Chap. 278. ‘Englijh Herbs. 
377 
IV. The Defcriptions. The fir ft, or Greater kind, 
has a Root which is a great Bufh of Strings , fpread- 
ing in the Ground , whereby it is ftrongly rooted , yet 
perijhes every Tear after it has given its Seed. From 
this Root fprings forth one thick, tall, crefted, brown, 
red Stalk , four or five feet high ; from whence 
fpring many great broad Leaves, like to fome of the 
other following kinds for the Form, but much 
larger.- and redder for the moft part, efpecially the 
lowelt, which branches forth into feveral parts: 
from V between thefe Leaves and the Stalks or 
Branches, as alfo at the tops of them, ftand long 
fpiky, round, and fomewhat hat Tufts, of a more 
reddilh purple color than the firft of the following 
Chapter •, and divided alfo into divers parts, where- 
in, when they are full ripe, are to be feen an innu- 
merable company of white Seeds, Handing out a- 
mong the fhort Thrums , and do eafily fall away 
with a little touching. Every one of thefe white 
Seeds has, as it were, a hole half bored thro’ 
therein. 
V. The fecond , or Created Scarlet Flowergentle, 
has a pretty thick long Root , with fome fibres ad- 
joining to it , which Jends up one or more very great , 
thick, round , tall Stalk , rather higher and greater 
than the molt ordinary great red Flowergentle, with 
as large great Leaves on it , or rather greater 5 but 
both the Stalks and they are of a frefti yellowifh 
pale green color, with little or no Rednels in them 
at all, ( and this is one proper Mark to know this 
lore from others, before it comes to flower.) The 
Flowers ftand at the tops of the Stalks and Branches, 
more fpread at the bottom into federal parts, the 
middle being longeft ^ and commonly when it is in 
the Perfection, hanging down like a Taffel •, the o- 
ther parts, like fhorter Spikes, comparing it round, 
which even for the Proportion, is very beautiful, 
but much more for the color, which is of a more 
excellent bright, fcarlet red ^ and which being ga- 
tbred in the prime, will hold the color a great 
while before it decays, efpecially if it is kept from 
the Sun and Wind. The Seed enclofod in theD 
Tufts, is almoft as white and lmall as the former, 
yet a little redder, whereby the Difference may be 
known. 
VI. The Places. Both thefe were brought to us 
firft out of the Weft Indies , the latter from Brazil , 
or fome other parts of America , where they both 
are much ufed, efpecially the Seed. They are all 
nurs’d up with us in Gardens •, but in backward or 
cold Years they do not fo well thrive, becaufe they 
love much Heat ^ yet for the moft part they give us 
every Year ripe Seed. 
VII. The Times. They bear their fpiky flowers 
in July and Auguft , and yield their ripe Seed in Au- 
guft or September. 
VIII. The Qualities. They are temperate in re- 
fpeCt to Heat or Cold, and dry in the firft Degree ♦, 
Aftringent, Repercuflive, Hyfterick, Arthritick and 
Antemmenagogick. 
IX. The Specification. They are peculiar for 
Hopping all forts of Fluxes, efpecially Fluxes of 
Blood. 
X. The Preparations. You may have therefrom, 
1. A Juice or E fence. 2. A Decotfion in Red Port 
Wine. 3. The Seed , or Pouder thereof. 4. A Ca- 
taplafm of the Leaves. 
The Virtues. 
XL The liquid Juice of the Leaves , or E fence of 
the fame. I have made many Experiments of the 
Virtues of this Plant upon feveral of my Patients, 
who have been troubled with Fluxes of the Bowels, 
Bloody -fluxes, Spitting and Piffing of Blood, as al- 
fo the overflowing of the Terms : I have given the 
Juice or Effence of the fame to three or four Spoon- 
fuls at a time in a Glafs of Red Port, or fome other 
proper Vehicle, as Smiths-forge Water, (S'c. and 
have found it abundantly to anfwer my Expe&ation 
in the Cure of the aforenamed Dileafes ^ and I am 
fatisfied, that fometimes, and upon fome Patients, 
it has done as much as any Vegetable can do : but I 
gave it Morning and Night, and fometimes alfo at 
Noon, and continued the Ufe thereof for feveral 
days. 
XII. The Decotfion in Red Port Wine. It has all 
the Virtues of the liquid Juice and Effence, but is 
not full out fo efficacious ^ yet it is fomewhat more 
pleafant to be taken, and may be given from three 
to fix Ounces at a time, Morning, Noon and Night. 
Given Clyfterwife in any vehement Flux of the Bel- 
ly, as alfo in a Bloody-flux, and in a Tenafmus, it 
Hops the fame, heals the Guts, and ftrengthens the 
Parc affli&ed : but it ought to be feveral times re- 
peated, according as the Neceffity or Occafion may 
require. 
XIII. The Seed , or Pouder thereof. It may be 
given from half a Dram to a Dram at a time, in a 
Glafs ofWine, Morning and Night, againft Naufe- 
oufnefs or Vomiting, Weaknefs of the Bowels, 
Bloody-flux, Hepatick-flux, and all other forts of 
Fluxes. If there is any Corrofion of the Guts, it 
heals it, Hops the Flux of Humors to the Part, and 
reftores the Tone thereof, if hurt or depraved. 
XIV. The Cataplafm of the Leaves. It repercuf- 
fes Humors, flops Fluxions to any Part, eafes Pains, 
and prevails much againft the Gout : but in this 
lafl Cafe it will be fo much the better, if an equal 
quantity of green Comfrey Roots be added and beat- 
en up with it. 
C c c CHAP. 
