Chap. 417. "Englijh "Herbs. 
59 
quii Juice or EJfence three parts, with choice Brandy 
one part, and. digejling them together twenty four 
Hours. 
CHAP. CCCCXVII. 
O/KNEEHOLM, 
O R 
BUTCHER S-B ROOM. 
I-'T' H E Haines. It is called in Greek 'ofy/mim, 
X Oxymyrfme , i. e. Myrtus acuta, Rlvtm dyeia, 
Myrtus Sylvefiris, (but there is another Myrtus Syl- 
vcfiris among the Ancients, which is like the Tame 
or Manured Kind, which Pliny Lib. 1 ;. Cap. 7. con- 
founds together) M-jf-mVarSa, Myrlacanrha, Myrtus 
Spinofa , Meajau>6a, Murina Spina , and by Theophra- 
Jtus Kurotnrfim, Centromyrrhine , in Latine Rufous, 
and Rufcum, and by the Apothecaries Brufcus, and 
oi fome, as Marcellus lays, Scope Regia-, Pliny fays 
it is called Chamtemyrftne, and Acaron, or rather A- 
ceron, which is one of their baftard Names, in Eng- 
lijh Knecholm, and Butchers-Broom. 
II. The Kinds. Authors have not yet found out 
more than one lingular Species of this Plant. 
thick, whitilh, and fhort, fomewhat like unto thofe 
of Afparagus, but greater, which in fome places are 
eaten in the fame manner as we eat Afparagus-, 
thele ri fing up to be a Foot and half high are fpread 
into divers Branches, green, and fomewhat crefted 
with the roundnefs, which are tough, pliant, and 
flexible, on which are fet fomewhat broad and al~ 
mod round hard Leaves, lharp and prickly pointed 
at their ends, oi a dark green Color, and fomewhat 
like unto Myrtle Leaves, two for the moll part fet 
at a place, very dole or near together; about the 
middle of the Leaf, on the back or lower fide, from 
the middle Rib, comes forth a fmall whitilh green 
Flower, confiding of four fmall round pointed Leaves, 
Handing upon a very Ihort or no foocitalk, in whole 
place, (being pad away) comes a fmall round Berry, 
green at the firft, but when it is ripe red, much like 
to an Afparagus Berry, but greater, in which are con- 
tained two or three white, hard, round Seeds. 
IV. T he Places. It grows generally in mod pla- 
ces throughout England, in Copfes, and upon Heaths, 
and on rough, barren, and .wade Grounds, and ole 
times under or near Holly Bullies; it grows upon 
Hemp fil'd Heath, not far Ifom London, and in many 
places in Kent , Ejjex, and Barkjhire , almoll in every 
Copfe and low Wood. 
V. The Times. Ir Ihoots forth its young Buds 
in the begining of the Spring, which are eaten in 
fome places (as aforelaid) as our young Afparagus-, 
the Berries are ripe in Augufl and September, the 
Branches and Leaves abiding green all the Winter. 
VI. The Qualities. The whole Plant, Roots, 
Leaves, and Berries are powerfully Aperitive, Ab- 
derfive, Diuretick, and Vulnerary, Peflotal, Ne- 
phritic!;, Hyderick, and Arrhritick. 
VII. The specification. It is a peculiar thing a- 
gaind the Dropfie, efpecially that called an Afcites, 
opens Obltru&ions of the Urinary paffages, and con- 
folidates broken Bones. 
VIII. The Preparations. The Root is chiefly 
made ufe of to all the Intentions for which the Plant 
is ufed, and the fame is accounted one of the five 
opening Roots; therefrom you may make, 1. A 
Juice or EJfence. 2. A DecoSion in Wine. Of 
the young Sprouts a Sallet. 4. Of the Branches, 
Brooms or Befouls. 5. A Decotlion of Leaves and 
Berries. 
The Virtues. 
IX. The Juice or E fence. It powerfully opens 
Obdruffions of, Liver, Spleen, Gall Bladder, Reins, 
Ureters, and Bladder, provokes Urine, and amends 
the ill fmell thereof, it helps to expel Gravel and 
the Stone, gives eafe in the Strangury, and provokes 
Womens Monthly Courfes, it helps the Yellow 
Jaundice, and the Headach, and made into a Lohoch 
with Honey it expeflorates Flegm, and cleanfes the 
Thorax, or Lungs, and Stomach of Flegm and clam- 
my Humors gathered together therein. Dofe from 
one Spoonful to two, three, or four, in a GDIs of 
White Port Wine twice a day. 
X. The Decoffion in Wine. It has all the former 
Virtues, tho’ not altogether fo powerful, and may 
be given Morning and Evening from four to eight 
Ounces, or ten in Dofe, befides which it is effeftual 
in knitting and confblidating of broken Bones, and 
flrengthning parts out of joint, and other weak Limbs, 
for which it is not much inferior to Comfrcy, or So- 
lomon’s-Seal , drinking this Decoffion, and applying 
the fail Roots Pultice-wife unto the pates affected. 
Rivenus in his Obfetvations fays, that a Beggar- 
Man was affeSed with the Dropfie three Months, 
whereby his Belly grew exceeding big, and becaufe 
his Poverty would not afford him the choicer Medi- 
caments, he ufed, by the Advice of a Country Wo- 
man, a DecoSion of the Roots of Kneeholm, or 
Butchers-Broom, and was purged twice or thrice 
with an Infufion of Sena, and with thefe Remedies 
Gggg alone 
