Chap. 6^6, ‘Englijh Herbs . jo6 
nr Strings , in the fame manner as the former. 
It has many Leaves , f mailer, fmoother , and 
rounder titan that , growing by Couples on the 
divers fpreading Stalks j and at the Top, fever al 
Speedwell Medow Small. 
[mall blew flowers, fuccecded by very fmall brown- 
ifh Seed, in fmall Seed VeJJcls. Gerard fays at 
the Tops of the Stalks or Branches come forth 
flender Spikes, ■ clofely thrujl together , and jull 
of blewifh flowers, which are fucceeded by many 
horned Seed Vejfels, 
VI. The F laces. The firft grows almoft in 
all parts of England upon dry Banks and Wood 
fides, but more efpecially upon other wafte Sandy 
Grounds : in Borders of Fields, in Woods and 
on Gralfy Mole Hills, almolt every where. 
The fecond is more lcarce, but has been found 
in a clofe by Barns near London , and in feveral 
other Places: 1 have formerly found italfo in fome 
Medow Grounds near Lyn Regis in Norfolk. 
VII. The Times. They flower all June and 
July, and fometimes in Augufl, and their Seed 
is ripe in July, Augufl and September. 
V 111 - The Qualities. SpeedwelL is temperate 
in refpeft to heat or coldnefs, drynefs, or moi- 
fture ; but is faid to be a little inclining to dry- 
nefs.- it is Aperitive, Abfterfive, Cofmenck, Diu- 
recick, Vulnerary, Pectoral, Stomatick, Nephritick, 
Sudoriflck and Alexipharmick. 
IX. The Specification. It prevails againft the 
Scurvy and all foulnefs and Corruption of the 
Blood and humors, opens ObftruQions of the 
Stomach, Lungs, Liver, and Reins, prevails a- 
gainft old Coughs, Ulcers, and Inflamations of 
the Lungs, and other Difeafes of thofe parts ^ 
is an excellent Antidote againft the Meafles, Small 
Pox, Purples, all Malign, Spotted and Peftilen- 
tial Fevers, and the very Plague or Peftilence 
it felf ; it alfo prevails againft fretting Old 
Sores, confuming or eating Ulcers, fpreading 
Ringworms and Tettars, malign herpes, and o- 
ther like diftempers of the External parts. 
X. The Preparations. You may make there- 
from, i. A Liquid Juice. 2. An EJfence. 3. 
A Decoflion in Wine or Water. 4. A Fonder of 
the herb and Flowers. 5. A Cofmetick . 6. A 
Balfam or Ointment. 7. A Cataplafm. 8. A 
Spirituous Tinffurc. 9. An Acid Tintture. 
1 o. An Oily TinUure. 11. A Diflilled Water. 
12. A Spirit. 
The Virtues. 
XI. The Liquid Juice . Drank to the quan- 
tity of four Spoonfuls morning, noon and night, 
either alone, or mixt with its diltilled water, 
it is good to cure the Leproiy. It is reported rhat 
a French King troubled with the Leprofy was 
cured of it by the ufe of this Herb, being 
ad vi led Thereto by one of his Huntfmen. It 
wonderfully helps the Memory, and all Giddi- 
nefs or Swimming of the head, and eafes the 
Head-ach. It is laid alfo ro make Women 
fruitful which are Barren, and cleanfes rhe Blood 
from impurities: taken with a half part of 
Honey dilTolved in it, it is good for all man- 
ner of Coughs, Catarrhs, and difeafes of the 
Breft and Lungs. This thing has been proved 
by Shepherds, who give this Herb with a lit- 
tle Salr, to their Sheep which are troubled with 
the Congh. It opens obftruUions of the Liver, 
and Spleen, and prevails againft the Yellow’ 
Jaundice, being taken for fome time together 
and a Cataplafm of the Herb with Vinegar ap- 
plied to the Region of the Spleen outwardly. 
It cures Ulcers of the Reins, Bladder, and 
' Womb, or any other inward Wound or Ulcer 
provokes Urine, and help luch as are troubled 
with the Srone. Faulus JEgineta fays , it is 
of good ufe for difeafes of the Back and Reins. 
It is of good ufe to heal all Ample Green 
Wounds, at firft intention, and is no lefs efte- 
ftual againft fpreading Tettars, Foul, Old, Fret- 
ting, and Running Sores and Ulcers which have 
been of long continuance and are hard to be 
cured. It (tops the bleeding of Wounds, and 
all other Fluxes of the Blood in any ’part, 
and diflolves Tumors or fwellings, chiefly thofe 
in the Neck, Ofc. 
XII. The EJfence. It has all the former Vir- 
tues, but much ftronger, and may be daily 
given as the former, from two to three Spoon- 
fuls in any convenient Vehicle. 
XIII. The Decottion in Wine or Water. Ic 
has all the Virtues of the Juice and Effence, 
but is much weaker, and therefore may be 
given from tour to eight ounces at a time; 
it is truly an excellent Vulnerary. 
XIV. The Pouder of the Herb and f lowers. 
It has the Virtues of rhe Juice and Effence, but 
a£ls not with that fpeed and facility, becaufe 
it Js firft to be digefted in the Stomach. It 
is a Angular thing againft the Plague, and all 
Peftilential Fevers and Infeftious Difeafes, to 
defend the heart and expel their Poifon and 
Malignity, to corroberate the heart and Sto- 
mach, and preferve them from Noifom and 
Inteflious Vapors, being daily given morning and 
night a Dram or two at a time either alone, 
or mixt with a Dram or two of Venice Trea- 
cle or Mithridate , in a fmall draught of Wine, 
and fo laid down to fweat upon it. 
• XV. The Cofmetick. It is made of the De- 
purated Juice mixed with an equal quantity of 
the Diflilled Water. It clears the Skin from 
yellownels. Sun-burning, Tanning, and other dif- 
colorings thereof. And if White Vitriol a or 4 
Drams to a quart of the mixture be diffolved 
in it, it is admirably good againft Scabs, Itch, 
Scurff, Morphew, Tettars, Ring-worms, and all 
other defoedations of the Skin. 
XVI. The Balfam or Ointment: The Juice or 
Eflence being daily taken inwardly, and either 
of thefe uied outwardly, they heal all Ample 
Green Wounds , many times at the Arft In- 
tention, and digeft, cleanfe, incarnate, and heal 
all Putrid Ulcers, and other running Sores in 
what part of the Body foever. 
XVII. The Cataplajm. It is made of the 
6 U Green 
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