The Vertues, 
A few of the feed bruifed and [trained into poffct drinke, and 
drunke,worketh very ftrongly upon the ftomacke, bringing forth 
abundance of flimic grofle flegme, but there had ncede of great 
caution to bcufed, of whofoever fhall cake it, for in that it hea- 
teth extreamely, and bringeth danger of ftrangling by the vio¬ 
lence thereof; it is not ufed but by ignorant or defperate Surgi- 
ons. or countrieleeches, without fuch correction and things as 
may mittigate the force thereof that thereby it may donoharme* 
which being fo ordered, it is then ufed to be given to thofe that 
are troubled with itch, fcabbes, the leprie, or foule fcurfe,as well 
inwardly,as to wafh the places outwardly with the docodion of 
the feede,which helpeth much, as alfo to kill lice and vermine, 
growing in thehcads or bodies of any, or the feeds mixed with 
oyle and axnngia ,and anointed on the places. Some ufe to makei 
an Eleduary of them, by boyling them in water, with fome few 
corredors, unto which liquor being ftrained, fo much Sugar is 
put, as may be (uffleient to make it up with the powder of A- 
nifeede and Cinamon into an Eleduarie, whereof a dragme is a 
iuffleient proportion at a time, and is profitable for the difeafes 
aforefaid, as alfo to procure womens monethly courfes: it is al¬ 
fo good to wafh foule ulcers in the mouth or throate; but if the 
dccodion be too ftrong, you may alay it with fome vinegar, and 
a little honey mixed therewith and fo ufe it ; the feeds bruifed 
and boyled in vinegar is good to helpe the toothach, ifthe teeth 
and gummes be wafhed therewith, for it draweth downe abun¬ 
dance of rheume, which peradventure was the caufc thereof, 
being bruifed alfo with a little pelletory of Spdine^ox without it, 
and put into a fine linnen cloth and chewed where the teeth paine 
you moft, doth the like, and often eafeth and fometimes taketh 
away the paine. Some fay that if the flowers be chewed in the 
mouth,and fome of them laid upon the hurt place,of any flung or 
bitten by any ferpent, they will healethem : the feede beaten and 
mingled with meaie, and ofit felfe fo laid, or made up into a 
pafte with fome hony, will kill Mife and Rates, and fuch like 
vermine that doe eate it. 
Chap. XXIX. 
Ettphorbium ; The burning thornie plant called Euforbium & 4>neuphorbium, 
The remedy for the Enforbium, or the burning thorny plant, 
S the moft extreme of all violent purging plants, 1 brine this to your confideration, not having any 
to exceede it in the qualitie of hcate or violence ; and thereunto as many other Authors before me 
have done, Ijoynethat other cooling herbe, which is accounted the onely helpe and remedy a- 
gainft the fierie heatc thereof. . ' 
___ I. Euphorbium. The burning thornie plant called Euforbiur/i. 
This ttrange thornie plant, from a leafe thruft into the ground, will fooote forth rootes, and'growto have 
divers thicke and long leaves, round alfo and not flat, halfc a. yard in length, fet with divers great ribbes, which 
are armed all the,length of them, withadouole rowoffmall fharpe thornes or prickes, two for the moft part 
fee together, like unto the middle bone of a fiiTi, &c. what fruit or flower it beareth we have not learned of any 
that hath feenc it growing in Barbery, from whence it hath becne brought,both into our countrie and into others: 
the rootes are great thicke and long,fpreading very much, but impatient to endure any cold, as the leaves are alfo: 
there ifiueth out of the leaves, as fome fay, or out of the rootes as others fay, a pale yellowifo gumme, in fmall 
droppesor peeces, moft violent fierce even to fmellunto, but being tailed doth burne the mouth and throate 
not to be endured, the duft alfo and fuming vapours that arifc from it when it is fiirred, but much more when it is 
beaten to powder, doe io fiercely penetrate into the head and mouth, but efpecially the noftrills, that it procu¬ 
re* frequent and ftrong neeling, often times even unto delacrymation ; and if any fhall touch their face, or any 
other part of the skmne that is tender, with their hands after they have handled it -, it will burne and enflame it 
fo terribly that oftentimes it will raife blifters and wheales, the furie whereof will not be allaid fcarfe in halfe a 
day after, although cold water or any other cold thing be applied to mitigate the ftrength thereof, and therefore 
in the fame naturall places groweth with it as the chiefe and onely remedy thereof, the 
2 . Antettpborbium . The remedy for Sttforbittm, 
The Anteuphorblum hath divers fat thicke greene ftalkes, with many thicke and long leaves thereon fome- 
\vhat like unto the leaves of Purflane, but much bigger, both (hikes and leaves being full of a cold and fiimic 
motftnrc, moft fit and apt to temper the heate of the former; we have likewife no further underftanding of ei¬ 
ther flower or feede that it beareth: the rootes are great and thicke, from whence fooote forth many long and 
great ftnngs and fmall fibres, but as quickly fub/eft to the cold as the former, and perifheth upon thefirft cold 
blalt that commeth upon it. 
The 
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