fif rise 8, The Theater of TiantSi Chap. 2, 879 
arts of Europe knew, and tooke to be right, untill learned and judicious men fcanning it better, found it to be 
J inch differing, having large winged leaves lying upon the ground, more like nnto the wilde or tame Carrot, 
aan unto Ferula, whereunto the true is compared; theumbell of flowers is yellow, butfmaller, as is both 
jfede and roote than the Ferula iCMatthioltH fee this forth firMor Thapfia, but is difproved by all: itfmelleth 
■j omewhat flrong. 
5. Thapfia fatidififirha. 'Stinking Thapfia. 
In the country of Salamanca in Spaine, faith £7»/i<«, groweth a certaine Ferulous plant with leaves like Laba- 
luotriherbeFrancumfence fpread upon the ground, bedewed alwayes with a clammie moifture, of a deepe 
tj;reene colour and Ihining: the ftalke is faid to befmall and llraight, bearing an umbell of flower almoft as 
n :ound as a ball. 
V Wee have had the feedes of a Thapfia brought us out of Spaine by Boel, whofe rootes were fhort and tuberous, napfifid 
; out the late fpringing, and fmall time of the abiding of them in my garden, i by the early froftes comming there- tenfa r»- 
tc upon tooke them away fo quickly, that I can give you no further relation of them : but he called it Thapfiatnbero- dice. 
tf r * radice, which whether it were a fpecialf kinde, or but the youngnefle of the rootes I cannot tell, never having 
i idle like opportunity to get of the feede againe. 
The place and Time'. 
t Thefirfl, as Wiofcorides laith, groweth in one ofthe lies ofthe Sphorades, and in the countie about Ad 
n them, as T heophrajhts faith, and as Lobel faith about CMompeher, and the way to Frontignache ■ all the reft grow, 
^plentifully in Sundry parts of Spaine, and doe flower there, as he faith lomewhat late. 
The Names. 
I r It is called in Greeke •3ad‘“, and Thapfia alfo in Latine,from the Hand of that name,as Diofcorides faith; but’aj 
S' Label & Pena fay.it may as well be fo called from the fierie heate, where with,it (corcheth or burneth the bare parts 
I of the body, even a farre off, if they Hand in the winde or breath of it that gather it; and therefore Diofcorides 
d advifeth not to gather ir, but in a quiet day free from winde,and to be on the leefide thereof for feare of exulcera- 
1 ting the face and hands,&c.The firft is the true Thapfia of Lobel and Pom, and Lugdunenfis f 0 entituleth it;and the 
) fecond Thapfia of Chtfiui: the lecondis the firft Thapfia of Ctnfius which Label and others fetting forth for Sefeli 
1 Peloponenfe majw is taxed by Clufius for fo doing, laying, that their foeafie Aiding to errour, arileth from their 
i want of due confideration of all the parts thereof, and the fight of the true plant, and onely led by weake con je- 
t ftures upon the fight ofthe figure, and as he faith, iscalled Cumillo by thole of Murcia in Spaine : the third is 
, Clufitu his third Thapfia, which lome,as he faith,would call Cicutaria maxima Lately, for which he blameth them 
I likewifejthe fourth is Clufius his foui thallo.which as he faith the Spaniards call Tuero ; the laft is that Thapfia that 
Matihiolus Anguilara and Cafialpinm, becaule it is mod frequent in Italy tooke to be the right, but is fince knowne 
to differ much from it -.Label in his Obfervations,p<*.4j i.in the title over it, maketh fomedoubt whether this plane 
fhould be not the Sagapenifera Ferula, for all do account thefe Thapfias to be kinds of Ferula,Si fo the Italian nams 
v which is Ferulacoli doth import as much; but as I fhe wed you in the Chapter before, that I have gathered fome 
j gum from the Ferula in my garden,that hath bin in fhew as pure and good gumrne Sagapenum as any we have.in 
II our Ihoppes, and therefore I doe not thinke any gumme Sagapen was ever taken from this or any other Thapfia t 
I the Arabians call it Iamtnm and Dryx ; the Italians Thaffia, and thofe of Naples Siciba, and other parts Ferula¬ 
coli : the Spaniards, as C faith, call this Canaheja promifeuoufly with Ferula and LibanotU, making no di- 
ftinftion betweene them : the French call ic Tar bit blave, and grit by others : tile High and Loro Dutch little 
1 knowing them,have fcarfe given them any name,but as the Latine doth : GcrWcallcth them (linking and dead¬ 
ly Carrots, which how fitly it agreeth with any of them, but that of Matnhiolus, Ice others upon due confideration 
| judge: I have called the true Thapfia according to the nature, burning and fcorching Fennell, which if any can al¬ 
ter and give a better, I fhall be well content: the rootes of the firft Spanifh kinde are accounted for Turbith with 
diem, but they differ much from the right, and therefore are called Thapfia turbith. 
The Vertues. 
Thapfia,or the fcorching Fennell,as Diofcorides faith purgeth chollcr ftrongly both upwards Sc downwardsjtwo’ 
fcruples ofthe barke ofthe roote,as well as halfe a fcruple ofthe juyee therof drunke with mede or honied water, 
andifmore betaken it is dangerous; this manner of purging is fit for thofe that are aftmaticke, or fhort winded, 
or are troubled with paines in their fides and fpitting of blond, but faith Lobel this manner of purging thereby 
is quite left of, and that worthily in refpefl ofthe danger to the inward parts, for more harme oftentimes came 
thereby than helpe,by the grievous torments ic ufedtoftirreup : Galen briefely fetteth downe the properties 
thereof in rhefe words; Thapfia hath a (harpe and ftrong heating facultie joyned with fome moifture, and there¬ 
fore it violently draweth from farre, and digefteth what it draweth : bnt much time is require! to effeft this, for 
being full of much moifture, it is the fault thereof to be quickly corrupted. Outwardly applied it hath mod ufually 
better fucceeded, for as Pliny reporteth, Nero by annointinghis beaten face with the juyee hereof,and very equal! 
Francumfenceand Waxe mixed together at night, {hewed the next day his face to be flee and cleare, contrary to 
expedition, whereby it hath beene found to take away all blacke and blew fpots, bruifes, markes, and blemifhes 
intheskinne whatfoever, yea themorphew, leprye, fcabbes, fcurfes,whealcs,pu(hes, or the like, yet caution 
mull: be ufednot tofuffer it to lie too long on the place, that is not much longer than twohoiires, and then to be 
wafhed with fait or fea water warmed : it isufedlikewife being diffolved into anointment with good eft'edi to 
the fides or bread: for the griefes therein, or for the paines in the feece or joynts: it ferveth alfo to gather againe 
the prepuce in whom ic isnaturall to want it, by rayfing a tumour, and after mollified and fupplied with fat 
things, fupplicth the part of a prepuce : it ferveth likewife to caufe haire to grow apace Where the places 
wanted it,or were deprived thereof. The rootes of the fecond and third, but of the laft efpecially in former times 
were [gathered [by impoftorsin Italy mi Spaine, and dreffed like Turbiththit is pared and pithed, and fofold 
in (lead thereof, untill diligence add experience to know the right, and refule the falfe,had prevented the future 
deceit; and Uhlatthiolm declaiming againft Fuchfiue, who tooke thefe rootes to be the true Turbith Ihevveth it 
was fo ta-ken in Cjermany j but I have fhe wed you before in the Chapter of Alipum, the many errors of for¬ 
mer times in taking the Tithymatts Scamony for the true Turbith % the old women Leeches of Salamanca in 
Spaine, faith Clufius, ufe the rootes of the third or greateft Spanijh kinde of Thapfia to procure womens eourfes, 
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