Chap. 26 i r Englijh Herbs. 
C H A P. CCLXIII. 
Of F I G W O R T Great Common. 
I ,>~r*‘HE Names. It does not feem to be known 
X to tbe Greeks , for it has no Greek Name ; 
but it is called in Latin by many Names, as F icaria, 
Malle Morbia , Ferranti , Cajirangula , Cbryfippea 
P/inij , as fome think , Galeopfis Diofcoridis , as 
t'uchfws. Cor ins and Dodonrtus think, alfo Scrophu- 
laria major : in Englifh Figaort. 
II. Tbe Kinds. We make two Generical Kinds 
of this Plant, viz. I. Scrophularia major vulgaris. 
The Common Great Figwort, of which in this Chap- 
ter. 2. Scrophularia major Percgrina, Foreign Great 
Figwort, of which in the next Chapter. 
III. OF the firft of thefe forts there are two Kinds, 
viz. 1 • Scrophularia major vulgatior , OcimaJlnim al- 
ter urn Tragi , Clymenum Mas Gefneri in Horn's , Ga- 
leopfis Fuchfij , O' Coriij, The more Common Great 
Figwort. It is called Scrophularia in moll Authors, 
becaufe it is available^ ScropbuLis ; and major , 
to diftinguilh it from Scrophularia minor , which is 
Pilemort , of which in its place. 2. Scrophularia 
major altera E/egans, The Noble or Beautiful Great 
Figwort. 
IV. The Defcriptions. The firft , Or more Com- 
mon Great Figwort, has a Root which is great , white 
and thick , with feveral Knobs or Tubers growing at 
it, and running a fioap under the upper Cruft oj the 
Earth, which abides many Tears , the Green Herb 
dying away in the Winter. From this Root fpring 
forth fundry great , ftrong , hard , fquare , brown 
Stalks, three or four Feet high, on which grow 
large, hard, and dark green Leaves, two at a joiijf, 
which are larger and harder than any Nettle Leaves, 
but not flinging , and not much unlike in form to 
3 57 
che Leaves of Water bet any, 16 chat they are formr 
cimes miituken the one for che other, being difficult 
to be known afunder , without a narrow view of 
them j but thefe Leaves are not fo round denied a- 
bout the edges, and are alfo fmuller at the ends. At 
the tops of the Stalks come forth many Purple 
Flowers, fet in Husks, which are fomething gaping 
and open, but not fo much as any of the Galeopfcs 
or Dead Nettles , but clofer and fmaller, fomewhat 
like thofe of Water Betony aforenamed ^ which be- 
ing paftaway, hard, round Heads come in their 
places, having a fmall point in the middle, in which 
is contained fmall brovvnilh Seed. 
V. The Second, or Elegant Great Figwort, this 
a great , thick, white, and knobbed Root, like the for- 
mer, which fends forth from it one or more great, 
hard, frong, brown Stalks , with Leaves at the Joints, 
very like the other, but they are fairer, and more 
fometimes Handing at a Joint, efpecially at the low- 
er Joints. The Flowers are not gaping as the firft, 
but made of four reddifh Leaves, which commonly 
Hand at the Joints with the Leaves j which being 
paft, there comes in their places hard round Heads 
of Seed Velfels, but without any point in the mid- 
dle, in which are contained a fmall kind of Seed. 
VI. The Places. They are very frequent, cfpeci- 
ally the firft, in moft places through rhe Kingdom, 
growing in moift and lhadowy Woods, and in the 
lower parts of Fields and Meadows: it may be 
found in great abundance in Hornfey ' Wood , near 
London, as alfo in Store Wood, and Shotover , near 
Oxford. 
VII. The Times. They Flower in June and Ju- 
ly, and the Seed will be ripe in a Month after the 
Flowers are paft. 
VIII. The Qualities. Figwort is hot and dry in 
the Third Degree, Anodyne, Difcuflive, and Vulne- 
rary. 
IX. The Specification. It is peculiaf for Curing 
the Scrophula or Kings-Evil, as alfo the Hemor- 
rhoids or Piles, Scabs, Leprofie. 
X. The Preparations, You may have therefrom 
I; A 
