.. 7 o Cha p, 9 T beatrum Botanicum, T r i b e 17. 
tmiea well knowne ind uled.is now adaycs quire lolUnd forgotten, being rot brought into theie parts, turthc 
AfafriiJa hath aconcinuall rtfidence and recoui fe unto us, and is as Curd .« faith, the ttuc and onely Later 
or Laferpitiim ofthe ancients, aiuMb accepted generally by the Arabians in India, and fay they erre michtily 
that make them differing. It is generally ufed m our dayes forthe rihngohhe mother in women, as all (hone 
and evillfented things be, which depreife it, and is fingular good to beput mtohollowakingtecth, to eafeand 
takeaway the paines: One faith he tafted of it for a tryall in a cold time of the yeare, and after a little walking 
he found himfelfe poffeffcd with a gentle fwcate.both head,armes,and body,and fiiortly after found his (iomacke 
better difpolcd to his dinner then acother times before, and digefting it better. Garcias faith the Indians uleit 
to tak e away the loathing ofthe liotnacke to mcate, and to Strengthen the w eakeneffe of it alio, aiidismtichn- 
fed by them to provokcunto Vcnery, andcauieth one to expell winde mightily, which tiling was tryed by a 
Pcrtuaall as Garcias relateth it upon an Horfe, whom the King of 'Btfutgcr would have bought, but that he was 
Over fubjeft to breake winde, but after that the Portugal! had cuied him thereof the King bought him, and a: king 
how he cm ed him, he anfwered him with AJfafetida given in his provender, no mcrvaile laid the King,if he were 
cured with the gods meace, yea rather with the devils laid the Portugal/, but foftly, and in his owne language for 
fcare of being overheard. f 
Chan IX. 
Talftmunt Veruvxanum, The Weft Indian Balfamums. 
F the true Balfamum I have entreated in the laft foregoing Claffis or Tribe, but there have beene 
divers ocher forts of liqueurs called Balfamum iot their excellent vertucs,brought out of the Welt 
Indie?, every one cf which for a tine,after their fit ft.bringing were of great account with all men 
and bought at greac prices, but as greater (lore was brought, fodid the prices diminifh, and the 
ufe decay, when as it was the lame thing and of the fame vertue it formerly was, luch is 
che inconllant courle ofthe world in all things. One fort of Balfamum vvhich is of mod frequent 
sfewithus, is called blacke or brownc Ballamum, becaule the colour is 
blackifh,ard tending to browne being dropped forth, which as Monardiu 
faith is gathered from a tree, fome what bigger then a Pomegarnet tree, 
(whole fruite or long pod I here fhewyoti, as 1 received it, with a very 
browne almoft blacke colour, and (melt fo like this Balfamum or Beuzotn, 
that I am cerraincly perfwaded it was gathered from this tree ) not by in¬ 
cifion, as the juyees, liquours, and gummes of other trees (which yet this 
tree doth alfo in fmall quantity, yet being white, andlo precious with the 
Indians, that they will not part wirhany of it) but made after the manner 
that the Indians u(e to draw forth dhejuyces and liquours out of all their 0* 
ther trees, which is by cutting the branches, anothc bodies alfo fometimes 
of trees into Imall peeces, which after the boy ling in a great quantity of 
water, the oyle fwimnv'ng on the Pappe, after it is cold is feummed of by 
them and referved. This is of a thicke, yet running confidence, and of a 
fharpeand fomewhat bitter tafte, out of an excellent fine lent, comming 
neereft unto Benzoin, but will njt long endure, being rubbed on any thing 
that is kept in the ay re, but never lofcth it fent being kept clofe inaglafleor 
the like. This is ufed inwardly and outwardly for divers good ules, and 
although in iome itcaufech a kindc of loathing to the ftomackc, if it touch 
the tongue, in drinking fourccr five droppes in wme fading, yet it he! pc- 
eth the weakenefle ofthe ftomackc, theTifiickc, and fliortnellc of breath, 
thole that are puriie and the paines and difficulty in making water, it mo- 
veth alfo womens coiirfcs, and cauleth a good colour, and a fwcete breath, 
reftifieth the evil! difpdirion ofthe liver, openeth obftru&ions, and pre- 
ferveth youthfullneffe even in aged perfons that have much ufed it, and hcl- 
peth the barrtnnelfe in women 1 being outwardly ufed, it is fingular good 
to heale any frefh or greenc wound,and old ulcers,and lores alfo: it eafeth 
paines in the head or neckc, and fuelling in any part of the body, the places thereof being annoynted therewith, 
ora cloth wet therein and applyed: it helpcth digeftien, ftrengtheneth the ftormcke, diffolvcth winde, ealcth 
the ipleene, and the Sciatica,the ftrangury and ftone, and difeufleth all nodes and hardneffe of tumours, being ap¬ 
plyed warme to the places pained: it warmeth and comforteth the finewes, and keepeth them from fhrinkingj 
toPimm Another white and very cleere Bahamc of a very fweec lent iJM-onardiu faith, was brought likewife from 
album. the continent of America in fome good quantity, which was taken by incifion from very great trees full of bran¬ 
ches to the bo-.tome, whole outer barke is thicke like Corke, under which there is a thinner, from whence 
being flic the Balfamum droppeth forth, the fruite here of is very Imall even no bigger then aPeafe, and of a bit- 
rertallc, inclofed in the end of a longthinne white cod, wherewith the Indians doe fmoake their headsagainft 
the paines thereof, and rhcumaticke deft illations: This liquour or Balfamum is accounted of much more vertue 
then the former, one droppe being laid to be of more force and effea then a great deale ofthe other. There is 
Balfamum another fort of precious 'Balfamum faith Mmiardw brought from TV#, which is a Province betweene Cartba. 
deTolu. gena and N ombre de Dios, and is gathered by incifion from fmall low trees,like unto low Pines full of branches, 
but with the leaves of the Carob tree abiding grccne alwayes, the manured ycelding more liquour then the wild, 
and is of great account with the Indians and Spaniards, being taught by them • it is of a gold red colour,of amid, 
die confidence and very clammy or glutinous, of a fweete and plcafant tafte, not provoking vomit, as other 
forts of Balfamum will doe,and of an excellent fent like unto a Lemmon, whereof a droppe being let fall into the 
Frn£lus five theca is a l j.uni Occiden- 
tcln arborb. The fruite ofthe 
Welt Indie Bajfame tree. 
