Tribe 2. The Theater of Tlants. Cm p.^i 7.35 
diCHn<’nifhcd inwardly into many skinny wood-like partitions: on Both tides of which partitions grow a fofr 
black? fubftance like unto hony and very fweete; which is that part onely that is to be ufed,and no part thereof 
elfe betide : betweene thefe cells or partitions lie round and flat griftly feed, ofadarke brownifh colour, very 
like unto the feede of the Carob tree: the rootes are great, and grow deepe in the gronnd : the choife oF the 
bell: cods or canes, is that they be moift within, and that the feeds doe not rattle when they are fliaken, 
2. Cajsiafolutiva Erafi’iana. Purging Cajiia of BrafisHl. 
Thereis another fort of C a f s i a ‘ that hath beene brought from Brajsi/I, which differethnot much from the 
former, either in the forme of the tree or fruite ; for the tree it felfe gro weth ( as by relation it is affirmed) great, 
and hath filch like winged leaves as the former hath : the fruit onely or chicfely differeth from the other it) this, 
that it is about two foote long, (efpecially fuch as we have feene) and more than two inches broadband about an 
inch and a halfe thickejwhofe barke or outward rinde is much harder, thicker, browner andflatter than the other 
but with great wrinkles or furrowes eroding it, as the other hath; the feames likewife at the backe, 
and againflTit are greater and more eminent, and the feede lying in the cells, larger and flatter alfo, thepulpe ot 
blacke fubftance lying upon the wooddy skinnes, is as fweete as the other, but of more force in working by the 
one halfe at the leaft. 
The Place. 
Ths firft nroweth plentifully in Egypt, but yet not naturally, for it is onely in their orchards where it hath beene 
planted : for it is generally held to be firft brought thither,and to Arabia alfo, from Syria and o Armenia, and they 
from the Eaft Indies : it groweth alfo ill the Weft Indies , firft planted by the Spaniards in HijpamoU in fo great 
abundance, that from thence the moftftore that is fpent in Europe is brought: The other groweth in "Braffill^ 
from whence it was brought into thefe parts. 
The Time. 
The firft flourifheth chiefely in June, and the fruite hanging upon the tree aihheytare, are gathered milch a- 
bout the time of the flowring : for the tree holding his greenc leafe all the W inter, hath ufully both blolfomes 
and greene fruite, and ripe all as it were at Onetime. The other hath not beene hitherto further deicribedot 
knowne. 
The Thames, 
Cafia or CaJJia is a word of divers fignifications, for it is either the Aroma of the ancients, TheophraftiuJBwff 
corides, <?«/«>,&c.like unto Cinamon called CaJJia lignea in the Apothecaries fhoppes, or this CaJJia filhtla, or elfe 
a flirubbe called CaJJia poetica or CAtonfpeliaca, but it is very likely that this tree, nor his fruite was knowne tq 
any of the antient Greeke W riters, unlelfe as Cordu: faith it might be the Fab a Indie a of Ariftobulus and fome o» 
titers; but the later Greeke Authors, as Attuariw, and others fince his time, called it vift^l^vn^CaJp* nigra, 
from the Arabians, who firft brought in the ufc thereof, and called it CaJJia fiftula : and becaufe it was noj 
knowen where elfe it did grow then in Egypt, it.was calledby many Siliyua Egyptia, and is thought by divers 
that it may be the Stliyua called Funs Egyptiaby Theophrafhu in his firft Booke and tS, Chapter : and of others 
Coffin Jolutiva : the tifnall name is C ajfta fiftula in all Apothecaries fhoppes • but why the name of CaJJia fhould 
be given to this treee or his fruite, is not eafie to knbw or learne: Tena and Lobell in their Adverfaria thinke it 
mightcomcfromtheGreeke wordkis*! ynodcoriateam vacant, becaufe the cods or canes are like leather ; but I 
verily beleeve the Arabian: (and it may be thofc from whom the Arabians had it) called it Caffia in regard of 
the fweeteneffe ofthe flowers.likeunto theCaf.ia aromdtica or odor at a ; and Solomon in the 4. Chapter and 14.) 
verfeof the Canticles, maketh mention of this C ajffa tree, as I take it, for in the LatineTranflation ofSaint/r~ 
rome-, I find it i s fiftula, which the Tranflators make to be Qalamm in Englifh : And it is not improbable that the 
true CaJJia aromatic.1, or odorata, was called Fiftula, becaufe the peeces of the barke were rowlcd together, and 
hollow like a pipe, even as Cinamon (which is congener if not idem) is, which in fome countries is called Ca- 
nella ; and I finde that the people both in Italy and in Spains,dot call the Coffin aromatica by the name of C anella, 
yet to this day, either from the forme of Cinamon, which is like unto a pipe, or from C anna, a reede or Cane, 
as I thinke rather, and the diminitive thereof,is C anella a ftnall Cane reede. They are much deceived that thinke 
the barke of the pipes or fruite oftbis Caffia fiftula, is of any more force than a dry chippe, to procure womens 
courfes,&c. asfometn former times did,'for the error is grofie: The other is called by Lobel Caffia filiyua Brafi- 
lianapurgatrix comprtjfa^ho firft gave us the knowledge thereof in his Phamacopaa Rondclctiaa, 
The Virtues, 
The inner blacke fubftance or ptilpe, elenfed from the (hells, feeds, and skins that grow together with them, 
i is the onely tnedecinall part that is ufed, taken by it felfe inialls, orbits, of in potionsor drinkes, and is very 
effetftuallto purge thereines, kidneyes and bladder, for it tempereth thebeate ofthem, cleanfeth the humors 
! that lie therein, both by urine and the ftoole, and thereby giveth much eafe to thofe that are troubled with the 
(lone, if they ule it often: taken with Rubarbeand a few Annifeedand Licoris to correft the windineffe thereof, 
. it is an efpeci.tll good medecine in gonorrhea toclenfethe reines,- that other helpes may be the more available 
j afterwards, as alfo toclenfethe liver, the ftomach and mefentery veines, from choller and flegtne, cleareth the 
blond and quencheth the heart thereof, and is therefore profitable in all hot agues: in is very cffeftuall, agalnft all 
1 Rheumesand fharpe diftillations, and againftchollericke and melancholikedifeafes: it is often ufed in all the 
kindesof pefforall difeafes, as old coughcs. fhortneffe of breath, wheelings, and the like, if it betaken with 
Agaricke as fome advife: it is not fo convenient for thofe that have moift.wcake and flippery bowells, unlefle it 
be given with Mirobalans, Rttbarbe, Spicknard, or Mafticke : elfe it may be fafely given to all forts of people, 
! ages and conditions, and to prevent the danger of fitch lubricitie, divers doe ufe to give it,with Ilora picra ■ The 
! young cods taken while they are fmall and greene, boyled a little and then laid in the fhadovfi a while to dric. 
and after boyled in Suger or Hony, doth purge the body, as the pulpe or blacke fubftaneb, and is a delicate mede¬ 
cine fit for tender and weakeftomackes, that abhorre all manner of Phificke ; and her: of theufuall quantitie is 
three or foure ounces to be taken at a time for elder perfons. and one ounce for the younger : the ufe of CaJJia 
outwardly either in ointments or plaifters, is much commended of many for all hot pimples, and other ertipti- 
i 011s in the skinne, and alfo to eafe the paines of the gout and hot inflammations, and paines in the joynts. The 
