^ ' \ -A 
Chap. 2,7 . Of'Drakes rooter (jontru-yerm. 
«J TbcDefcription. 
T Hat root which of late is knowne in fome (hops by the Spanifh name Contra-yerua ,is the lame 
which Clufius hath fet forth by the title of Drakena radix : wherefore I will giue you thehifto- 
rie of C tu fns find thereto adde that which Monardus writes of the Contra-yerua. For though 
Z’<!u/«w,and the Author of the HiJloriaLvgdunenfis feemc to make thefe different, yeti finde that 
both Clufuis his figure and hiftorie exactly agree with the roots fent vs from Spaine by that title, 
wherefore I fhall make them one,till fome (hall fliewmehow they differ: and Clufius feemes tobe 
of this minde alfo,whodc fired but the degree of heate which Monardus giues thefe, and that is but 
the fecond degree : now thefe Italic no tafte at the firft,vntill you haue chewed them a pretty while, 
and then you fhall finde a manifeft heate and acrimonie in them, which Clufius did alfo obferue 
in his. 
In the yeare (faith Clufius) iy 8 1. the generous Knight Sir Francis Drake gaue me at London cer- 
tain roots, with three or foure Peruvian Beazor Hones, which in the Autuntne beforefhauing finish- 
ed his voyage, wherein paffing the Straights of Magellan, he had e rcom pa (Ted the World ) be had 
brought with him, affirming them tobeof high efteeme amougft the Peruvians : now for his fake 
that bellowed thefe roots vpon me, I haue giuen them the title Dr .k na radix , or Drakes root, and 
haue made them to beexprefled in a tablets you may here fee them. 
T 4 .» t *4 . ■ . . . ’ .... • » . i 
t Drakcnaradix. 2 Radix Drakena affinis. 
Contra-yerua. Another fort of Contta-yerua. 
Thefe roots were for the mod part fome halfc inch thick, longifh, now and then bunching out 
into knots and vnequall heads, and theii tops looked as ifthey were compoled ol chicke fca es, al- 
moft like thofe ofthe Dent aria emeaphytlos ; blackifh without, wrinckled, and hard, becaufe > u ed: 
their inner part was white -they had (lender fibres here and there growing out ot them , and fome 
more thicke and large, hard alfo and tough, at which hung other knot s: I obferued nomanifert ( tel 
they had, but found them to haue a tafte fomewhataftringent,&dryingthe tongue at the firlt ; but 
being long chewed, they left a quicke and pleafing acrimonie in the mouth 
1 1 feemed to haue great affinitie with the Radix S .HeUnx, whereof Nic. Monardus fpeakes tn hts 
booke of the Simple "Medicines brought from the Weft Indies:but feeing N.EhotQn ho accompa- 
