Salmons ‘Herbal Lib. L 
II. The Kinds. Authors make five or fix Kinds 
or more of Cow Parfnep -, but three only of them 
being known to us in our Land, we lhall only de- 
fcribe them, which are the following, viz. i. 
Sphondihum vulgare * brand urfina Cordi & 
- Tragi •, Acanthus vulgaris five Germanica Fuchfij , 
Our Vulgar or Common CowParfnep. 2. Sphon- 
dilium majus,fivc Acanthus Germanica major Sphon- 
dilium alter um Dodonrii , The Great German Cow 
Parfnep. 3. Sphondilium majus aliud foliis lacinatis 
(Sphondilion hirfutum foliis AngujUoribus Bauhi- 
ni , as Varkinfon fuppofes : ) Jagged Cow Parfnep 
of our own Land. 
T be Defer iptiojis. 
III. T he Jirft , or Our Vulgar or Common Cow 
Parfnep. It has a Root which is long and white , 
with two or three long Strings growing or running 
down deep into the Ground , of a ftrong and unplea - 
fant Smell. It fprings up with three or four large 
fpread , rough , winged Leaves , lying often upon 
Parfnep Cow. 
the Ground , or elfe raifel a little from if with 
long, round , hairy foot Stalks under them , parted 
nfually into five divifions , the two couples ftanding 
each again fl other , and one at the end and each 
divifion or Leaf being almoft round , yet cut in 
fomewhat deeply on the edges , in fome Leaves and 
places, and not fo deep in others , of a wbitifh 
green color , having a jlrong Smell. From among 
which rifes up a round , crefted, hairy Stalk , two 
or three Feet or more high , with a few "points 
And Leaves there 01, and fpread out into Branches 
on the Lop; on the tops of which ft and pretty 
large Umbels of white Flowers , fometbing in- 
clining to be a little reddifn : which being 
pafi a Way , there follows after them , fiat, thin , 
wbitifh , winged Seed , two always joined together , 
as is ufual in mofi of thefe Umbelliferous 
Plants. 
IV. The fecond , or Great German Cow Parfnep. 
Its Root is white , and like the other , but greatest 
The whole Plant it felfi differs very little from 
the former , but in the largenefs of its Leaves and 
Stalks , being nearly twice as great - that is to fay 
every fingle Leaf or divifion , which are feldom 
above three , on a great long foot Stalk , which is 
about 6 Inches long to the Leaf which is hairy 
and rough , and of a dull faded fort of green color, 
a little folded in or crumpled and dented befides 
on the edges. The Stalk grows like the former, 
and comes to be fometimes 4 or 5 Feet high , fpread 
out towards the top into Jcveral Branches. At the 
tops of all which are like Umbels of Flowers , (for 
the mofi part white) the Flowers and Seed being in 
form much like the Jirft , but larger , of a hot un- 
pleafing Lafte, but not Jo unpleafant as thofe 
of the Common Kind. 
V. The third , or Jagged Cow Parfnep of our 
own Land. Its Root is great., thick, and white , 
living after Seed time, or all the Winter, and 
fpringing up again anew every Tear. It grows as 
high , or rather higher than the fccond or loft de- 
ft ri bed, and with greater Stalks, having a' white 
hairyneft on them. The lower Leaves grow very 
large, and much fpread, winged , and divided into 
five parts : two couple ftanding each againft ano- 
ther, but of another form-, for each oj thefe 
Leaves or divifions, are parted into diftintl parts, 
yet elofely fined at the bottom, the two fide Leaves 
or divifions, being not of half that length that 
the middlemofl is, which is in fome aberue fix Inches 
long, in others above five, and not above half art 
Inch broad, each of them having a deeper Cut or 
Ketch at the bottom , than is on the rej} of the 
Leaf, which yet is dented with greater Notches 
than in mofi ufual Herbs , the upper or end Leaf 
being ufually parted into five divifions or Leaves , 
dented in the like manner, little or nothing hairy , 
but of a deeper green color on the upper fide, and 
grayifh underneath. The Umbles oj white Flowers, 
are as large as in the l aft, and the flat thin white 
Seed, is fo like that (Jetting a fide their being a 
little whiter) they are fcarcely to be dfeerned one 
from another, bur only by the Tafte and Smell, which 
in this are little or nothing. 
VI. The Places. The firlt grows in moift Me- 
dows, and the Borders and Comers of Fields, and 
near Ditches generally, throughout England. The 
fecond is a Native of Germany , but I have found 
it growing in the Borders of Fields or Medows in 
feveral places in Cambridge (hire. The third was 
found growing Wild alfoby one Mr. George Bowles, 
in lbme places in Sbropfhire. 
VII. The Times. They all Flower in June and 
July, and the Seed is ripe not long after, or in 
Auguft. 
VIII. The Vitalities. The Root is hot and dry 
in thebegining of the fecond Degree: The Seed is 
hot and dry in the third Degree , and is In- 
cifive, Aperitive, Cephalick, Arthritick and Hvfte- 
rick. 
IX. The Specification. The Seed is prevalent 
againft the Afthma, Epilepiy , Lethargy, Jaun- 
dice, and Hyfterick Fits. The Root is profitable 
againft Fiftula’s and Callous Ulcers. 
X. The Preparations. You may make, 1. A 
Drink, or Beer of the Leaves and Seed. 2. A 
Pouder of the Seed. 3. A Dccottionof the Seed. 
4, A Spirituous LiriUurc of the Seed. 5. The 
Fumes 
