T R IB B 5. 
The Theater of 'P[antes. 
Ckap.q^, 
The Names. 
This herbeParis hath not beeneknowne, tocither antientGreeke or Latine Writers, that wee can finde ly 
their writings. It hath found therefore divers names, by divers of the moderne Authours, every one according 
ashis opinion and judgement led him : for although Matthiolm, Cafatpimu,Angmlhra, CsmerariuifDodontw, 
and Lugdunenfij following them, doc call it Her ha Paris, as it is now generally termed of all Herbarifts; yet 
in the former times, Fu/chm, tooke it to be Aconitum Pardalianches, and to be deadly or at Icaft dangerous, whom 
Mattbiolasc ontradifteth, and Cordm in his Hiflory ofplanrs.fecmcthto be of Fu/jchia opinion,calling it Aconi¬ 
tum five Pardahanche, monococcon, but becaufe it was found by good experience not to be hurtfull, but helpefull, 
Tabermontanw calleth it Aconitum falutifcrxm. Some called it Vvavcrfa.Traom not knowing any Latinename, 
thatothers called it by, giveth it the name of After, from his owne count!* people, -who called it itenkraut, 
but he addeth thereunco,/ed non Atticw, becaufe it might be knowne, lie did not account it the softer Aniens of 
\ T)iofcorides,mi others: he alfo calleth itVva lupins, afier the Germane word mlffibeer, whereby they in other 
places ufually call it ;asalfo«»£m- : the Italians call it HerbaTarti ; the Spaniards Centelha ■ the French Haifinde 
Reinard ■ the Dutch Wolfebrfien,anA Spirmecesppen. Gefnerin bonis Cjermnnie, and Lobe I ,nd P. rna in their Adver- 
fttria, call it Solatium tet'raphyllon, from the forme of the leaves and berries, or both and Bauhinm as leaning unto 
their judgement, calleth it Solatium quadrifolium Bacnferum. 1 lie fecond Bauhimt, calleth Solatium triphyttum 
Brafilianum ; and I Herba Tari, triphylles Brafiliana, becattle I doe not account the Herba Pari, to be any kinde 
of Solatium'. The lad Cornum calleth Solanum triphyllnm Canadenfe. 
The Vertues. 
Although fome formerly did account this lierbe to be dangerous, if not deadly, as by the name of Aconitum, it 
may be gathered, becaufe the forme thereof bred in them fuch afufpition, yet have not let downe any evill Sym- 
tomes that it wrought, and therefore Pena and Label fay, they made much trial! thereof upon dogs,& other crea¬ 
tures, to finde out whether it would workeany dangerous effe&sunto them, but did not fee any harme come to 
them that had eaten it,and therefore upon report of the contrary effecfl it would worke, they made triall likewife 
thereof upon two dogs,to whom was given of Arfenicke mdSubhmatnm.oi each halfe a dramme in meate,unto 
one of them,about an houre after their taking of it,when their furious & foming fits were over,that they become 
more quiet, as if they were ready to die,there was given one of them, two drammesot th,. pouder called Tuhi, 
Saxomcus, ( the receipt whereof hereafter followeth) in red wine, who prefcntly thereupon grew well, the 
other dying without helpe-.the receipt of the pouder is thus.Ref .Radicum Angelica fanvx <5- fylvefiri, Vincetoxici, 
Thu five pfalerianss majoris, Polypodij quercini, Althea &Vrtica ana unciamdimidtam. Cornet, Mefern Germanic,, 
drachmas duos,granorum herbs 'Pariah mtmero 14. f oliorum cjufdem cum toto names-0 3 (t.exradicibut p" centre in 
acetomacerati,,ficcatis tit cateri, pr mixtitfial omniumpulvis the leaves or berries alone are alfo effeftuall, to ex- 
pell poifons of all forts, but efpecially that of the Aconites, as alfo the plague and other infectious difeafes: it 
hath beene obferved faith Matthioltu, as well from my owne experience, as from Baptijla Sardus, the Author 
that enlarged the Pandeffs, that fome have beene holpen hereby, that havelyen long in a hngring (ickneflc, and 
othersthatby Witchcraft fas it was thought) were become halfe fooliih, as wanting their wits audiences, by 
the taking a dramme of the feedes, or the berries hereofin pouder, evtry day for twenty dayes together, wmre 
perfeftfy rcllored to their former good eftate, and health : the leaves dried and given in pouder, have the like 
operation,yet in a weaker manner ;it is thought alfo that the berries procure flcepc,being taken at night in drink: 
therootesin pouder eafe the paines of the collicke incontinently,being taken in wine : ti e leaves are very cftc- 
fhialfas well for greene wounds, as to clenfe and heale up old filthy ulcers and fores, and is very powerfull to 
difculfe all tumours and fwellings,and to allay all inflammations very fpeedily,as alio thofe tumours thathappen 
in the cods, privy parts, or in the groine: the juyee or diftilled water of the leaves, taketh away all heate and 
inflammation in the eyes: the fame leaves alfo or their juyee applied to fellons, or thofe nailes of the ‘lands or 
toes, that have empoflumes or fores gathered togetf&r at the rootes of them, htaleth them in a fh rt lpace. 
Chap. XXIII. 
'Biflortu. Biflort or Snakeweede. 
Here be diverfe forts of Biftorts, fome being of late, others of elder account. 
I I. TLflorta major vulvar !,'Common Biftortc or Snakeweeke. 
This common Biftort hath a thicke fhort knobbed roote, blackifh without, and fomewhEt red- 
1 , difh within, a little crooked or turned together, ofanharfli or aftungentta e, wi rs ac ifla 
fibres growing thereat, from whence fpring up every yeare divers leaves flan 11 g,P 
flalkes,being fomew'hat long and broad, very like unto a Docke leafe, and a little pointy a > ‘ 
is ofa blewifh greene colour on the upperfide,and ofan Afh colour gray, and a littt p p > ‘ 
ving divers vcincs therein ; from among which rife up diverfe ftnall and flender flalkes, t g . mo 
naked and without leaves, or with very few,and narrower, bearing a fpikie bulk of p 1 w , 
which being pall, there abideth fmall feede fomewhat like unto Sorrell (cede but greater. 
2. Biflort a maqis intorta radice. Biftort with more crooked rootes. _ 
This Biftort differeth not much from the former, being a little Ieffe, both in leafe and roote which are more 
Writhed and crooked than the former ; the Spikie flowers, fkc. arcequall alfo, almoll unto mem, and lo is the 
three fquare feede. 
2. •%; Ilona Alpha major*. Great Mounraine Biftort 
The great Biftort hath many very long and pointed leaves, of the fame colour with the firft, both above and 
underneath, fome ofa cubite or a foote and a halfe long,and but narrow m companion of the length, being about 
three inches broad, thefe flalkes rife almoll twife as high as the firft, almoll bare without leaves thereon, which 
are much (mailer, bearing a (pike of blufti flowers, foure inches long at the toppes: the roote is foure times ig- 
gerthan the common fort, blacke without, with many blacke fibres at them,but not fo red within as the ■ 
rather whitifh. ‘ 
39 1 
