442 C h a p.i 3. Tbeatrum Botanicum. Tribe 4^] 
brought lorne of the lecde withthem, and lowed it there for their ufe, to rubbe and chafe their limbes, when 
through cxtreame cold they (hould be ftifte and benummed ; being told before they came from home, that the 
climate of Britlaine was fo extreame cold, that it was not to be endured without fome friflion or rubbing, t 0 
warme their bloods, and to ftirre up naturall heat, fince which time it is thought it hath continued there, hfinm 
yearely of its owne lowing, Itgroweth alfo in the [freeteof Bardney in Limtsliscjhire . The other three I'ortsi 
grow in wade grounds, by hedges and wall Tides, and many other untilled places, yet they will alfo be found in 
manygardens, where ifthey be differed or neglefted but a while, it lliall be hard tu rid them out agamc. 
The Time , 
They flower and feede in the end of Sommer, and the lelfer is fo plentifully that it will feede and (lied and: 
fpring, and (cede againe, that is,beare ripe feed twife in one yeare. 
" The Names. 
It is called inGreeke^’w^P" Acalyfhe, cjttia tattaafpera drmjucmdaeft, and vtUn, quod vellicet <$■ pstrtfret, a 
■verba r/iijn. cfttod vellicare & pungere fegnijicat, in Latine ZJrtica, ah Krendo cyrndpruritumpujhtlafcyne igrtifimi/es ex- ■ 
diet. The Arabians a\\k Humiuro ,Vraish latum tAngiara. Tragus faith Jnvrpwcalleth it Hamnre Vraith and 1 
thefeede oi it BevoriB angora JeuRagt. The Italians Orsica, the Spaniards Orsiga, the French Ortie, the Ccr- 
manes Newell, the Dutch men Netteles, 3 nd we in Englifh Nettle. The (iritis called Vrtica Italica of fome and : 
horsenfis, andisthefirrt kindeof Diofeoridcs, called of Clufiui Legit sma, of moll vsrvers Romana mi mas os maf- : 
cssla ; for the iecond is called/a»»i>M, and of mod authors Vrtica major, and vulgaris or mens. The third is called I 
by Tragus, Vrtica vulgaris mens altera, and of Lttgdunertjis Vrtica Olygophyll s a paucitate foliorum. The fourth i 
is called Vrtica minoroi all writers, but onely of Cafa/pin-as exigtsa, and of Dodonatu mens minima, and is the 
third of Tragus, CMatthiolm, Lugdunenfis, and Cafier Dmantes: it is the Cavtia of Tliny, which Comorin, thin- 
keth fhould be rather written Carina. 
ThcVertssrs, 
Although Nettles doe hurt and ding the skinne and llefli, while they are greqie, which is caufed by the haire 
or rough downe upon them, and might be thought to be caudicke or exulceratirg being other wife applyed, yet 
iris not fo, being found to be hot and dry in the fecond degree; the leaves boyled m wine and drunke, is faid to 
open the belly and make it foluble; the rootes or leaves boyled, or the juke of either ofthem, or both, made into 
an EleEhtary with Honey or Sugar, is a fafe or fure medicine to open the pipes and paffages of the Lungs,which 
is the canfe ofwheefings and Ihortneffe of breath, and hclpeth to expeflorate tough cold flegme flicking in 
them, or in the died ordomacke, asalfotorailethe impollumated Piurefie, and fpend it by fpitting : thefame 
alfo hclpeth the Almondsof the throate when they are fwtlied, to gargle the mouth and throate therewith, the 
j'uice alfo is effedluall to fettle the pallate of the mouth in its place, and to heale and temper the inflammations 
and forenefle ot the mouth and throate; the decoction of the leaves in wine and drunke, is lingular good to pro¬ 
voke womens courfes, and to fettle the fuftocation or firangling of the mother, and all other the difea- 
fes thereof, as alio applyed outwardly with a little Myrrhe: the fame alfo or the feed provoketh urine 
and expelleth gravel! and the done in the reines or bladder; often prooved to be effedluall in many that have ta¬ 
ken it; the fame decodfion alfo of the leaves or feede,or being beaten and drunke in that decoction, killetli the 
wormes in the bellies of Children, and is laid to cafe the panics m the Tides, androdiffolveor breaite the win- 
dineffe in the fpleene as alio in the bod v; but others doe thinke that it being fomewhat windy of it felfc, isnot 
fo powerfull or available tocxpell wind, but onely to provoke Venery ; the juice of the leaves taken two or 
three dayes together flayeth bleeding at the mouth, which rifethfrom the domacke: the feed being drunke is 
a remedy againlt the dinging of venemous creatures, the bitings ot madde dogs,the payfonfull qualities of Hem¬ 
locks, Henbane, Nighc'nade, Mandrake, or other fuch like herbes, that flupify and dull the ienfes, as alfo the 
Lethargy, but efpecially to ule it outwardly to rubbe the forehead and temples in the lethargy, and the places 
bitten or dunge with beads, ufed with a little (alt, Ntcander faith, it helpeth them that have taken Quickfilver 
and thofc that have eaten evill Mudiromes,or furfet of the good ; thedidilled w ater of the herbe is very effedlu- 
all,(although not (opowerfull.)as well for all the dileafes aforefaid, as for outwaid wounds, and foies, to waih 
them, and toclenfe the skinne from Morphew, Lepry, and ether dilcolourings thereof; the feede (and fome al¬ 
fo ufe the leaves) being bruifed, and put into the nodi lls, doth danch the bleeding of them, and takech away the 
fleili growing in them, called T-olypw : the juice of the leaves or the decoction ofthem or of the rootes, is lingu¬ 
lar good to walk either old rotten anddinking fores, or fiftulaies and Gangrenes alfo, and fuch asare fretting ea¬ 
ting or corroding fcabbes, alfo mangineffe and itches in any part of the body, as alfo greene wounds, by walhing 
them therewith, or putting the j'uice into the fores or wounds, or applying the greene herbe bruifed thereunto, 
yea alchough the fiefh were feparated from the bones ; the fame alio applyed to overwearied members relrefh- 
eththem, or to places out of j'oynt, after the j'oynt isfetin its right plate it rtrengtheneth, dryeth, andcomfor- 
teth them, as alfo to thofe places troubled with aches and goutes, and the dt fluid ion of humours upon the joynts 
or flnewes, it eafeth the paines , and dryeth ordiicufl’eth the defluftions .■ an ointment made with the j'uice, oyle 
and a little waxe,is lingular good to rubbe cold and benummed members, to bring them to their proper activity 
againe; a handfull of the greene leaves of Nettles, and another of Wall-wort or Dane-.wort,bruifed and apply¬ 
ed (imply of themfelves to the Gout, Sciatica, or j'oynt aches, in any part, hath heene found to be an admirable 
hclpe thereunto: it is faid that if greene Nettles be put into the urine ot a fitke body, if it be frefli and greene, af¬ 
ter it hathlyen foureand twenty houres therein, the party fhall recover of that fickneffe, but if it doe not abide 
greene, it (ignifieth death or great danger; ifyougive hennes fome dry Nettiesbroken fmall, with their meate 
in winter, it will make them lay egges all the winter more plentifully; it is faid alfo, that if the herbe berubbed 
on the privities of female bealfs, that will not fuffer the males to cover them.it will caufe them the more willing¬ 
ly to fuller them to doe it: the oyle ofrofes or falletoyle boyled with the j'uice, or the j'uice of the leaves them¬ 
felves. isaprefentremedy to takeaway theftinging of the Nettles: toallthe purpofes aforeiaid, the Romane 
N ettle is held the molt effeffuall, yet where it cannot be had, the other are in a degree next it, as effedluall, yet 
the lead is thoughc of fome to be leffe powerfull,and of others to be as avatlcable as any of the other two. 
Cha ?. 1 
