Tri b a 17. 
The 'Theater of Flams. 
C H A f-.1 6. 
1575 
Chap. X V I. 
Borax, Boracc.' 
Orax or Bor rax called by the Greekes CbryfocolU from the property of fodoring of gold • and Tincar, 
or Tincal by the Arabians, is faid by Garcias robe aMinerall matter, gotten out of a Mine of earth, 
in a mountaine,about an hundred miles off from Cambayette, but this is not the Cbryfccdla of the Aun- 
_ dents, DioJcorides,Galen ,and Pliny , which in their times was of a greene colour, found in Mines of 
tundry mcttals,made into pouthcrand wafhed often, and prepared for the purpole; but ours is made by many 
in our owne land as well as in others, by art as Ailome is, into fmall pure whice peeces. of no taflc or but wai- 
lowifh; and is cafiiy beaten into pouthcr; the fubflancc whereof it is made, being brought us out of the Eaft 
Indies, and no place elfe that I know, and is certaine white ftones, put into,or wrapped in fat or greafe, which 
is called unrefined Borace, and fo brought to us, untill it be refined, as we have ittoufe: the properties where¬ 
of befides the fode'ring of gold, filver.copper, &c. is of good efficacy mot onely inwardly taken to binds fluxes of 
the belly, aslaskesand the like, but th.- gonorrhea /><#?,or running of the reines, but outwardly tofoderupany 
cut or frefh wound in the flefh,and is often ufed alfo with other things as a fucm for the face,&c. 
Chap, XVII 
Cambtigio (jtiibufdam Cathartic»m attreum, The golden yellow Indian purger. 
His Cambugiozs it is of late importation, fo itislikewifeof fmall knowledge unto us, whereof it 
is made,forbut onely what we fee of it tobc a (olid peece of lubfiance, made up into wreathes or 
roules, yellow both within and without, and giving a yellow colour upon the moiften ingot i:, we 
know not as yet, neither can we learne truely, whether it be a gum or hardned jayce, which ic is 
the more likely to be of the two, becaufe it will fo eafily diffolve in water, although fomc luppole 
it to be the juyee of Ettphorbium, others of the purging Thorne : fomothinke it to be made of Scammony, or ri~ 
thymalf, others ofSpurge, and feme of the greater Celandine, other of the middle rinde of the Aidartree, an., 
laftly Batthinus, becaufe he would fay fomewhat, makeih a quid ft forte, what if it be not.the juyee of the flower... 
of Ricimu dryed, and I fay it is moft likely tobc the juyee of a peculiar herbe of chat Country, that giveth fuen 
a yellow juyee as Aloes. Ic hath gained a number of names, partly from the fundry nations language s,and pat t- 
Jy from the miftakings and ignorances of people: as Ghittajamaa, or Gtttta gemots , or < famagitta , or Gtttta ga- 
mandrctjQT Catta^gaum a ,or Cambici, or Crambici or Cambugio, and fome others alfo, which! vvilhngly omit, 
it is brought unto us out of the Eaft Indies, and fome fay fotnChina. The properties hereof are to purge boih 
by ftoole and by vomit, and is of much ufe with divers perfons of good judgement and quality, who give from 
three or foure graines unco ten or twelve.or to a fcruple or halfe a di amine, according to the age and ftrengch ct 
their bodyes, and worketh gently with fome, evacuating forth crude flegmaticke humours from the ftomacke, 
and wheyiffi from the bowels without any trouble • but contrarily with others ic worketh very churlifhly, and 
with much perturbation of theftomackc ; Some alfo ufe to make fmall pillesofic,and give ic in that forme, efpe- 
cially ifthe humours be ftifte,and not eafie to be avoyded, and for that caufe fome will addc a little Scammony 
unto it to helpc the flow working in fome bodyes, fome alfo to corretft for the tenderer bodies will give ic in the 
pulpc extracted from Currans in white Wine,as acorre&or of the qualifies,and fome in the infufion ofRofes. 
Chap. XVIII. 
Champbora. Camfire. 
Amfire,called Caphura from the Arabians Cafar, is fuch a fubtle thing, both in fubftance and na •. 
ture, that although it is the gum or liquour ofagreat vaft tree, ( like to a Wallnuc tree, whole wood 
is fomewhat folid and firme,snd of an afhco’.our like unco Beech,or fomewhat blacker, the leaves are 
whitifii like unto Willow leaves, but neither flower nor fruite have becne obferved, yet is likely to 
bcareboth ) parrly diftilling forth of.it o\vnc accord, but chiefly by incifion, which commeth forth cleareand 
white, andhathnofpotcheiein, but what it acquireth from their foule hands that touch ir, yet what we have 
and ufe, feemeth plainely to be fo made by arc.,being eaft as it were or fublimed into broad round pannes or difhes, 
and little above the thickenefleofonesthumbe,cleere,whitc,andtranfparent, but not to be made into powther 
oficfelfe, (although ic is fomewhat brittle,and will breake into many fmall pceces) without the helpc of a blan¬ 
ched AHmondjor fome other fuch like wuftuous thing,which hereby will reduce it into fine pouther: neither u ill 
it be eafily diffolved in cold water, but by warmth willberefolved like unto fat, being cafiiy feton fire, and will 
bur ne in the water,ferving for wild fire with the other things, and is of a veryftrong fierce font, b.oth fen^and 
fubftance vanifhingawayfif it be expofed fora while to the open aire; yet the wood being made into fcvcrall 
vvoikes, will fmell thereof a long time: Some take ic to be hot, becaufe it is of fuch tenuity of parts. Rbajir 
faith it is cold and moift, but Avicena faith ic is cold and dryland that it caufcth watchings and wakcfullneffe, and 
quieteththefenfesofthofethatarehot, which are contrary one to the other, as Garcias,\ tA Scaliger upon Garcias 
noteth it. Camfire doth coolc the heate of the liver and backc^and all hot inflammations and diftempers of heate 
in any place of the body, eafing the paines in the hcad,and redlining fluxcs.either of blood one of the head and 
noftrils, being applyed to the forehead with the j’uyce of Houfeleeke or with Plantaine water, and fome Nettle 
IeeJ,or the fluxe offperme in man or woman,ufing ic to the reines or privy parts, and extinguifheth Venery, or 
theluft ofehebody : It is a preferver from pucrefaftion,cMd therefore is put into divers compofitions and anti' 
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