2 9 5 
Chap. 213. Englijh. Herbs. 
bious : fome have thought it to be the Geum of the 
Ancients •, others to be Kigina Plinii •, but Fab ins 
Columna reFerreth it to Picnoc onion Diojcoridis : it is 
either Common , called, Mvrfus Diaboli vulgaris , of 
which in this Chapter , or Various , of which in the 
Chapter following. 
III. The Defcription. It has a Root which is 
fome what thick , but Jhort and blackijh , with many 
Strings faftned thereto , and abiding after Seed-time 
many Fears : from this Root rifes up a rounds green , 
fmooth ( not hairy ) Stalk , about two feet high , Jet 
with divers long , fomewhat narrow , fmooth , 
green Leaves , fnipt a little about the edges for the 
moft part , being other wife all whole , and not divided 
at all , or but very feldom , row to the tops of the 
Branches , which yet are f mailer than thofe below , 
with one Rib only in the middle , and being broken , 
/rar yiwA Threads , <zx /fr? Scabious does. At 
the end or top of each Branchy fiends a round Head. of 
many Flowers fet together in the fame manner , or 
more neatly and fuccintfly than thofe of the Scabious, 
and of a more blewifh purple color , f not of a dark 
red , ox Gerard yhyx J which being pafsA away , /fr<r/v 
follows Seed , ///co &///<? /fro/ 0/ Scabious, which falls 
away in the fame manner. 
IV. jYo/o. i. Some make of this kind a Greater 
and 0 Z>c//or but this, in my Opinion, comes from 
the Nature of the Soil or Ground, rather than from 
the Nature of the Plant -, that being the larger and 
fairer which grows upon the richer or fatter Ground, 
and that the Idler which grows on the poorer 
Soil. 
V. Neta.-i. Some are of Opinion, that the Sca- 
biofa rubra Auftriaca Clufii belongs to this Plant, 
becaufe it has a fhort Root with many Strings : 
Bauhinus makes mention of one of this kind, which 
has hairy Leaves, and not differing in any thing 
elfe, and he, from Gefner^ calls it Alorfus Dia- 
boli hirfuta. 
VI. IN ota. 3. Some Monks and Fryers (as I fup- 
pofe) have fabled, that the Devil, envying the 
Good which this Herb might do to Mankind, bit 
away part of. the Root, by which means it became 
fo fhort a Stump as it is, and from thence it came 
to have the Name of Morfus Diaboli , or Succifa , 
Devils-bit : but the Fable is fo Tediculous, that one 
which has but a Grain of Senfe or Reafon can never 
believe fuch a Fiflion. 
VII. The Places. It grows as well in dry Mea- 
dows and Fields, as moift in many places of cur 
Land ^ as alfo in Woods and by Highways fides : a 
great deal of it has been found growing in Hamp- 
fiead Wood near London , at Lee in Ejfex ; alfo at 
Raleigh in Ejfex, in a Wood called Hammer ef and 
in feveral other places. 
VIII. The Times. It flowers in Auguft , which 
is fomething later than the Scabioufes •, and is hard- 
ly to be known from Scabious , but when it is in 
Flower. 
IX. The Qualities. It is hot and dry in the end 
of the fecond Degree ^ and is Stomatick, Cordial, 
Sudorifick and Alexipharmick. 
X. The Specification. It is a peculiar Antidote 
againft the Plague, Poyfon and Bitings of Veno- 
mous Beafts. 
XI. The Preparations. You may prepare there- 
from, 1. A liquid Juice. 2. An Efjence. 3. A 
Decotfion. 4. i Pouder of the Root. 5. An Oint- 
ment or BalJ'am. 6 . A Cataplafm. 7. A diftilled 
Water. 8. A Spirituous Tintfure. 9. An Acid 
Tintfure. 10. An Oily Tintfure. 1 1. A Saline 
Tintfure. 12. A Salt. 
The Virtues. 
XII. The liquid Juice. Taken inwardly to two, 
three or four ounces, according to the Age of the 
Patient, it is powerful againft the Meafles, Small- 
Pox, Calenture, malign and fpotted Fever, as alfo 
againft the Plague, and all malign and peftilential 
Difeafes, Poyfon, and the Bitings of Vipers, Rattle 
Snakes, or any other Venomous Beall : and is an 
excellent thing to induce the Healing of Wounds 
and Ulcers. 
XIII. The Effcnce. It has all the ft rmer Virtues, 
but is more powerful to the faid Intentions : befides 
which, it is good againft Fits of the Mother and 
Vapors, and provokes the Terms in Women. Dole 
two, four or fix fpoonfuls Morning and Night, in 
a Glafs of the Diftilled Water, or in a Glals of 
White Wine. 
XIV. The Decoflion in Wine. It has all the Vir- 
tues of the Juice and Elfence, but is yet lefs power- 
ful : it may be uled as a Wound-drink by fuch Pa- 
tients as have Wounds, Ulcers or f iitula’s which 
are inveterate, or of difficult Cure. II it is fweet- 
ned with Honey of Roles, it is laid to be very eife^ 
flual to help inveterate Tumors and Swellings of the 
Almonds and Throat, which do hardly come to 
Ripenefs ; for it digefts, cleanfes, confumes the 
Hegm fticking thereto, and difcuifes the Tumors by 
often gargling therewith. Dofe four or fix ounces 
Morning and Night. 
XV. The Pouder of the Root. If it is taken in a- 
ny convenient Vehicle, it kills Worms, and drives 
them forth of the Body. It breaks and difculies 
Wind in the Bowels, and refills Poyfon and all forts 
of malign Fevers. Dofe one dram mixt with Ho- 
ney, the Elfence aforegoing, or any other proper 
Vehicle. 
XVI. The Ointment or Balfam. It cures fimple 
green Wounds, many times at once drelbng^ lor it 
is an incomparable Vulnerary. It ripens Apoliems, 
and fuch other Tumors as will in time come to Sup- 
puration. It digefts old Ulcers, cleanfes, incarnates, 
dries, and in a Ihort time induces the Cicatrize, or 
caufes them to be healed. Applied to the Gout, it 
eafes the Pain, and in a fhort time cures it. 
XVII. The Cataplafm. It is made of the green 
Herb and Root, and applied, it dilculfes Tumors in 
fimple Contufions, and is profitable to be applied to 
any place hurt or bruifed by any Fall, Blow, or the 
like, or crulhed by any Cafualty, dilfolving the clot- 
ted or congealed Blood, and taking away the black 
and blew Marks, which may afterwards remain. 
XVIII. The diftilled Water. It is good to wafh 
green Wounds and old Sores, cleanfing and drying 
them : and given inwardly with the Juice or Elfence, 
it cleanfes the Body inwardly. 11 a little white Vi- 
triol is dilfolved in it, it is then good againft Scurff, 
Morphew, Herpes, Tettars, Ringworms, Itch, Pim- 
ples, running Sores and Ulcers, Freckles, Yellow- 
nefs of the Skin, and other like Deformities, if the 
Parts affefled be two or three times a day vvaflied 
therewith, and fo fuftered to dry on without wi- 
ping. 
XIX. The Spirituous Tintture. It is powerful 
againft Poyfon, and the Malignity of burning and 
peftilential Fevers, as alfo the Bitings of Mad Dogs, 
Serpents, _ and other poyfonous Creatures. N It has 
all the Virtues of the Juice and Effence, but more 
effeflual than they are, where the Heart and Vitals 
are immediately concerned. It is good againft Con- 
vulfions, Lethargies, and all other cold and moift 
Difeafes of the Head, Brain, Heart and Nerves. 
Dofe two or three drams. 
XX. The Acid Tintfure, It is a Angular Medi- 
cament 
