Tribe 3. The Theater ofTlants. C ha p* 7, 34^ 
The Venues, 
The ordinary or common Nightfhade is wholly ufed to cooleall hor inflammations, either inwardly or 
outwardly, being no way dangerous to any that {hall ufe .it, as mod of the red are ; yet it mull be ufed moderate¬ 
ly, for being cold and binding in the fecond degree, the diftilled water oncly of the whole herbe is fitted and fa, 
fed to be taken inwardly: the juyce alio clarified and mingled with a little vinegar, is good to wafh the 
mouth aud throate that is inflamed : but outwardly the juyce of the herbe or berries, with oyle of Rofes, and a 
little vinegar and ceruffe, laboured together in a leaden Morter, is very good to anoint all hot inflammations. 
Saint Anthonies fire, and all other grieved places, that are moleded with heate, as the head ache and frenzies, 
anointing the temples and forehead therewith, as alfo the heate and inflammation in the eyes: it doth alfo much 
pood for the fliingles.ringwormes.and in all running,fretting & corroding ulcers,and in weeping or moifl FiAu- 
Ues,ifthe juice be made up with fome hens dung,and applied thereunto: a peflary dipped in the juyce,and put up 
into the matrixe ftayeth the immoderate fluxe of womens courfes; a cloth wet therein and applied to the tefticles 
or cods,upon any fwelling therein giveththuch eafe: as alfo to the goute, that commeth of hotandfharpe hu¬ 
mours ; the juyce dropped into the eares, eafeth thofe paines that arife of heat or inflammation ; Tlmy faith 
moreover, that it is good for hot fwellings under the throate:the fleepie Nightfhade of both forts,are of one and 
the fame qualitie, being cold in the third degree, anddriein the fecond, comming ncere unto the propertie of 
Opium to procure fleepe, but fomewhat weaker, if a dramme of the barke of the roote be taken in wine, but not 
to exceede that proportion for feare of danger : the feede drunke doth, powerfully expell urine, and is alfo good 
for the dropfie; but the often caking thereof in too great a quantite, procuretli frenzie ; the remedy whereof is, 
to take good (tore of warme honied water: the roote boyled in wine, and a little thereof held in the 
mouth, eafeth the paines of the tooth ache : Fliny faith it is good to fallen loofe teeth : the juyce of the roote 
mingled with hony, is good for the eyes that are weake of fight It is more eflcdluall in all hot fwellings and in¬ 
flammations than the former, in regard it is colder in qualitie, the juyce of the herbe or rootes, or the diftilled 
water ofthc whole plant being applied : the deadly Nightfhade is held more dangerous than any of the other, 
for it is thought to be cold in the fourth degree: the juyce of the leaves, and a little vinegar mixed together, pro- 
cureth reft and fleepe, (when upon great diftemperaturg, either in long ficknefle, or in the tedious hot fits of 
agues, reft and fleepe is much hindered ) if the temples and forehead be a little bathed therewith : as allotaketh 
away the violent paine of the head, proceeding of a hot caufe •, the leaves bruifed or their juyce may be applied 
to fuch hot inflammations, as Saint t/Anthonies fitc, the (jungles, and all other fiery or running cankers, to coole 
and flay the fpreading : the danger is very great, aud more in the ufe of this inwardly, than in any of the for¬ 
mer, and therefore there had needs of the more heed and care, that children and others doe not eatc of the ber¬ 
ries hereof, leafl you fee the lamentable effcdls it worketh upon the takers thereof as it hath done, both in our 
ownc land, upon fundry children killed by eating the broth wherein the leaves were boiled, or the berries, and 
beyond the fea in the fame manner: yet fome doe hold that two ounces of the diftilled water hereof is effedluall 
to be taken inwardly without any danger, againft the heart burning, and other inflammations of the bowells, and 
againft all other hot inflammations of the skinneor eyes, giving eafe to the paines. Ithathbeene often proved, 
that one fcruple of the dried roote hereof infufed in a little wine fixe or fevenhoures; and then drained hard 
through a cloth, that if this wine be put into a draught of other wine, whofoever fhall drinke that wine, fliall 
not be able to eatc any mcate for that meale, nor untill they drinke fome vinegar, which willprefertly difpell 
that qualitie, and caufe them fall to their viands, with as good aftomacke, as they had before : this is a good 
jeft, for a bold unwelcome gueft. The Virginia Nightfhade is a familiar purger with them in Virginia. New 
England, Sec. where they take a fpoonefull or two of the juyce of the roote which worketh ftrongly; but we 
having tried to give the dried roote in powder have not found that eft’eft. 
<2hA P. VII. 
1 . SoUnttmligrtofumfiveDtilcitmitrit. Wood Nightfhade or Bitter fweete, 
B lthough this plant hath no dangerous quality therein, nor yet is properly any Night fiiade, more thaw 
the outward conformitie in fome fort, yet becaufe many learned Authours have reckoned it as a fort 
I thereof, and called it by that name, let me alfo place it with them, and fhew it you in this place, 
I thus: it growethup with many (lender winding brittle wooddy ftalkes, five or fixe foote high, with¬ 
out any clafpers, but foulding it felfe about hedges, or any. other thi ig that ftandeth next unto it, 
covered with a whitifli rough barke, and having a pith in the middle, fhooting out many branches on all fides, 
which arc grecne while they are young; whereon grow many leaves without order, fomewhat like unto the 
leaves of Nightfhade, but that they are fomewhat broad, long, and pointed at the ends, with two (mall leaves, 
or rather pecces of leaves, at the bottome of moftof them, fomewhat like the Sage wich eares, and many of 
them like wife, but with one peece on the onefide, fometimes alfo thofe peeces are cl ife unto the leaves, ma¬ 
king them feemea-s it were jagged,orcutinon the edges into fo many parts,and fometimes feparate there from, 
making the leaves feeme winged or made of many leaves, and are of a pale greene colour -• at the roppes and 
fides ofche branches come forth many flowers, (landing in fafhion of a long umbell, uponfhorc foote ftalkes,' 
one above another, whichconfift of five narrow, and long violet purple coloured leaves, not fpreadlike a 
flarre, or very feldome, but turning themfelves backwards to the ftalkes againe whereon they [land, with a 
long gold-yellow pointell in the middle flicking forth, which afterwards turne into round and fomewhaclong 
berries greene at tnefirft, and very red, foft and full of j'uyce when they are ripe, of an unpleafant bitter tafte, 
although fweete at the firil; wherein are contained many flat white feedesthe roote fpreadeth it felfe into 
many firings under ground, and not growing into any great bodypthe barke alfo of the branches,being chewed, 
tafteth bitter at the fir A,but fweeter afterwards. 
- a. Dulcamara flare all”). Wood Nightfhade with white flowers. 
Of this kinds there is another that diffsrsjjh not from the former, more than in the flowers, whofe outer 
H h leaves 
