Lib. 2 
Of theHiftory of Plants. nil 
| power and force ; fo be they Iikewife of nature and temperature cold and dry : rhey are withal! 
l of diners thin parts, by reafon whereof there colour doth eafily pierce: yet haue tlfey at the hr It a 
certain little fweetnes, with an harfh binding quality p'refently following it ; which nut one*! y we 
our felues haue obferued, but alfo ^ uicen the prince of Phy(itions,who in his 58. Chapter hath 
vvritten,that the root of Madder hath a rough and hail'll tafte: now M'. Doctor, whether it binclc 
or open I haue anfwered,attending your cenfure : but if 1 haue erred, it is not with the multitude 
but with thofe of the bell; and bell learned. 
<|f The Venues. 
The decoftion of the roots of Madder is euery where commended for thofe that are burden A 
brufed,wounded,and that are fallen from high places. 
It ft eneheth bleeding, micigateth inflammations, and helpeth thofe parts that be hurt and B 
brufed. 
Tor thcTe caufes they be mixed with potions, which the later Phy fitiaa s call wound dtinkes • in C 
which there is fuch force andvertiie,as Mattbiolus alfo reporteth, that there is Iikewife great hope 
ofcuringofdeadly wounds in rhecheft and intrails. 
Our opinion and judgement is confirmed by that moft expert man, fometimes Phyfition of D 
Louaine, lobannes SpinKgta,whoinhis Rapfodes hath noted, that the decodion of Madder <ouer 
I with Triphera, that great compofition is Angular good to ftay the reds, the hemorrhoides and blou- 
! -dy flixe, and the fame approoued by diuers experiments : which confirmed] Madder robe of an 
aftringent and binding qualitic. 
Ofthe fame opinion as it feetneth is alfo Eros Iulia her freed man (commonly called Trotuta) E 
who in a compofition againft vntimely birth doth vfc the fame •. for if he had thought that Madder 
were of filch a qualitic as Diofcorides ivriteth it to be of, he would not in any wife haue added it to 
thofe medicines which are good againft an vntimely birth . 
For Diofcorides reporteth, that the root of Madder doth plentifully prouoke vrine, and that F 
groffe and tliicke, and oftentimes blond alfo, and it is fo great an opener, that being but onely ap- 
plied, it Dringeth downe the menfes,the birth, and after-birth : but the extreme rednes of the vrine 
deceiued him, that immediately followeth the taking of Madder, which reduefle came as he 
thought, from blond mixed therewith, which notwithstanding commeth nootherwife then from 
the colour ofthe Madder. 
For the root hereof taken any maner of way doth by & by make the vrine extreme red:no other- G 
ivile than Rubarb doth make the fame yellow, not changing in the meane time the liibftance 
thereof, nor making it thicker than it was before, which is to bevnderftood in thoiewhicharein 
perfedl health, which thing doth rather fliew that it doth not open, but binde, no othervvife th in 
Rubarbe doth ; for by reafon of his binding quality the waterifh humors do for a while keepe their 
colour. For colours mixed with binding things do longer remainein the things coloured and do 
not fo foone vade-. this thing they will know that gather colours out of the juices of Homes and 
herbes,forwith them they mixeallume, to the end that the colour may be retained and kept die 
longer, which otherwife would be quickely loft. By thefe things it manifeftly appearcrh that 
Madder doth nothing vehemently either clenfe or open, and that Diofcorides hath rafhlv attributed 
vnto it this kinde of qualitie,and after him Galen and the reft that followed, (landing ftiffely to his 
opinion. 
Pliny faith, that the ftalkes with the leaues of Madder, are vfed againft ferrients. i] 
The root ol Madder boiled in Meade or honied water,and drunken, openeth the Hopping ofthe I 
liner, the milt and kidnies,and is good againft the jaundife. 
The fame taken in like maner prouoketh vrine vehemently, lnfOmuch that the often vfe thereof K 
cauleth one topifle bloud,as fomehaue dreamed. 
Langius and other excellent Phyfitions haue experimented the fame to amend the lorhfome r 
colourof the Kings-euill, and it helpeth thevlcers of the mouth, if vnto thedecoftion be added a J 
little allumeandhony ofRofes. 
X 5 The fifth being the Synancbica of Detlefihampius, dries without biting, and it is excellent m 
againft fqinancies, either taken inwardly, or applied outwardly, for which caufe they haue called 1 * 
. it SynancbicdyHift. Lugd. $ 
Chap. 461, Of (foofd-grajfe^or Q liners. 
The Description .■ 
1 \Parine , Cliuers or Goofe-grafle,hath many fmall fquarc branches, tough and fhafpe'.full 
^*ofjoints,befet at euery joint with fmall leaues ftar fafhion,and like vnto fmall Madder.- 
B b b b b tha 
