Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
gummie of his owne nature but the Indians becaufe they fee that our merchants note the bcft 
Turbith by the gumminefle, are wont before they gather the fame,either to writhe or elfe lightly 
tobrufe them, that the fap or liquor may iflue out • which root being once hardned, they picke 
out from the reft to fell at a greater price. It is likewife made white, as the faid Author ihewetb 
being dried in the funne : for if it be dried in the fhadow it waxeth blacke, which notwithftanding 1 
may be as good as the white which is dried in the Sunne. 
Turbith Alex andrinumofficinartem. qf The Place 
Turpetnmpi Turbith ofthe (hops. 
It growethby the fea fide, but yet not fo 
neere that the wafh or water of the fea may 
come to it, but neere about, and that for two 
or three miles in vndlled grounds, rather 
rnoift than drie. It is found in Cambaya, 
Surrate.in the He Dion, Bazaim.and in pla- 
ces hard adioining ; alfo in Guzarate, where 
it grovveth plentifully, from whence great 
abundance-oF it is brought intoPerfia, Ara- 
bia, Afia the lefle, and alfo into Portingale 
and other parts of Europe : but that is pre- 
ferred which groweth in Cambaya. 
The Thames-. 
It is called of the Arabians, Perfians, and 
Turkes Turbith : and in Guzarata Barcaman: 
in the prouince Canara, in which is the city 
Goa ,Tiguar ■ likewife in Europe the learned 
call it diuerfly, according to their feuerall 
fancies, which hath bred fundry controuer- 
fies,as it hath fallen out alwellin Hermoda- 
ftyls,as in Turbitlgthevfeand po/felfion of 
which we cannot feertre to want : but which 
plant is the true Turbith, we haue great 
caufe to doubt ; Some haue thought our 7 ri- 
polium marinum , defcribed in the former 
chapter,to be Turbith : others haue fuppo- 
fed it to be one of the Tithjmales, but which kinde they know not : Guillandinus frith, that the 
toot of 77f hymalus m-jrftnitis is the true Turbith; which caufed Lob elms and Pena to pluckcvpby 
the rootsall the kindes o(Tithymales,md drie them very -curioufly ; which when they had beheld 
and throughly tried, they found it nothing fo. The Arabians and halfe Moores that dwell in the 3 
Eaft parts haue giuen diners names vnto this plant .-and as their words are diners, fo haue they 
diuers fignificatious ; but this name Turbith they feeme to interpret to beany milky root which 
doth ftrongly purge flegme,as this plant doth. So that as men haue thought good,pleafing them- 
felues, they haue made many and diuers conftudions which haue troubled many excellent lear- 
ned men to know what root is the true Turbirh. But briefly to fet dovvne my opinion, not va- 
rying from the iudgment of men which are of great experience ; I thinke affuredly that the root 
ofScammonyof Antiochistbe true andvndoubted Turbith , one reafon efpecially that moueth 
me fo to thinke is , for that I haue taken vp the roots of Scammony which grew in my garden, 
and compared them with the roots of Turbith, between which I fount! little ot no difference at all 
f Through all Spain(as Clufws in his notes vpon Garcias teftifies) they vfe the roots of Thap. 
fa for Turbith which alfo haue been brought hithetymd I kcepe fome of them by me, but they 
purge li ttle or nothing at all being drie, though it may be the green root or juice may haue fome 
purging faculty. £ The Temperature andyertues, 
The Indian phyfitions vfe it to purge flegme, to which if there be no feuer they addeein- & 
ger,otberwifetheygiueit withoutin thebroth ofa chicken, and fometimes in faire water. 
. Mcfues writeth, that Turbith is hot in the third degree ; and that it voideth thicke tough 
flegme out of the ftomacke, cheft, linewes, and out of the furthermoft parts of the body : but 
(as he faith)it is flow in working, and troubleth and ouerturneth the ftomacke : and therefore gin- 
ger, mafticke,and other fpices are to be mixed with it ; alfo oilc of fweet almondes, or almondes 
tiiemfelues,or fugar, lea ft the bodywith thevfeherof fhould pine andfallavvay. Others tem- 
Mm 2 per 
