Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
34 
Lib. i. 
mo(! Writers, and in ("hops, called by the name 6f T erra merit a, and Curcuma : yet Come terme it 
Crocus Indicus, and we inEnglifh call it Turmericke. 
T he temperature andvertues. 
A This root is certainly hot in the third degree, and hath a cjualitie to open obflru&ions, and it 
is vfed with good fucceffe in medicines againft the yellow Iaundife,and againft the cold diftem- 
pers of theiiucr and fpleene. 
and they haue many fibers' comming out of them, 
but they are taken away together with the outward 
rin.de. before they come to vs. Thefe roots haue a llrong medicine-like fmell, and fomewhat an 
tngratefull tafte. 
Some call the long parts of thefe roots Zedoana, and theround(whofe figure we here giue you) 
Zerumbetb, and make them different, whenas indeed they are but parts of the fame root as Lobeil 
and others haue well obferued. Some make Zedoana and Zerumbetb different, as c. Auiccn others 
confound them and make them one, as Rbafes and S erapio. Some thinke it to be >,«•#. of j£gine- 
ta : but that is not fo • for he faith, ’^5*., saintir (jjj'yut&ut* ; It is an Aroma ticke and 
therefore chiefely mixed in ointments : which is as much as if he fhould haue faid. That it* was 
put into ointments for the fmells fake, which in this is no wayes grateful], but rather the con- 
trarie. 
A It is hot and dry in the fecond degree- itdifcuffesflatulcncics,andfattens by acertaine hid- 
den qualitie. It alfo diifipates and amends the vngratefull fmell which Garlicke, Onions or too 
much wine infeift the breath withall,ifit be eaten after them. It cures the bites and flings of 
venomous creatures, flops laskes, refolues the Abfceffcsofthewombe,ftayes vomiting, helpes 
the Collicke, as alfo the paine of the ftomackc. 
B It kills all forts ofwormes, and is much vfed in Antidotes againft the plague, and fuch like 
contagious difeafes. $ 
i T Do not here intend to trouble you with an accurate diftinftion and enumeration of Rufhes ; 
j. for if I fhould, it would be tedious to you, laborious to me, and beneficiall to neither. There- 
fore I will onely defenbe and reckon vp the chiefe and more note-worthy of them, beginning 
which, as from one entire tuft, proceed a great company of fmall rufhes ; fo exceedingly well 
knowne,that I fliall nor need to fpend much time about the defcription thereof. 
a There be fundry forts of Rufhes befides the former, whofe pi&ures are not here expreft, 
and the rather, for that the generall defcription of Rufhes, as alfo their common vfeand feruice, 
arefufficienttolcadevs to the knowledge ofthem. This great Water-Graffe or Bul-Rufh, in 
ftead of leaues bringeth forth many .ftrait twiggic fhoots or lprings , which be round , finooth, 
fharpe pointed, and without knots. Their tuft or flower breaketh forth a little beneath the top, 
vpon the one fide of the Rufh , growing vpon little fhort Items dike Grape clufters, wherein is 
contained the feed after the fafhion of a fpeares point. The roots be (lender and full of firings. 
Pliny, and Tbeepbrajlus before him, affirme that the roots of the Rufh do die euery yeare,and that 
Chap. 28. Of Zedoarie. 
nanorin the Indies , the leaues thereofare lar- 
ger than Ginger, and much like them; the root is 
alfo as large, but confifting of parts of different fi- 
gures, fome iong and final], others round ; their co- 
lour is vvhite,and oft times brownifh on the infidc, 
f Zerumbetb, fiue Zedoaria rotunda. 
Round Zedoarie. 
The names. 
The temperature andvertues. 
Chap. zp. Of%uJhes. 
with the moftvfuail and common, t 
Tbc defcription. 
j The roots of our common Rufhes are long and hairy, fpreading largely in the ground, from 
it grower!) 
