Chap. 6 dp. Englifh ‘Herbs. io 49 
its Lib. 5. Cap. 18. and by Ccefar Claudinus de 
ingrcjfu ad inftrmus pag. 41 1. and pag. 417. but 
principally by Ludovicus Septalu s AnimadverJ . 
Med. lib. 7. Numb. 214. where Treating of De- 
co&ions in Ule again!! the French Pox, he 
mentions the fingular Fffe&s of this Herb againft 
that foul Difeal'e. His words are thefe : 1 mult 
not in this place omit the ule of anorher Alexi- 
pharmical Deco&ion, being very effectual and 
ufeful tor the poorer forr, namely that which 
is made of Sopewort, an Herb common, and 
known to all : Moreover I have fometimes ufed 
it with happy fuccefs in the molt contuma- 
cious difeafes: but it is of fomewhat an in- 
grateful Tafte, and therefore is referved for the 
poorer people. This Decoftion Scptalius fays, 
he has ufed Sxpe ac fepius , oftentimes, or over 
anti over again many times. 
XIV. The Ointment or half am. Being appli- 
ed they heal fimple green Wounds to admira- 
tion : and if they be foul, they cleanfe them 
after a fingular manner, and then heal them in 
a ihort time after. 
XV. The Cataplafm of the Green Herb. Coun- 
try people in divers places, do ufe to bruife 
the green Leaves, and apply them to their fingers, 
hands, legs, or other parts, when they are cut, 
to heal them again. It hinders Inflamations, 
and a dux of humors, and fpeedily induces the 
Cure. 
fowre Tafie. The Stalks are /lender , bearing 
purp/ifb long heads , in which lye three corner d, 
fhining , brown See/ like , but Leffer than that 0} 
Docks. 
(J.f 
CHAP. DCXL. 
of SORREL Garden and Wild. 
I- h T'HE Names. It is called by the Arabians , 
X as Sarapio, Humaath : in Greek, 
and by Galen , i. e. Lapathum acidum 
or Rumcx acidus -, in La tine, Oxalis from the 
Greek, and Acetofa : in Englilh Sorrel. 
II. The Kinds. There are feveral fpecies of 
this Plant. 1 . Oxalis five Acetofa hortenfis , al- 
fo limply Acetofa , Our Common Garden Sorrel. 
2. Acetofa maxima Germanica. Great German 
Sorrel. 5. Oxalis five Acetofa Sativa vel Romana 
rotundifolia , Round Leav’d or Roman Sorrel. 
4. Oxalis radice Tuberofa , Tuberous Rooted Sor- 
rel. 5. ’ 0 'a.r'is (s.iKey., Acetofa Sylveflris, Acetofella 
Lapatiolum acidum , Acetofa minor Lanceolata 
Sheeps Sorrel, or Field Sorrel. 6 . Acetofa Cambro- 
Bri tunica Montana Mountain Sorrel "of Wales. 
7. Acetofa Americana. , Acetofa Veftcaria Ame- 
rican a, Weft-India Sorrel, or American Sorrel. 
The Defcriptions. 
III. The firft, or Our Common Garden Sorrel. 
Its Root is J'mallcr than any Dock Root , brown , 
and full of Strings , abides all Winter without 
decaying , and has green Leaves all the while , 
except in the very extremity of Frojl and Snow \ 
which many times caufes its Leaves to perifh . 
It fprings up with tender long green Leaves , 
J at and frU of Juice , broad , and bicorrid as it 
were, next unto the Stalk like Arach , Spin age, 
or Our Engltfh Mercury , having a pleafant Jharp 
IV. The fecond, or Great German Sorrel, /at 
Root and manner of growing is like the former , 
but the Leaves thereof are much larger, and 
fometimes a little Curl'd at Edges, the joints of 
the Stalks are great and Tuberous, ft ic king out 
like knots, which being taken from the Stalk, 
and put into the Ground, will take Root , and 
bring forth Leaves like the Mother Riant, the 
Seed, and fo all its other parts, are anfwerable to 
the proportion of the Leaves. 
V. The third, or Round leav’d, ox Roman 
Sorrel. Its Root is fmall and threddy, creeping 
about for the moft part every where, and /hooting up 
heads of Leaves round about. In the Leaves of 
this Sorrel the chief difference confifts, which are 
Jbort and abnoft round in fome plants, and in 
others fomewhat round pointed, with Ears or 
pieces on both ftdes next the Footftalk , of a 
paler green color than the former. The Stalks 
arc weaker, not J landing upright, but the flowers 
and Seed differ not from the Common Garden 
fort. The Tafte is of a much more pleafant 
JharpneJ's than the others, and therefore the more 
deft r able in Sallets and Sawces. 
VI. The fourth, or Tuberous Rooted Sorrel. 
Its Roots are many Tuberous clogs f aft ned by firings 
to the lower part of the ftem, not much unlike to 
thofe of Peony, or Filipendula -, from the head 
of the Root the Leaves fpring forth, which are 
inform fmething like to the Ordinary or Common 
Garden Sorrel, but larger, Jharp pointed, and not 
fo broad next to the Footftalk. The Stalks, 
Flowers and Seed, are anfwerable to the Common 
Kind-, but the Leaves grow confufedly upon the 
Stalk, without any order, not differing much in 
form, from thofe of Patience, Garden Dock, or 
Monks Rhubarb. 
VII. The fifth, or Sheeps Sorrel, or Field 
Sorrel. Its Root is long, branched out and ftringy. 
It does not much differ from the Common Garden 
6 S ' Sorrel , 
