Chap. 655. £ nglijb 'Herbs, 107 9 
VIII. Tfo Times. They all flower about the 
latter end of June , and throughout July, and their 
Seed is ripe in Auguft. 
IX. The Qualities. They are hot and dry in 
the fourth degree, Cathereticks, and very ftrong 
Emeticks and Catharticks. Of which the Seed is 
tor the moft part in ufe with us, to purge with, 
both by Vomit and Stool. 
X. The Specification. Spurge is proper againft 
the Scurvy, Dropfy, Jaundice, Gout, and Rheu- 
matifm arifing from a Cold caufe. 
XI. The Preparations. You may have there- 
from. 1 . A Liquid Juice or Milk. 2. Troches 
of the Juice. 3. A DecoSion in Wine or Water 
or Broth, a. The whole Seed. 5. A Dijlilled Wa- 
ter of the whole Plant. 
The Virtues. 
XII. The Liquid Juice or Ah Ik. It works 
more Violently than the Seed, and therefore is 
icarcely fit to be taken inwardly, but to be out- 
wardly applyed, and that carefully too* and foit 
is a depilatory, and helps to take away hair on 
the Eye-brews, Fore-head, Temples and other 
parts ^ but it ought not to touch any other part of 
the Face or Skin. Being alfo Cautioufly applied, 
it takes away proud and dead flefh in Wounds, 
hard Callous lubftances, Knots, Corns, or Warts 
in the flefh (if they be firft pared to the quick, 
and then applyed ) It is alfo good againft run- 
ning Scabs and Sores, as alfo to obliterate Scars, 
Spots, and blemifhes or other marks of the Skin. 
If it is put into an hollow Tooth, (which you muft 
do with that Caution, fo as it may touch no 0- 
ther Tooth, Gums, nor Mouth) it will eafe he 
Pain thereof. 
XIII. The Troches. If the Milk is made up 
into Troches or little Balls, with Meal or flower 
of Beans, Peafe, Barly, or Wheat, and kept dry, 
it will ferve all the Year to ufe, as occafion is of- 
fer’d for the purpofes aforefaid. 
XIV. The Deco f ion in Wine , Water , or fat 
Broth. It has all the Virtues of the Liquid Juice, 
but much more gentle, and is good to remove 
moft external deformities of the Skin. Taken in- 
wardly it works to lome purpofes (as in the 
Scurvy, Dropfy, Jaundice, Gout, Evil, and Rheu- 
matifm*,) more fafely than the Seed, and fomo- 
what more weakly. 
XV. The Seed. It is given 5, 7, 9, or 10 
grains or Seeds at a time, according to the Age and 
Strength of the Patient, which purges both ways, 
viz , both by Stool and Vomit, and evacuates 
tough Flegm, Choler, Melancholy, and Water as 
Dif corides fays, and fo cures thofe difeafes caufed 
by the abounding of thofe humors. The ulual 
manner is to fwallow the Seeds whole, without 
breaking either Husk or Kernel, and then they 
work the more gently and weakly: but if the 
husks are broken, and the Kernels fwallowed 
whole or Chewed, or otherwife bruifed and mix- 
ed with Drink or Broth, they will then work the 
more violently, and therefore are to be taken with 
the more Caution. 
XVI. The Diftilled Water of the whole Plant. 
It is of an efpecial ufe to cleanfe the Skin from 
Freckles, Scurff, Morphew, or any other difcolor- 
ing, defilement or deformity of the Skin, ufed ei- 
ther by it felf, or mixed with Bean flower or 
Ballard Dittany, or Crowfoot water, being gently 
Bathed on the affe&ed places, removing the Dif- 
afte&ions of the parts in a fhort fpace of tim& 
The fimple water is alfo profitable againft putrid 
and foul Ulcers and running Sores. 
Nota. The Garden Spurges are faid to he cf 
fe Huai for all the purpofes to which the Palma 
Chrifti or greater Spurge may he applyed. 
CHAP DCLV. 
Of S P U R G E [mall, 
O R, 
E S U L A [mall. 
I- X HE Names. It is called in Greek ft/tum# : 
X in Latine, and in the Shops Efula, Efula 
minor, Pityufa, (as if it was a Pine Spurge:) and 
in Englifh, fmall Spurge and fmall Efula. 
II. The Kinds. There are Twelve or Thirteen 
feveral forts of this Plant, but the five follow- 
ing are chiefly known to us, viz. 1. Efula mi- 
nor, Efula rotunda, Efula minor rotunda , Peplus 
round headed Spunge. 2. Efula minor, Pityufa 
minor, Tithymalus pinea , fmall Effula or Pine 
Spurge. 3. Efula Cyprina, CypariJJias vulgaris, 
Tithymalus CypariJJias vulgaris. Our Common 
Cyprefs Spurge, or Welcome to our Houfe. 4. 
Efula five Tithymalus Heliofcopius , Efula folife- 
quia. Sun Spurge, becaufe it follows the motion 
and courfe of the Sun. 7. Efula exigua Tragi , 
Peplis minor Dalecampij ■ Tithymalus Lepto- 
phyllos Matthioli, Dwarf Spurge, or fmall An- 
nual Spurge. 
The Defcriptionr. 
III. The firft, or Round headed Spurge. Its 
Root is Jmall and long, with many fmall Strings and 
fibres at it, perifhtng every year, and rifing again 
Spurge round headed [mall, or Peplus. 
, 
dl 
Ifl 
