Chap. 179. ‘Englijh Herbs. 
■57 
is ufually ripe in Auguft , at which time the Elate- 
rium is alfo made of it. 
VII. The Vitalities. The whole Plant is hot and 
dry in the third Degree ; Aperitive, Abfterfive, bitter 
in Tafte, and wafting away. Galen will have the 
Juice to be hot but in thefecond Degree, cleanfing, 
and of thin parts : it purges watry Humors, and is 
certainly the belt Cathartick in the whole Repub- 
lick of Medicine. 
VIII. The Specification. Elaterium is a peculiar 
Medicament for the Cure of Droplies. 
IX. The Preparations. You may have herefrom, 
J . A liquid Juice of the Leaves. 2. A liquid Juice 
of the Root. 3. An Errhine of the Juice of the 
Leaves or Root. 4. A liquid Juice of the Fruit. 5. 
A Syrup of the Juice of the Roots or fruit. 6 . An 
Infufion cf the Root. 7. A Vinegar of the Root. 8. 
A Decoffion of the Root. 9. A Ponder of the Root. 
10. An EleAuary of the Root. 11. An Oil of the 
Root. 12. A Cataplafm of the Root. ij. A Subfit- 
tution of the Root. 14. A Cataplafm of the Leaves. 
JJ. A Cataplafm of the Leaves with Goals-dung. 
16. Elaterium Viride, Green Elaterium, or the In- 
fpijfate Juice of the fruit. 17. Elaterium album 
vel optimum, White Elaterium, or the Fcecula of 
the Juice of the fruit. 18. The diftilled Water. 
The Virtues. 
X. The Liquid Juice of the Leaves. Dropped 
into the Ears, it eafes them of the Pains and Noifes 
therein, and very much prevails againft Deafnefs : 
bathed upon the Skin, it takes away Freckles, Len- 
tils, Difcolorings, yellow Spots, Scurff, Morphew, 
Tettars, Ringworms, Herpes, and other Deformities 
thereof, ufed Morning and Evening for fome time. 
XI. The liquid Juice of the Root. It is good a- 
gainft the Falling-ficknels and Kings-evil, put into 
the Noltrils, and taken inwardly alfo ; and the Stru- 
matick Swellings being daily Morning and Evening 
bathed therewith; it provokes the Terms, but is not 
to be given to Women with Child, becaufe it is apt 
to deltroy the Fruit in the Womb. It purges vif- 
cous and watry Humors, ijnd that ftrongly ; and 
therefore it is ufed in Clyfters. It has alfo all the 
Virtues of the Juice of the Leaves, as to external 
Difaffeffions, if it is applied in like manner. Be- 
ing taken from 2 to 4 drams in any convenient Ve- 
hicle, it prevails againft the Dropfie and the yellow 
Jaundice, and opens all Obftruaions of the Liver 
and Spleen, powerfully evacuating Water. 
XII. The Errhine made of the Juice of Leaves 
or Roots. It is made by mixing j parts of the Juice 
with 1 part of Water in which Nitre is diflblved. 
Some make it by mixing the Juice 2 parts, with 
Milk 1 part. Snuff up the Noltrils it cutes an Epi- 
lepfy, as alfo an inveterate Megrim or Head-ach ; 
for it wonderfully purges the Head and Brain from 
Excrements, and cures a flunking Breath coming 
from the Noltrils ; and is a prevalent Medicine 
againft Lethargies, Carus, Sleepinels and Apo- 
plexies. 
XIII. The liquid Juice of the Fruit. It has all 
the Virtues of the Juice of the Leaves and Roots, 
and may be ufed in the fame manner to all thofe 
Intentions * but it is much more powerful, as being 
more Acrimonious, and therefore is to be ufed in a 
fmaller Dofe. And an Errhine, may be alfo made of 
it, as of the Juice of the Leaves or Roots, very be- 
neficial and potent to all the fame Purpofes, being 
much wronger than is Juice of Beets or J ?rint- 
rofes. 
XIV. The Syrup of the Juice of the Roots or Fruit. 
** _ g 00 ^ againft the Scurvy, Dropfie, Jaundice 
and Gout, carrying oft all forts of putrid Humors, 
chiefly Flegm and Water, by which it gives a ge- 
neral Relief to the whole Bodv, and fo prevails 
gamft Head-achs, Apoplexies', Epilepfies, Carus 
Lethargy, Vertigo and Madnefs. It is good againft 
Surfeits and Agues, and kills Worms in the Body. 
The Dofe is from a fpoonful to 2, 3 or 4, in the 
Morning faffing, mixed with a Glafs of warmPofi 
let-drink or White-wine : if it is acuated with 
choice Sena , it will be much more powerful and ef- 
ficacious to all the Intentions and Purpofes before 
enumerated. 
XV. The Infufion of the Root. Take of the frefh 
or green Root well bruited a pound put it into a 
pint and half of ftrong White Port Wine, in which 
let it infute for 24 hours or more. Dofe 3 ounces 
for three or four days together, or until the Hydro- 
pick Swelling is plainly difcerned to be very much 
wafted and fallen. This is Diofcorides his Medicine 
for curing the Dropfy ; which thing (fays he) it 
doth, without any troubling of the Stomach. 
XVI. The DecoAion of the Root. It may be made 
in Wine or Water, or with a Mixture of both. 
This being drunk (fays Mefue) helps the Dropfy, 
for it wonderfully evacuates watry Humors, and 
prevails againft the Yellow Jaundice, and all Ob. 
ftruftions of both Liver and Spleen. This Decofti- 
on gargled in the Mouth, and held therein for foms 
time, gives prefent Eale in the Tooth-ach. 
XVII. The Vinegar of the Root. If the Root is 
infiifed or boiled in ftrong Vinegar, and that Vinegar 
is bathed upon the Skin two or three times a day, 
it is good to cure Tettars, Ringworms and a fimple 
Herpe, as alfo to cure Scurff and Morphew, and to 
cleanfe the Skin of all Difcolorings, as Yellowneft 
Tawninefs, Freckles, Lentils, and other Spots 0} 
that kind. 
Ff Fonder of the Root. Snufft up the 
Noltrils, it is a good Errhine to purge and cleanfe 
the Head and Brain of cold moift and vifcous Hu. 
mors, which caufe the Head-ach, Megrim, Vertigo 
Lethargy, Apoplexy, Epilepfy, Palfy, &c. Dwfcort- 
des fays, thar being applied to the Skin or Face it 
cleanfes it from all Scurff; and takes away the Dif. 
coloring of Scarrs. Inwardly taken, to a fcruple or 
half a dram, mint with Cream of Tartar, it kills 
Worms, purges the Bowels, and carrys off flirny 
Humors. * 
XIX. The EleAuary of the Root. It is made of 
the Pouder mixt with Honey, Taken inwardly, 
from a dram to two drams , according to Age and 
Strength, in the Morning falling, it purges Flegm, 
Choler and watry Humors, and abates the rebrili- 
ous Ferment of the King’s-evil ; it cleanfes and 
heals old Sores and Ulcers, being ufed Plaifter-wife 
cleanfing them throughly, and wonderfully healing 
them. Applied upon a Herpes, Tettar or Ring, 
worm, or other like Breakings out, or put upon any 
Deformity or Scar, does attenuate the Skin, attraft 
forth the malign Juices, and heal thofe Breakings 
out; taking away alfo Marks, Spots, Blacknefs and 
Blewnefc coming upon the Skin and Flefh by Con- 
tufions and Blows. ' 
XX. The Oil if the Root. It is made of the 
bruifed Root or of its Juice, by Infolation, or boil- 
mg in Oil Olive. Anointed often upon the Temples 
it is faid to cure an inveterate Megrim, an Errhine 
of the Juice, being fiiufft alfo up the Noftrils, A- 
nointed well upon the Hip and Huckle-bone Morn- 
ing and Evening, for half an hour together, it eafes 
the Pain of the Sciatica, Cfc, 
XXI. The Cataplafm of the Ropt. It may be made 
either of the Root bruited, Efc. or of the luice of 
the Root brought to a rhicknefs, with Pouder of 
Elecampane-roots. Applied after anointing with ihe 
former Oil, it gives great safe in the Gout and Sci- 
I> 1‘ aticn j 
