
lower bang greater, with a J. 'mail di fiance between 
them, and a Jmall Leaf at bottom of ft. 
VI. The Places. They, grow in Pools and flan ding 
Waters, and fornetimes in running Streams, as alfo 
in the middle of watry Ditches or Ponds, and 
by their Banks and Sides in many places of this 
Kingdom. Gerard lays, he found" the frnaller fort 
growing in Ditches and Marfliy Grounds in rhe 
lilfe of Shepey, going irom Sherland-Houje to Fever- 
Jham. I have alfo found them growing in many 
places in the Fens, and in Moiit and Standing Wa- 
ters in Fenny Grounds in Cambridge-Jhire, and the 
We of Ely. And in the South part of Carolina, at 
the head of Stono River, in the Marlhes near the 
New Cut leading into Wad-wndmalow River, which 
ate overflowed with every Tide, I have found them 
growing plentifully. 
VII. The Times. They flower in June and July, 
and their Heads, Torches or Maces, are ripe in Au- 
guji ;■ but the Down hardly flies away till the end 
ol Auguji, or Month of September. 
VIII. The Qualities. They are cold and dry in 
the firll Degree .- Aftringent, and very Styptick, Al- 
terative, and Analeprick. 
IX. The Specification. The Down is a Specifick 
to flop the bleeding of External Wounds. 
X. The Preparations. You may have, r. The 
Down. 2. A Ponder of it. 3. 4 Cataplafn. 
The Virtues. 
XI. The Down it felf. Applied dry to bleeding 
Wounds, it prelently flops their bleeding : applied 
to running ulcerated Kibed Heels, it quickly cures 
them : fo alfo ufed to moilf Sores, and running 
Ulcers, it drys almoft to a Miracle, incarnates and 
heals. In the Fen Countries it is fornetimes ufed 
to make Beds of, for poor People to lye on. And 
mixed with Butter, as a Bait lor Rats and Mice, it 
kills them by choaking them. 
XII. The Poudcr of the Down. Maithio/us favs, 
it is good to help the burftennefs or Ruptures of 
Children, wherein rhe Intettines fall down into the 
Cods. This others conteft againft, as being danger- 
ous to be taken inwardly, as being rather fit to 
ftrangle than help them, becaufe it choaks Rats and 
Mice. But this latter opinion I think to be an Er- 
ror, for as it is ufed to choak and kill Rats and 
Mice, it is ufed Whole, and not in the Pouder, 
whereas, if it is reduced to a very fubtil Pouder, as 
Matthio/us orders it, it can no ways be able to ef- 
fect any fuch thing This Pouder may be given, 
lays Gerard, mixed with Pouder of Bcteny, Roots of 
Gladiol , and Leaves of Horfetongue . This is to be 
mixed with the Yolk of an Egg, and fo eaten - it is 
( fays he ) a moll perfeft Remedy againft Ruptures 
in Children, and muft be Adminiftred every Day fitt- 
ing, for thirty Days together, one dram at a time: 
it not only helps Children and Striplings, but grown 
Men alfo, if in time of their Cure they ufe conve- 
nient Ligatures or Tradings, and fit proper Empla- 
fters upon the grieved place, according to Art; thus 
he. lor my part I have had no Experience hereof^ 
and therefore can fay but little to it, having, I con- 
fer not much Faith in the Prelcription, yet think 
it not of fuch a dangerous confequence, as fome 
would have it -, nor have I any great opinion of 
any Internals, given for this kind of Rupture, for 
that thoie Medicaments palling through the Inte- 
Jiines, can never come aflually to the part where the 
Wound is, and fo can do little in order to the Cure. 
X 11 L T/w 
