Jjus calls this Hclleborus ad'ulterinus Hortenfis , and 
Confiligo minor l.ugdunenfis, hut the Helleborus ni 
ger vulgaris Gefneri. 
III. The Defcriptiojs. Th firft, or Greater Ba- 
llard Black Hellebor. It has ] Jingle Root, with no- 
thing fo many Strings growing to it at the True in 
the former Chapter has and ofttntimes perijhcs after 
it has given Seed, yetwt always, nor in all places-, 
from this Root proced leveral lad green Leaves , 
each upon a long Footialk, which are divided into 
feven or nine Leaves, ach of which are narrower 
than thofe of the LeJJer^aftard Hellebor in the next 
Section, a little dented bout the edges , but not fo 
deeply as the LeJJer, and biding above Ground green 
all the Winter , whereasthe following perifhes e- 
very Year, and rifes aga\ in the fpring ; from a- 
mong thefe Leaves (hoots -> a reafonable large and 
tall Stalk, higher by half tin the Small following 
with fuch like Leaves therei as grow below , but 
fmaller up to the top , wheijt l'preads it felf out 
into divers Branches, bearing , any hollow Cup-like 
Flowers , divided at the brii; j n t 0 five parts , but 
do feldom fpread themfelves ten, of a whitilh yel- 
low green color , fomewhat l e the next Baftard 
Kind, and fometimes purplifhbout the brims or 
edges, with a green Head in thmiddle, and a few 
white Threads about it, by whh it Teems to be 
Veratrtm nigrum quantum peregnum Clufij : This 
green Head growing to be the \Tel, wherein the 
black Seed is contained, fhoots for j nt0 four, five, 
or fix Horns, faihioned like the bowing Baftard 
Kind, faving, that it is fmaller, as, e Seed alfo is 
for the molt part; the whole Plant, n g every part 
thereof; is of a worfefmell than the Uowing; the 
Root of this, with the lower part of e Stalk next 
to it, is of that Bears-foot , or Setter, rt ^ w hi c h 
Country People ufe to Rowel their Caq with. 
IV. The fecond, or Leffer Baftard Bla Hellebor. 
It has Roots which are more ftringy, bla, dni { f )ar g 
than the former in Chap. 548. it is in 1 ft things 
like unto that True Black Hellebor, for it> ars a lf 0 
many Leaves, as feven, eight , or nine , u n (fi 0 rt 
Stalks, divided into many parts, hut each of them 
are longer and narrower, of a darker green color, 
ant. dented on both tides, feeling fbmething hard , 
thefe perilli every Year, but rife again the nexc 
Spring; the Flowers hereof ftand on higher Stalks 
than the True, with fome Leaves on them alfo, yet 
ray few , and are of a pale green color , like the 
True m the former Chapter, but (mailer by half at 
leaft, having likewife many greenilh yellow Threads 
or Thrums in the middle, and fuch like Seed Veflels, 
and blackilh Seed in them. 
V. The Places. The firft grows, as Tragus fays 
in the borders of Stoney Fields and Grounds alfo 
on Rocky Hills, as by the Mofella and Rhine, alfo 
in Sylva Harcynia, and as Rena lays, in Aquitane 
in trance, _ and by the River Lanus at Montpelier ; 
it grows Wild in many Woods and (liadowy places 
in England, as alfo in almoft all our Gardens about 
London, and ieveral other parts of thfe Kingdom ; 
the fecond has been found in fome Woods in North- 
amptonshire, and in other places of this Land, as al- 
fo in fome places within' Eight or Ten Miles of 
London. 
VI. The Times. They both Flower in iebrnarv 
or March , according as the preceeding Winter and 
Spring Seafon are in mildnefs, and their Seed is ripe 
in May , or towards June. 
VII. The Qualities, Specification , Preparations 
and Virtues of thefe Baftard Black Hellebor s are the 
lame with thole of the True in the former Chap- 
ter, fo that no other declaration need be made 
thereof. 
VIII. Obfervat. 1. That the Greater Baftard Black 
Hellebor , Bears-foot, or Selterwort , was held by 
Dodonsus to be a kind of venomous Aconite , or 
Wooljs-bane , not to be ufed, and that it would kilt 
Woolves, Foxes, Dogs, &c. I have known it ufed 
in Decotfion to kill Worms ill the Belly, which it 
would effeElually do, but it had a deleterious or 
poyfonous quality, which fome Bodies could 110c 
overcome, where it killed not the Patient, it would 
indeed kill the Worms ; but it is fo dangerous a 
Medicine , that it ought not to be internally ufed , 
but byd very Skilful and Prudent Hand, and yet 
nothing fcarcely is more common to be ufed by Wo- 
men in the Country than the Decoffion of this Herb 
for the purpofe afordaid ; I knew a little Youth take 
it to kill Worms, but it killed him firft; alfo a Wo- 
man between Forty and Fifty Years of Age, ivhom 
it killed in about three Hours time; at the fame 
time, by a Womans Advice, the Decofdion Was gi- 
ven to my felf, being then about Eight Years of Age, 
but I met with a better Fate in the ufe thereof, yet 
my danger was great , it vehemently Vomited’ me’, 
and made me Heart-fick , to fiVooning away ; the’ 
Vomiting being over, I revived, but it had fuch an 
efteft upon me, that it made me loofe my Hair, and 
Nails both of Fingers and Toes, and all the Skin of 
my whole Body peeled off, from Head to Foot ; 
whether my good hap was Irom the ftrength of my 
Conftitution, or the fmall Dofe of the Medicine, I 
leave others to determine, but from thefe bad eftefe 
it is manifell that it is not very fate to be given, no 
not to very ftrong Bodies, but outwardly applied it 
may be of good uie, 
IX. Obfervat. 2. That the Pouder of the Leaves 
of this is much mote effeatiai than the Pouder of the 
Leaves of the True in Chap. 348. Sell. ty. to all the 
external Intentions and Purpofes there mentioned; 
and that the Leaves of this ought rather to he choleu 
than the Leaves of that, efofecially being applied or 
put into the hole of an Illue; as is there directed ; 
it is a wonderful thing to 1 fee what a vaft quantity 
S f f « 
