T a i be 17. 
The theater of ^Plants. 
Chap, 44, 1601 
not fo bard nor denied about the edges, bucletonaihorrltalkenotoneagainff another, but unequally on t'nc 
branches, and abide alwayes greenc thereon, thefruite (for Bowers have not beene obferved) grovveth at the 
end of the young branches, and not as Matthioliu fetteth them forth, among the leaves, which are as bigge as 
Peaches, handing lingly for the mod part, but fometimes two together on a long thicke footeffalke, having an 
outer thicke husice furrowed in the middle, which divideth it lelfc into two parts, and growing ripe openeth it 
ieife, (hewing the Nut within, covered with the Macis, cut intofevcrallpeeces as it were, and fo (triftly cleaf 
vingto that blacke hard fliell whereon it lyeth, that it leaveththe print of the lying of it thereon, and is of an 
orient crimfon colour, while it is frefh and the huske newly (eparatedfo. it to lye open, but by little the ayre. 
chaugeth the colour to be more dead and yellowifh, as we lee it brought dry unco us, being taken of from that 
blacke, thinne.hard (liell, that enclofeth the Nutmeggc it felfe within it, which is fomewhat round and firmeor 
folid,divcifly dilcoloured in vcines within, fomewhat heavy alfo, 1 mcanc the bed, and not light or hollow, 
andyeeldingan oyliemoilture upon the pricking thereof with a pinne or needle, andofan excellent aromaticaU 
both lent and tade, yet not fo qaicke and hot as either Pepper,Ginger,or Cloves. 
The other whole Nutmegge is longer and accounted the male, a branch whereof Clufm exhibiteth a part from 
the other, and deferibeth it as he received the branch, which was ofafootc and anhaltcin length, and as thicke 
as a writing pen of a goolcquill, retaining (ome of theold wood of the ladyeare, whole barkc was of an afla- 
colour, but the new lprung branch ofabrownilh red colour, and very pichy in the middle, this branch had levcn 
or eight 1: aves on it, being much larger and with a thic ker footeftalke then the former, and were neere a footc 
long, but not much thicker then they, and three or fourc inches broad, fomewhat hoary underneath and greene 
and (Lining above, with divers veincs thwarting the middle ribbe: the fruite groweth in the fame manner as the 
former, at the ends of the branches, but more in number fet together, in all things like the former, but longer and 
greater, and nothing fo aromaticaU in fent and tade, yet itis laid thatthc Macis ofthis fort ismuch moreorient 
in colour then the lad. They have received fundry names, lor in 'Band* where they grow bed they call them 
Pa!la,ini the Macis Bunapalla ,but in Theca », lapatri, and the Macis faifol-.oi Avicenna Ian(i band, that is, JYmx 
Bmdonjis , and the Macis Befba[e. This was not knowneto the ancient Greeke writers, Theopbaflue otTiofco- 
rides- no nor to Cjalen or Vliny, for although lome have thought it might be Galen his Chryfobalanos, yet they 
arc farreawry therein, the later have called it Nux Aromatites, Nux Myriflica, and Mofihata , as if it were de¬ 
rived a Mnfca , for the fweetneffe thereof. They are ufed in ail the cold griefes of the head orbraine for pal., 
lies, the (drinking of linewes, and the difeaf'es of the mother, they arc hot and dry in the fecond degree, anl 
are fomewhat adringenr,ferving to day the laske, they caule a fwcet breath and amend adincking, tbcyhelpe 
to difeuffe winde,either in the domacke or bowels, it helperh to quicken the fight,and to comfort the fpirits, and 
provokeurine, and are comfortable to the domacke, and helpe thole that are feeble or macilent to grow fat as 
alfo helpeth Venery and encreafcth fperme, they helpe to procure red and (lcepe by allaying the didemper ofthc 
fpirits, beingapplycd to the temples. The Macis arcof the fame property, but fomewhat more warminpand 
comforting, the tnickeoyle that is drawne both from Macis and Nutmegges, are either of them ofgood ufein 
pcftorall griefes to warme a cold domacke,and the cough, and to dry uprheumatickc deftillations of raw and 
cold flegme thereunto or upon the lungs. The chimicall oyle of either is of more efficacy both for peflorall and 
cephaticall difeafes, but mud be cauteloufly and fparingly ufed. 
A’ux Vomicx. TJie Vomiccing nut. 
Chap. XLIV. 
NuxVomica. The Vomiting Nutor Nuxvomica. 
Ithough we have no true knowledge of the treeihatbeareth thefe Nuts (as they are called now »; 
dayes ordinarilyin our fhopsj more then what Serapio faith of it, that the tree of the Nux methel, 
i is like the tree of the Nuxvomica, whereby we thinke that our Methel , which is the Stramonium 
J m ' nM w ‘ th a f, f ? ca ’’ ed > ls che MethelSerapio ,but are much deceived.for his differeth much from it 
that we fo call in that Scrap,o faith of his Methel, that it bearethanoily fruite like Mandraooras, with 
an hairy skm or barke, and ofno unpleafant tade, and of his NuxVomicahe faith alfo (differing notably from 
ours; that as one Abraham had informed him, it was a fruite bigger 
then an Hafell Nut.full of nodes or bunches,and of a colour betweene 
white and blew, and fpeaking of the properties of them both, he 
faith that the Methel is cold in the fourth degree, fo that if two drams 
be taken inwardly it killeth, if a Idler quantity it cauieth a kinde of j 
ftupefying likedrunkennefle: and of the Fowfoa, he faith onely that 
two drammes thereof taken with a decoidion of dill, or with fait, 
doth marvclloufly provoke vomit, but giveth no deadly quality un¬ 
to it, as he doth to the Methel : whereby it is thought that bisMe. 
thells our Vomica, and that his affimilating it to Mandrake is rather 
to be underlfood of the quality then of the forme, whereunto it an- 
fwereth, but Avicen deferibeth the 1 \ux Methel to have (hort and 
thicke prickles upon ir, and a feed like unto Mandrake; and fitchin- 
deed is the Stramonium fo . that you may plainely fee that Se- 
m/wconfoundeth both thefe together, both for forme and proper¬ 
ty: and is likely that he never law either of them, and therefore i 
the Phyficians and Apothecaries were in former times as much mifla- f 
ken in appointing the one for the other: both pro & contra : but' 
now feeing that they are better knowne, and well diftinguifhtd in' 
funder, they are ufed each according to their property -• yet becaufe 
K fi 
Ire 1 ! ill 
