T r i b e 2.* The Theater of Tlants. Qhav.i6„ 2:9 
PUnyc. Gerard tookc this for the next to call it pracox. Baahinas to diltinguifh them calleth this floref“bviridi,md 
the lecond floreatro-rttbcnteZe. other writers ex purpura nigricante^Lobe/nddeth pracox vnto it:the third is called 
by Clcijins Slleborine reccntiorum, and of others Calceolas Maria or Marianas yoxi&LHgdanenfisJilleborinefcrrrtginta 
Dalechampii^Cjefner in hortis Germania taketh it to bzAlifmatisfpecics find I'o doth 7 halites likewife,and fome Z)<t- 
mafon'mm nothnm & Pfcadodamafoninm- the fourth is taken by fome to be EpipaBis, by others Ahfma or c Damct~ 
fomum, but generally is now adayes called Sllcborine flare alto-, the reft have their names in their titles, as they 
are moftafually entitled by others: the controverfies hereabouts I have touched in the foregoing chapter, and 
therefore will not here againe recite it the Arabians call it Ckarbachem , the Italians Silt boro bianco fiat Spaniards 
Yerdccambre bianco &yerva de balajlierosfihz French Veratre and Hclleboire blanc , the l/. rmar.es Weifs Niefn>nrt~ 
the Dutch vine Niefimyt , and we in English white Ellebor or Neefewort. 
The T'ertiies. 
Therooteof white Hellehbr or Neefewort is of mod tile (neither the leaves flowers nor feede being ufed 
at any time with us that! know ) and worketh veryflrong'y and churlilhly with any that fliall take, it pro¬ 
curing ftrong vomitings-yet being taken with convenient preparation of the body aforehand,and dieted by ad- 
vifeas P) iojeorides warnethit,may doe much good to ftrong conftitimoUs that can endure the working of it, by 
caufing much tough vifeous clammy and corrupt humours that offend the ftomacke to be avoyded, to betaken 
not failing but for fometime alter one hath eaten, for which purp'ofesthe Oxymel HcUeborarum is a medecine: 1 
prepared to your hand and fit to be u led: it provoketh womens courfes and will kill the birth if it be takenin- 
wardly :halfe a dramme of the roore prepared with Oxymel txnd given in wine, to thole that are fodeepely pof- 
fefled with melancholy that it cauleth fits of fury or madnefle.doih mud) abate the peccant-humour giving much 
eafe to the party: being likewifefteeped and afterwards boy’edin broth and given, helpeth thole,that are trou¬ 
bled with the tallinglickneffe.rheleprofiejand all other breakings out in the skinne, as fcabbes, &c. quartane, 
agues, the ptificke or pining conlumption, an old cough, the dropfie, ruptures, lciatica, goiate, era ipes, paines 
in the joyntsand finewes, and paines and fwimming in the head: the bell preparation of it is to be infuled in the 
juyceofa Quince, or to be put into a Quince, and either baked inanoven,or l oaded under the embers, and halfe 
a temple thereof given at a time; and this was as Mattbiolus faith, the ancient manner of curing tbefe difeafes; 
but being fo dangerous a medecine though fometimes taken with caution,that it putteth many in hazard offtran- 
gling, and is onely remedied by eating Quinces, or taking the juyceorthc Syrope made thereof, hath made - he 
life thereof wholly almoft to be given over and left: theroote laith Dio/corides is put with ocher things tohelpe 
the dimnefle of the light; the j’uyceof theroote dropped into theeares taketh away thenoyfe andlingi in 
them: being boyled in lye and the head walked therewith itkillcth lice and helpeth themnninp fcabbes and 
fores thereof, being mingled with flower and a little honye or butter, or elfe boyled in milke and let where flies 
gnats,&c. doe much refort, doe kill as many as touch it: if hens, duckes, or geefe doe chance to drinke thereof 
it will kill them iikewife : being moulded up with meale and honye, and put into moale holes or the burrowes 
of field or dormife, or any other fuch fmall Vermine will quickly deilroy them : the powder or fcrapSrrg of the 
rooteby it felfe,or with a few leaves of Marj’erome put up into the nofe.purgeth the head and brairtts by neelino; 
beingboyled in vinegar and the decoftion gargled in the mouth, eafeth the paines of the tooth ach: the fame de- 
coftion Iikewife helpeth the itch and fcabbes in the hands, andclenfcth fouie foresand ulcers in the leggesand 
other parts. The Spaniards and Navarrois doemakeacertainepoyfon of the juyceof the rootes of white Helle- 
bor which after it hath fermented ina home or earthen leaded veffell (the time when it is rcadie to be ufed 
they know by this tryall: having tilted a needle with thred, and wetted it therein, they draw it through a froege 
which if it prefently dye, then it isgood, and ready) they dippe their arrow heads therein, and then what bead: 
lliall be wounded therewith fhall iuddenly dye: which thing Matthiohu faith, hee alfo tryed on dodoes and 
chickens, which dyed prefently after they were wounded with a weapon dipped therein, in that the a venome 
had peirced the blood,againft which poyfon no other antidote can be found more fit and fpecdy,than the eating of' 
Quincesjfor even the fmcll of them being in a houfe where that poyfon is, takethaway the whole force thereof: 
but is reftored againe fas it is faid)if ripe grapes be mixed therewith or iome pepper call into it: this poyfon is 
onely ufed while it is frefh,for itlofeth the ftrength,ifthe juycb dryupon the arrow heads,and therefore to keeoe 
them the better they life to keepe them in a calc, the iron headsbting wrapped in wooll and clothes wet therein: 
but this is the moll wonderfullas it is related, that this poyfon being drUnke, procureth almoll no harme to them 
that drinke it, unleffc they take too much and as it is fayd the hunters often take it themfelves to purge them: it 
is fayd alfo that the Acfh of thofe beads killed by this poyfon, is more tender and pleafant in eating than of other 
not killed therewith, and elpecially that part about the wound. P-aufanius in Phocicis lecordeth a notable ftra- 
tagem that Solon ufed in befeidging the Citiy of Cyrrheus, viz. That having cut oft’ the River Plijlus from run¬ 
ning into the Citty,he caufed a great manyof thoferootes to be put into a quantity thereof, which after they 
had diffidently infefled the water, he let palfe intotbe Citty againe, whereof when they had greedily drunke 
they grew fo weake and feeble by the fuperpurgation thereof,that they were forced to leave their wals unmand 
whereby the AmphySlions their enemies became mailers of their Citty: the like llratagems are let downe bvdi- 
verfe other authors performed by the helpe of other hearbes. The lelfer wilde forts are notknowne with iisto 
be ufed in Phyfickc: but if either of thefe Elleborines be his £pipattis,he faith it is good in the defeds of the liver 
and againft'psyfotis and to procure vomiting; Theophrajhu faith the fame 
