T R I 
BE.l. 
The Theater of Ttantu 
Chap. 13, 181 
but in more pleafant ballets: By the ftrong purging quality of the roote, it may bee profitable for the difeafes of 
the head, as the falling ficknelfe, the diffineffe and lwimmings in the head and braine, by drawing away much 
flegme and rheumatick humors,opprefl'ing thofe parts, as alfo the j'oynts and finews.and is therefore good for pal- 
lies, convulfions, crampes, and ditches in the (ides: in purging the belly of waterifh humors it is good alfo, as 
fame fay.againft the dropfie,and in provoking Vrine.-it alfo clenfeth the raines and kidneyes from graved and the 
done,by opening the obltruftions of the fpleene, and wafteth and confumeth the dwellings & hardnes thereof.lt 
clenfeth the mother wonderfully, in helping thofe that are troubled, with the rifirig and fuffocation thereof, by 
drinking once a weeke, of the wine -wherein the roote was boyled,going to bed, and cxpelleth the dead childe 
and afterbirth in thofe thofe that arc delivered, but is not to be ufed by women with childe, for feare of abortion: 
it bring: th downe alfo their courfes when they are topped, by taking a dram of the roote in powder in wine or 
fitting in the decoftion of the rootes; it clenfeth the cheft of rotten flegme mightily, and therefore an Eleffuary 
made of the rootes and honey, doth wonderfully helpe them that have an old and ftrong cough, or that are rea¬ 
dy tobeftrangled with flegme opprefling them, and that are troubled with fhortneffe of breath : the fame alfo 
is very good for them that are bruifed inwardly.to helpe to expel! the clotted or congealed blood, Biofcorides alfo 
faith that the roote being taken, hd petit thofe that are bitten with a viper or an adder; the VoecuU or White hard- 
tied j'uyce, is often ufed to be taken to the weight of two or three graines at the molt, in wine or broth, to all the 
E urpofes of purging aforefayd. For outward applications, ‘Dwfcorides faith, that the leaves, frttite, and roote 
y the fliarpe quality that is in them, doc denfe old and filthy fores, are good againft all fretting and running can¬ 
kers, gangnenes and tetters, and therefore the berries ufttally called of the Country people, Tetter berribs, are 
With good fucceffe.and often experience applyed to them : the roote alfo clenfeth the skiiinc wonderfully, from 
all blacke and blew fpots, freckles, morphew, leprie, foule fearres, or any other deformity of the skinne what¬ 
soever, as alfo all running fcabbes and manginefle, either the powder of the dryed roote, or the juyee thereof 
rudely taken, but efpecially the fcecula ,or fine depurate and hardened white j'uyce, to be ufed at all times of the 
yeare. The diftilled water of the rootes worketh the fame effedl, but moreweakely; yet the water is often 
ufed to cleere the skinne from fpottes,&c, the roote being bruifed and applyed of it fclfe foany place, where 
the bones are broken, helpeth to draw them forth, as alfo fplinters or thornesin the flefh: and being applyed 
with a little wine mixed therewith, it breaketh byles and helpeth whitlowes onthejoynts: itisiayd that Au- 
gufim Cafar, was wont to weare it with bayes, made into a roule or garland, thereby to be fccured from light¬ 
ning. The rootes of the blacke Bryonie are of the fame effeft with the white, but much weaker in purging cho- 
ler and flegme and other humors, and provoking Vrine.in helping the falling fickenefle,the pa!fic,the piltons of 
the mother, and the other difeafes before mentioned: it doth in fome fort clenfe the skinne of fpots and markes 
but the white is both more ufed, and more effeftuall; the j'uyce hereof or the roote it felfe, boyled with wine* 
and honey, and drunke, and the roote alfo bruifed and applyed with honey, to the Kings Evill, is very effeffuali 
to heale it, and all other kernels, knots, or hard fwellings, either in or about the necke and throate efp4tially 
or in other parts: being applyed alfo in the fame manner, to any place out of j'oynt.is good both to eafe the 
paines, and to confolidate and ftrengthen the finewes, that they be not ealily againe put out of their place: it is 
often ufed alfo with good fucceffe, being frefli, bruifed and applyed to the fhoulders or armes, that are fall of 
paine and ach.as alfo to fuch hippes or bucklebones.as have the Sciatica, or paines therein :the leaves bruifed with' 
wine and layde upon the fore neckesof Oxen, that are wrung with the yoake helpeth them. Mattkiolus faith 
u was reported unto him,that the roote of our fixe Bryonie (which I fay is called beyond Sea, Sir ilium Beau 
our Ladies feale or fignet, and which he thinketh to be the blacke Bryonie of Biofcorides'j bein^ roafted 
in the embers and eaten, is a powcrfull medecine, to helpe forward the arts of Venerie, and addeth tvithall that 
it excelleth all other medectncs, taken for that purpofe; which yet he faith he can hardly beleeve: yet Loie/dotk 
yerke him for that report. The /Aechoaean is a familiar medecine ufed of many, efpecially when wefirfthadit 
as all new things are, but now is much neglefted, although it be the fame, and worketh thefame cfFefts • it is 
given to all ages young and old, and to young children, yea women with childe without any harme or danger 
as alfo at all times of the ycare.for being without any evill tafte or fmell.it may be the better taken of the molt de- 
licate, and tender ftomacke, that doth loath all other medecines: it is moft ufually being made into powder taken 
in wine,or if any refufe that manner,the roote may be boyled either in a little broth, (as it was to Queene f li- 
K-ibeth m her lad fickenefle, without her confent or fence in the tafte) or wine, and fo taken : the dofe whereof 
in powder, is fromhalfe a dramme to a whole dramme, or a dramme and a halfe or two drammes, as there is 
caufe, relpeft being had to the age and ftrength ofthc patient: It purgeth cholericke and flegmaticke, yea groffe 
vifcous and putride humors, whatfoever in the body, as alfo the yellow waterifh humors of the dropfie, with 
much eafe and facility: ic clenfeth alfo the liver and fpleene, and like the true Rubarbe ftrengtheneth thefto- 
macke, corroborating the inward parts, after purging and opening the obftruiftions of them, it helpeth alfo all 
dileafes that come from them, as the dropfie: the Iaundife, &c. for it re&ifieth the evill conftitution of the Liver 
by opening and diflolving the hardnefle thereof ,as alfo of the fpleene and ftomacke, diffolveth alfo the windi- 
nefie and expclleth it; ittakethaway alfo all old, or inveterate paines of the head, by clenfing the braine and 
the nerves, and purging thofe rheumaticke diftillations, and humors that are in them; it helpeth alfo all paines 
whatloever in the j’oynts, in particular or generall, as the j’oynt aches or gout,and thofe of the bladder and raines 
in procuring one to make water, and the cotlicke alfo, by expelling the wind wonderfully ■> it helpeth the paines 
of the mother, by tempering the cold humour, and expelling the windineffe which are the caiifes thereof: ic 
helpeth the fhortneffe of breath, and the old cough: It is alfo available in the French difeafe, by taking ic 
often as there is caufe, and purging the old peccant humors, efpecially if the difeafe be not of any long continu¬ 
ance. Ittakethaway alfo the caufe of old and long lingring agues, whether they be tertian or quotidian of other 
intermittvue agues, caufedby obftru&ions. The lalap is in working and purging fomewhat like unto the Me- 
choacan, but exceedeth it,in .working morcftrongly, and a little more chnrliiHy upon both flegmaticke and wa¬ 
tery humors, yet ftrengthening both the liver and ftomacke : the manner to take it is, being made intro powder, 
to drinke it in white wine fafting, yet fome take it in the diftilled water of Cichorie or Barrage, or elfe in broth 
made with cold herbes* - 
R 
; c h a pi 
