Tk. ! b s 17, The 'Theater of E/ants. Cka f,%2, 15? 
pies one againft another, which are but fmall thicke, hard, and aimoft round, with divers veines in them,abiding 
ever grcenc on the branches: a: the j'oynts and ends of the branches come forth many flowers, handing in a tuft 
together, every one on a long footcftalke confifting of fixewhitifh yellow leaves, nor very great with Tome 
threds in the middle, which afeerwards turne into Hat yellowiih griftty fruite, of the falhion of the feed vefl'el! 
of a Thlafpi or Bur fa pafloris, that is, with two divilions, and in the one fide a hard griftly feed, as hard as 
an home aimoft, the other being for the mod part empty , hanging downe together by their long foote- 
ftalkes : it yeeldcch forth alfoa gumme or Roflin, of a darkc colour, which will eafily burnej it grow¬ 
th in fundry places of the Weft Indies, where they call it Guayacan, and wee in Latine thereafter Gua- 
jacum^y fome Lignum Santtum, and Lignum Indicum , and taken by fome to be a kinde of Ebony, for the firme* 
nefleand weightinefle, others a kind of Boxc. But asl have faid heretofore in fundry places ofthisWorke, 
moft of the Trees and Herbcs that grow in the Indies are differing from thofe that grow in Europe. 
Guajaco Occiduo fimiluarbor , A Weft Indian tree like Guajacum, 
1 he branch of this tree I have hrre exhibited unto you, as Lob el hath fet it forth before, not having had the 
like brought fince his dayes that I know,which fhewethamure fupine negligence in all our Sea men, then here* 
tofore wasuluall. which he hath deferibed in this manner. The tree is great from whence this was'taken,grow¬ 
ing upright, whofebatke was like unto that of thetr.ee : the greeneleafe, of the forme of a Pomcciiron 
leafe, but thicke and fmooth like unto the Bay, but larger and fhorter, with fundry veinesjrunning therethrough, 
at the toppes of whofe branches grow cod«, of a leather like fubftance, and round forme in a manner flat like a 
peece ofmony, in whofe middle is contained flattifh feed, like unto a Lenti’l, both for colour and forme, and 
bitterifli tafte. 
Palum SanPUm India Occidua. A differing Indian Guajacum. 
Lobel hath remembred this alfo in his ssddverfaria after this fafhion : Divers have thought this to be a Palme 
like the laft, or Pains Sa»ttus t a ftake of fuch a holy trte, which yet is differing from it or (juajacum t ho whoe¬ 
ver it wa9 fo fignified .* for the tree is not very great like unto an Alh, but fmaller, and the barke much like it in 
colour: the leaves were like Plaincaine leaves buc thicker, fat ter,fmaller and fhorter : the fruite was of the b:g- 
neffe of a Wallnutjwhich ferved them to purge their bodies, 
The difeafes for which the ufuall Guajacum L appointed, that is,both the wood, the barke and gum, are fun¬ 
dry, helping all cold flegmaticke and windy humours,and although they are good, and with effeft ufed fortl- 
pilepfies or the falling ficknefle, catarrhes,rheumes and cold defoliations on the lungs, or other parts, coughes 
alio and confumptions, the gout and all other j'oynt aches, and many other the like difeafes, and to maketho 
reeth white and firme, if they be often wafhed with the decoction thereof: yet was it firlt onely ufed for the 
Frtnchdilezlcy as we and the Spaniards call it, the Nexpolitanc as the French call it. the Spanijh pippe as the 6^- 
mans call it, but as it is indeed the Indian contagion:for when Cbriftopbortu C°^ on ^s commonly called Columbus , 
firft opened the Weft Indies to the Spaniards , they companying with the Indian women, got this their familiar 
andnaturall country difeafe from them, and brought it with them from Sarto Doningo, being the firft place the 
J^i.W/pofTeflcdchcre^nto the King of Spaines czmpe, which was then at Naples, treating of a peace with 
the French King, in Anno 149;, bringing of the Natives with them, both men and women: The Phyfitions in 
thofe times not knowing this difeafe or the caufes thereof were of divers opinions, fome taking ittopro.ecd 
from the corrupt vi&ailes that the fouldiers were forced to eate, which bred melancholickc and adult blood, and 
humours, others to the conj’unftion of Saturne and Mars, and thereupon (not knowing it to be a new difeafe) 
they called it by divers names, as the Leprofie,thc running lcabbe,thc poxe and the like, referring it to fome of 
the ancient knowne difeafes, but all in vaine : the cure hereof by this wood, firft was knowne from whence it 
firft fprungt for a Spaniard being plagued with this difeafe, having an Indian that played the Leech, to be his 
fervant, was cured thereof by drinking the deco&ion of the wood given him by the Indian, which cure was 
prefenrly divulged, not onely to the raft of the Spaniards in the Indies, buc in Spaine alfo, and fo coafequendy 
to the whole world. 
Chap. XXXII. 
Hcrmodattj fui. HcrmoJadtiles. 
B Ermoda&ilesaretobe numbredamongthe unknowneDrugges, the fhameof the Phyfitions in all 
ages and countries,wIio (although they put of the matter to the Apothecaries, and the A potheca- 
ries to the Merchants that bring many fackes full into their Countries with other commodities, buc 
they alfo take no further care to know what they are, or where or how they grow to declare it) 
fhould be skillfull in the knowledge of all Plants, and fhould give order that the unknownc might 
be made more manifeft; but what doe I in fo faying ? runne my Barke on the Rcckcs and put her 
in danger of fplitting. Divers of the later Writers,as well Greekes, as Arabians and I.atincs have made menti* 
onofehe Hermoda&ile, (although none of the Ancients) and have let downe the properties, well knowne by ex¬ 
perience unto them, buc no one hath ever declared cither the place or manner of the growing thereof] but onely 
Mcfues , who maketh a flicw of defeription, which is aimoft as good as nothing, laying it is a rooce of a mourn 
taineherbe, whereof fome are long like a finger, and are round, white both within and without, which every 
one may fee by the fight, but that any fhould be long like a finger,is but rather his fuppofidon from the name,then 
that he ever fa wfuch indeed, and therefore divers have imagined diverfly, fome taking them to be therooces 
of Colcbicumy buc they arc dangerous if not deadly, befides die unlikenefl'e in forme, colour and fubftance.- o- 
therstake the Dens Canbvu to be they, but they are more unlikely, for they arc fmall and long, not thicke and 
fliort.as the Hermoda&ilcs are; befides the quality no way agreeih, therewith Adatthiolus firft tooke the Orchis 
Seraplas 3 called Palma Cbrijli, the handed tefticle to be they, bccaufe the word--f/Waw'*©- fignifieth Hermetn 
or Uerm'i daftylas, Hermes fingers, and thefe rootes being like the fingers of ones hand,may weft be fo called,buc 
having 
