Chap. 3 55. 
III. T be Common Kinds. Of this there are two 
feveral forts, viz. 1 . K uvc-nv koivoh, Cicuta vulgaris , 
Cicuta major , (by almoft all Writers) Cicutaria 
Clufij , Our Common Hemlock. 2. KJmw ulyt, £ 
Utltrcu, Cicuta magna , vel maxima , Cicutaria latifolia 
j ced.it ijjima, Cicutaria maxima Brancionis by Lobe l, 
Cicutaria Myrrhk Tbalij •, Sc/c/i Peloponefc Matthi- 
o/i , Gefneri and Lugdunenfis , which Lobel contra- 
dicts ; The great or greateft Hemlock. That this is 
a Hemlock , and no 5 <?/£/i or Hartwort , no doubt is 
to be made of it. 
IV. The Defer ip dons. T/;c firft , 0;* Common 
Hemlock, to R00/ is long , w/V/c, /to- 
/im crooked , tf/zd' hollow within : from the Head of 
which Root it grows up with a hollow green Stalk, 
three or four Feet high or more, full of red Spots 
fometimes, and having at the Joints very large 
winged Leaves, one fet againft another, dented a- 
bout the edges, of a fad green color, branched to- 
wards the top, where it is full of Umbles of white 
Flowers 3 which being palled away, give white, flat- 
tifh, long Seed. The whole Plant and every part 
has a ftrong, heady, ill-conditioned Smell, offend- 
ing the Senfes. 
V. The fecond ', or Great or greateft Hemlock. It 
bos a Root which is very great and white , growing 
as loell deep into the Ground , as fpreading many 
great Branches therein, which fometimes dies after it 
has given Seed , and fometimes not , abiding all Win- 
ter in feme Seafons , and in fome Places. This Hem- 
lock has much larger winged Leaves than the for- 
mer, thicker fet, more fpread, and of a Ladder green 
color, having a Smell Which Lobel calls Fcetidijfima : 
yet Parkinfon fays, that tho’ he had it growing ma- 
ny Years in his Garden, he never found any offen- 
five Smell it had. The Stalk is great, but rifes not 
fo high as the Common fort does ; but bears as large 
Umbles of white Flowers * where, afterwards grow 
large and thick white crooked Seed, of no evil 
Smell. 
VI. 7 he Places. The firft grows in all Countries 
throughout England by Walls and Hedge-fides, and 
in wafte Grounds and untilled Places, as alfo in 
Gardens of a fat and rich Soil. The fecond I have 
found in moilt and fertil Medows abounding with 
other Weeds near their Borders, but grows with us 
moftly in Gardens, where it is generally weeded 
out. 
VII. The Times. They both flower in July and 
Auguft, and feed in Auguft and September. ' 
VIII. The Vitalities. Hemlock is cold in the 
fourth Degree, and dry in the fecond 3 Repercufllve, 
Anodyne, Aiftringent, Arthritick and Venefick. 
IX. The Specification. It is chiefly of External 
Ufe, for the Cure of the Gout, Scirrhus Tumors, 
Eryfipelas, Inflammations, Wheals, Pufhes, creep- 
ing Ulcers. 
X. The Preparations . You may have therefrom, 
1. A liquid Juice. 2. A Cataplafm oj the Leaves. 
3. A Cataplafm of the Root. 4. A Venefick. 5. An 
Emplafter . 
The Virtues. 
XI. The liquid Juice. It is applied outwardly - 
tp the Tefticles of fuch as have Venereous Dreams, 
or the like, to fupprefs them : alfo to Maidens and 
Womens Breafts, to reprefs their Swellings, rind re- 
pel their Milk : yet by reafon thofe places are fo 
principal, and full of Vital Spirits, it fometimes 
happens that the Remedy is worfe than the Dileafe. 
It may fafely be applied to an Inflammation, an 
Eryfipelas, Pains of the Gout, arifing from hot or 
fiery Humors ^ and to Wheals, Pufhes and creeping 
Ulcers, accompanied with a hot and (harp Matter, 
for by cooling and repelling the Heat, it puts a flop 
to the Humor. 
XII. The Cataplafm of the Leaves. A Cataplafm 
being made of the raw Leaves by only bruifmg, and 
fo laid to the Brows and Forehead, is good to flop 
Defluxions of Rheums falling into fwoln and red 
Eyes, fo as quickly to eafe the Pain, and take away 
the Swelling and Rednefs. And being applied with 
a mixture of Bay Salt in fine ponder to die Wrift, 
(renewing it twice a day for three or four days) it 
takes away a Pin arid Web growing in the Eye : 
but it ought to be applied (as they lay) to the con- 
trary Wrift. Applied in Pains of the Joints, it calc* 
them. 
XIII. The Cataplafm of the Root. It is to i - 
roafted under the Embers, wrapped in double wet 
Papers, until it becomes foft and tender 3 then to 
be beaten in a Mortar to a Pulp, and applied : it 
prevails admirably againft the Gout in Hands or 
Fingers, as alfo in other Parts, quickly eafing the 
Pain. 
XIV. The Venefick. The Juice mixed with Wine, 
if it is given to any one, is prefent Death, as Tra- 
gus fays. And this poflibly might be the Venefick 
which the Athenians adjudged the Wife Socrates to 
die by, for not thinking rdpeclfully of their Gods, 
or rather Devils, being accufed by An (his and Ale- 
litus. The Cure. It any one has taken the Juice 
of Hemlock, or this Venefick, or by mi (chance has 
eaten this Herb inffead of Par fey, or its Roor in- 
ftead of Parfneps, which caufes a Frenfy, dr Pertur- 
bation of the Senfes, as if ftupified or drunk : the 
firft thing I fay in this Cafe which is to be done, ( if 
it is foon enough) is to give the Patient a Vomit of 
Vinum Benedict nm, Vinum Antimonialc, or Tar far 
Emetick : which being effected, a good Draught of 
Wine (in which Gentian has been infufed) is to he 
drunk, as Pliny advifes. . Tragus lays, lie Cured a 
Woman who had eaten the Root, by giving her a 
Draught of good Vinegar : and this may be proba- 
