Chap. 639. HttgHJb Herbs, io 47 
the edges with certain Jlijf and Jhort prickles : 
among which come jorth divers Stalks with 
cafes or husk very like to Crabs Claws ; oat of 
which when they open grow white blowers, confifing 
of three Leaves , altogether like thofe of Frog-bit , 
having little yel/owijh Tbreds in the Middle -. 
The Leaves and Flowers grow upon the Top of 
the Water. 
V. The Places. It Grows in Italy , Germany , 
Flanders , Holland and other Countries plentifully: 
and in Gerard it is faid to be found growing 
plentifully in the Ditches about Rotfey, a l'mall 
Village in Holdernefs in Torkjhtre ; and one Mr. 
William Broad found it in the Fenns in Lincolnjhirc. 
VI. The Times. It Flowers in June and Ju- 
ly , and fometimes in Augufl , the Seed ripening 
in the mean feafon or not long after. 
VII. The Vitalities. It is cold in the fecond 
degree, and dry in the firft; but Galen fays, it 
is moill. It is Altringenr, Obftruftive, Reper- 
cuffive, and Vulnerary. 
VIII. The Specification. It flops Fluxes of 
Blood from the Reins and Womb, abates In- 
carnations, prevails againft Anthonies Fite, and 
cures W ounds. Ulcers, and Fiftula’s. 
IX. The Preparations. You may make there- 
from, 1. A Juice or Effence from the Leaves. 
1. A DecoSion of the fame. 5. A Pouder of 
the Leaves. 4. A Cataplafm of the Leaves. 5. 
An Ointment or Balfam. 6 . A D filled Water. 
Tbs Virtues. 
X. The Juice or Effence. Taken to One or 
Two Spoonfuls or more at a time, in any pro- 
per Liquor, as lome Styptick Red Wine, or in 
Smiths Forge Water, or in its own Diddled 
Water, it cures Piffing of Blood, as alfo the 
Bloody Flux, and the overflowing of the Terms 
in Women ; bur Pliny adds, Olibanum in Pouder 
thereto. Bathed upon Anthonies Fire, and In- 
flamations, ircools them, and eafes the Pain; and 
is good_ to heal Ample Wounds, foul running 
Sores, Ulcers, and biftula’s. 
XI. The DecoSion in Wine or Water. It has 
all the former Virtues, but may be given in a 
much larger Dole, as from a quarter of a Pint 
to half a Pint: If Honey is diffolved in ir, it 
makes a good Gargarifm for a Sore Mouth and 
Throat; and being Bathed very hot upon any 
Inflamadon or painful Tumor, it abates it, and 
gives eafe in the Pain. 
XII. The Pouder. It has the Virtues of the 
Juice and Decotlion; and may be given a dram 
at a time, morning and evening, for all the 
purpofes aforefaid, in any proper Vehicle, ftrowed 
thick upon any foul running Sore or Ulcer, it clean- 
fes, drys up the humors, and induces the healing. 
Alpmus lays, it is given every morning falling 
to flop the overflowing of the Courfes in Wo- 
men, as alfo other Fluxes of Blood, in any 
part of the Body. ! 
XIII. The Cataplafm. It is made of the Bruif- 
ed Leaves, and is applyed by Country people, 
to heal any limple green Wound, which it is 
faid to do, to admiration. Applied in the Extre- 
mity ol the Gout, ir is a lingular thing to eafe the 
Pain, and that in a (hort time. 
XIV. The Ointment or Balfam. They are 
good Vulneraries, reprefs rhe flux of humors to 
the part, eafe pain in a Wound, running Sore 
or Ulcer, cleanfe, dry, and heal the difaffeaed 
parr, being alio wafhed with the Juice or De- 
co&ion. 
XV. The DiJIil/ed Water. It is ufed as a 
Vehicle, to take the Juice or Effence in ; and 
mixed with Honey makes a Gargarifm for a 
Sore Mouth and Throat ; a little Camphir dif- 
folved and mixed with it, makes a good Oph- 
thalmick, for Sore, Rheumy, and Watering Eyes, 
and lb alfo it is a very good thing to clear 
the Skin from any kind of Deformity. 
CHAP. DCXXXIX. 
0/ SOPE-WORT, 
OR, 
BRUISE-WORT. 
I- Names. It is called by fome in Greek 
-L ETffStor; Struth'mm (from its flouring and 
cleanfing quality, but it is not the Struthmm of 
Diofcorides , Galen, Pliny, or Theophraffus ) in 
Latine, Saponaria (from its great flouring fa- 
culty) Viola agrejiis Tragi-, Struth'mm Fufchij - 
and in Englilh, Sope-wort or Bruife-morr. 
II. The Kinds. We have but three forts of 
it growing with us in England, viz, 1. Stru- 
thium Vulgare, Saponaria Vulgaris ; Our Com- 
mon Sopewort. 2. Saponaria fore duplici Sope- 
wort Double Flowered. 3 . Saponaria Anglica folio 
convolute which Gerard calls Gem, ana Concave. 
Hollow Leav’d Sopewort. He plac’d it next 
to the Gentians, thinking ir a Species of them- 
but it is plainly manifeft to agree in its 
form with Saponaria, as in its Roots, Leaves 
and Flowers, and not at all with Gentian but on- 
fig,, ” “ S bitterilefs > which is no diftinguilhing 
The Defcriptions. 
III. The fitft, or Our Common Sopewort Its 
Root creeps under ground jar and near 'with 
many Joints, of a brown color on the out fide 
and yelhwijh within, J. hooting forth in divers 
places many weak round Stalks, full of joints 
jet with two Leaves apiece at every one of them' 
on the contrary fide. It Inch are Ribbed fomethinl 
like unto Plantane , and fafhioned like the Com 
mon field white Campion Leaves , feldom bovine 
any Branches from the ftdes of the Stalks but 
fet with divers flowers at the Top, ftaniine in 
long husks like the Wild Campion, made of five 
Leaves apiece, round at their ends, and a little 
rnnm r °f * P ale ty' color 
a/mojt White, femetmes paler , and fometimes of 
a deeper color, having a reafonable good fimell 
IV. Gerard deferibes it thus. Its R„o1s arc 
thick, long, creeping aflope, having certain firings 
hanging at them, like the Roots of black He 1%. 
bor, which if they have once taken good and fiurc 
footing ,n any grounf it is almofi impoffible to 
defray the Plant. The Stalks are Jlippery /len- 
der round, jointed , and a foot and a half high 
or higher: the Leaves are broad, fet with Veins 
very like broad Leav'd Plantane , but lefl'cr 
growing 
