Chap. i& 
Theatrum Botanicum, 
Tribe 2. 
hereunto, but fuller of branches, and but anannuallor yearelyphnt, and that itis not without fharpenefle, 
which BuMkhs reierreth to the CypanfftM with fpotted leaves, as is hereafter (hewedtin his Pinax he referreth 
hereunto alfo, the Pityufa five Efula minor foribui rubris of Lobe I, and calleth it Tithymalus montanusmnanis, 
but I cannot lb thinke, but take it to beafert of the fmall Efula, as you Ihallfinde it in the next chapter lave one. 
The rootes of diverle of the Spurges, and of fome other plants alfo, are taken by diverfe writers, to be the Tur- 
bith officinarum,znd oftheancients, as the Myrfinites altera of Label, being the fift in this chapter, which he laith 
is taken of fome to bee the true Turbith, that commeth from Alexandria into thefe Chrillian parts of the 
world i ofthe CbaraciMWonJpelienfmm, Lobel faith in the fame place againe, that the rootes be the mod like un¬ 
to the true Turbith if any be like ir. The Efula rara Venctorum let forth in the lad Chapter, is alfo called by 
fome, Turbith nigrum of Attuarius : but all the bed writers fay, that the fmall common EJu/a, is the true Tur- '■ 
petnm nigrum of Afluarius-, whom lArfues,R hafts and Avicen follow, the roote of Alypum Narbtmenfium, or ■ 
herba terribilu, is likewife called Turpetum album by the fame i_ABuariits, in diverfe places of his booke, he me. ; 
thodomedenii, Mefues againe faith that Turbith is the roote of an herbe that giveth milke, whofe leaves are (ike ! 
Unto ThapfiacX Eer«Ai,Fennell giant.and there upon diverfe have taken the rootes o{ThapfacobctrueTur 6 ith. | 
Ser.ipio taketh the roote of Tripolium or Sea Starwort, to be the true Turbith-.and laftly the roote of Scammorye is i 
taken of fome, to come neerelf the true Turbtthp as hath beene fhewed in the chapter of Scammonye here before, i 
CWatthiolus faith that all the forts of Tithymall,viere indifferently taken and ul'ed for Efula by Phyfitions and A- . 
pothecaries in his time : but afluredly the Turbith oficinarum, which is mod likely to be the fame of the anci- . 
ents, is not the roote of any of the Tithymalls, or Spurges, becaufeall of them are hot and fharpe, whether \ 
frefh or dryed,and the true Turbith is almod infipid.and becaufe they being dry break fhort, without any of thofe : 
(on? threds that are in the true Turbith : neither can it be Alypum or Efula-. for they are hot likewife: It cannot 1 
be the roote of Thapfia, which betides the heate and fharpeneffc is too white alfo,ami the roote of the tru eTurbith i 
is fomewhat blackifh on the otitfide and not fo white within as 7 hapfa is.JhztTripolium cannot be ir,D iojeoridet | 
and declare futfciently, who fay it isfharpein tade, and hot in the third degree, which qualities are not I 
to be found in Turbith. ladly, that 7 urbith (hould be the roote of Scammomye, I cannot thinke.bccaufe they doe ! 
quickly grow greater than the rootes of Turbith, are ever feene to be. The Arabians call Tithymal! Xanxer & E- I 
thutia, 0 \iefues Scebran & Alfccbran, the Italians Titirnalo &Tortumaglio, the Spaniards l.cche nerfna rr Leche j 
tregnaptht Trench Herbe an UiR, the Germancs Wolffs wj/fygthe Dutch Wolfs milef, and we in Englijh Milkewort I 
or Spurge in genera!!, and particularly Sea Spurge,Wood Spurge, &c. as is extant in the titles. 
The Vcrtues, 
All thefe Spurges except the lad, ate heating and exulcerating the skinne, if they be outwardly applyed, and Ij 
are vehement and excoriating purgers taken inwardly,withouc great care and caution : for as M efues faith in his j| 
booke of purging Herbes, they are all offenlive to the heart, liver, and domacke, they breake theveines, fhave r 
the guts, and heate the whole body fo much that thereupon they raife fevers many times: the fird ill qualities ij 
therefore he faith are taken away if thofe things be put thereto in the taking, that doe drengthen the heart.Iiver, l| 
anddomackc. The fecond and third aie taken away, by putting thereto fuch things as have a glutinous quality, j 
and fuch are gum Tragacant,Bdellium, and the muccilage orexpreffion ofthe feedes of Fleaworte and Fuiflaine. j 
The fourth evill quaiity is taken away, by mixing cold and moyd things with it, and fuch are the juycesof i 
Sowthidle, Endive,Purflaine, Nightfhade, orthe feedes of Quinces well beaten with Vinegar. Thefe Titby- j 
trials or Spurges doe purge with great violence, both upward by vomits, and downewardby the doole, flegma- • 
ticke humors, both from'the domacke, and from the joynts, asalfo blacke choller, melancholy, and the dropfie, 
butthey wad and macerate the body, and confume generation: 3 or 4 droppesof the milke taken frcfhis often ii 
put into a dry figge, which is taken by drong Country people, to purge them; but it requireth fome caution in a 
gathering of the milke, that they hand with their backes, and not their faces to the winde, and efpecially that II 
they touch not their face or eyes wich their hands. The milkie juyee of them is the drongeft worker; the feedes r 
and leaves are next in quality thereto, and the rootes of m id are of the fame operation, but not fo drong : yet It 
they being boyled in Vinegar helpe the toothach, efpecially if they be hollow, and the milke put intothem.fo j 
as it touch not any ofthe other teeth or gummes, doth worke more effectually and (peedily; the fame milke layd f 
alfo upon any hairy place,taketh away the haires; but it is neceflary that it lye not long at a time, & that the places I 1 
be anointed with oyle of rofes,and Nightfhade quickly after: the fame alfo taketh away callous knots, and alio- i 
ther callous or hard kernels,or cornes ofthe fcete.or other parts of the body,if they be fiid pared to tie quick,and : 
fome thereof dropped on orlaydeto:the fame alfo boyled in fome oyle of bitter Almonds, denfeth the skinne of :■ 
the markesorfearres that come of fores, as alfo other deformities and difcolouring ofthe skinne, and the fcabbes ! 
and feurfes of the head: TheMyrtle leafed Spurge is effectual! inall thefedifeafes, excepting vomiting where- '■ 
in it is weaker. The red are all of alike quaiity, but the He/iofcopius is the wtaked ; yet the leaves of thegrea- : 
tet forts in generall, although fome attribute it to the broad leafed Spurge onely, cad into the water, cauferh f 
the fifh therein, to rife up to the toppe thereof, which lying thereon as halfedead forawhi’e, maybeeafely ta- > 
ken with ones handotothcnvile. A lye made ofthe a(hesofthem,and theafhes themfelves alfo, are anfwera- 1 
ble to the fame effefts before fet downe in many things. The fweete Spurge as Tragus faith doth tfrongly pro- 1 
voke vomitings, ifthe roote thereof be taken inwardly. The outer barke ofthe roote, being deeped a day and a 
night in Vinegar, and then taken forth dtyed and powdered, halfe a dramme of that powder taken in wine or 1 
honyed water, doth purge all watcrid: humors downewards,as alfo cholIer,and is very profitably given to thofe ii 
that have the dropfie, the roote alfo wonderfully fodereth arid healeth all manner ofgrcene wounds. Tragus al- 1 
fo fheweth the manner of making certaine pills, that are very effeCtuall for the dropfie, and thofe that arc (hort- :■ 
winded, which may be taken as he faith without either paine or danger. Take of the rootes of Efula prepared as n 
aforefayd halfe an ounce, of aloes one ounce, of Madicke one dramme, thefe being beaten into powder each by 1 
it felfe, are to be made up with Fennell water into great or fmall pills. 
