Herball, or, General historie of plantes

Page 205

Of the Hittorie of Plants. - N Laid, a Itistaken of fome phyfically in apipe forthat purpofe once ina day at the moftandthat in the morning fafting againft painesin the head, ftomacke,andgriefe in the breft and lungstagaing eatarrhes and theumes, and fuch as haue gotten cold and hearfeneffe. {5 O Some haue reported that it little preuaileth againftan hor difeafe, and that it profiteth an hot complexion nothing at all: but experience hath not thewed it to bee iniurious ynto ei. Age the roots of round 4riftolochia or Birthwoort in moft fine pouder two ounces,fufficient ° giueit a body, the whichkeep for thy wounded poore neighbour,asalfo the old and filthy vicers of the legs and otherparts of fuch as haueneed ofhelpe. : T Thefigures were formerly tranfpofeds ther. P They that haue feene the proofe hereof haue credibly reported, that when the Mooresand Ine dians haue fainted either for want offood orreft,this hath beenea prefent remedie vnto them Cuar.69: Of Tree Night[bade. fuppliethe one,and to helpe them tothe other. : The priefts and Inchanters of the hot countries do take the fume thereof vntill they bedrunke, that after they hauelien for dead three or foure houres, they may tell the people what wonders, vifions,or illufions they haue feene,and fo giue them apropheticall direGtionor foretelling(ifwe may truft the Diuell) of the fucceffe of their bufineffe. AmomunPlinij. The iuice or diftilled water of the firft kind is very good againft catarrhes, the dizzineffe ofthe His rate and pleafant Plant,called tree Nightfhade,is taken of fome tobe a kinde of Ginnie pepper,bur not rightly; of others for a kinde of plieit vnto the temples,or take onc or two greene leaues,or a dryleafe moiftnedin wine,and dried cunningly vpon the embers andlaid thereto. Ircleereththe fight and taketh away thewebs and fpotsthereof, being annointed withthe T iuice bloud watme. Theoile or iuice droppedinto the eares is good againft deafeneffe,a cloth dipped in the fame and laid vponthe face,taketh awaythe lentils,rednefle,and {pots thereof: V_— Nightthade,whofe iudgement and '‘cenfure I glad- ly admit, for that it doth morefitly anfwer it both in the fornie and nature. It groweth vplike vnto a {mall fhrubbe or wooddy hedge buth,twoorthree cubits high,couered with a greenith barke fet with Many notable medicines are made hereofagainft the old and inueterate cough,againttafth many {mall twiggie branches,and garnithed with matical] or petorall griefes, which if I fhould fet downeat large, would require a peculiarVolume. X lt is alfo giuen to fuch as are accuftomed to fwoune , and are troubled with the Col. licke and windinefle, againft the Dropfie , the Wormes in children, the Piles and the Seiatiea. Y manylong leauesvery greene,likevnto thofe ofthe Peachtree. The floures are white, with a certaine yellowpricke or pointell in the middle, like vnto the floures of garden Nightfhade, After which fucceede {mall round berries vetie red of colour , andj of the fame fubftance with Winter Itis vfed in outward medicines either the herbe boiled with oile, waxe,rofin and turpentinegs béforeis fet downe in yellow Henbane,or the extra@ion thereofwith falt,oile,balfame,thediftil Cherries,wheteinare contained little flat yellow feeds. The root iscompac of manyfinall hairig yellowfirings. q The Place. Tedwaterand fuchlike, againft tumouts, apoftumes, old vicers,of hard curation,botches,feabbes, ftinging with nettles, carbuncles, poifoned atrowes, and wounds made with gunnes orany other Weapon. Z__ Itisexcellent goodin burnings andfcaldings with fire,water,oile, lightning,or fuch likepoi led with Hogges greace in forme of an Ointment, which I haue often prooued, and found moft true, adding a little of the itice of thorne apple leaues, fpreading it vpon a clothand foapply- It growethnotwilde in thefe cold regions, but we haue them inourgardens, rather for pleafure thanprofit, or any goodqualitieas yetknowne, ing it. A “Idoe make hereof an excellent balfameto cute deepewourids and pun@ures, madeby fome narrow fharpe pointed weapon. Which balfame doth bring vp the flefh fromthe bottome vent fpeedily,and alfoheale fimple cuts inthe fleth aceordingto thefirft intention, that is,toglen™ foder the lips of the wound together, not procuting matter or corruptionvnto it,as is commonly feetie in the healing ofwounds. Thereceitis this:Take oile ofrofes oile of § Johns wortofeithet one pinte,the leaues of Tabaco ftamped {mall ina ftone morter two pounds,boile them together to the confimption oftheiuice,ftraine it and putit to thefire againe,adding thereto of Venice Turpentine two ounces, of Olibanum and mafticke ofeither halfe an ounce,in moft fine and fubtillpoudet; the which you mayatall times make an vnguentor falue by putting thereto waxal rofin to giue vntoit a {tiffe body,which worketh exceeding well in maligne and virulent vcers9s inwounds and’ punctures. I fend this iewell vato you womenofallforts, efpeciallyto fuch’s cure and helpe the poore and impotent of your Countrey without reward. But vnto the begg™ ly rabble of witches, charmers, and fuchlike coufeners, that regard more to get money, than f0 helpefor charitic, Iwith thefe few medicines far ftomtheir vnderftanding,and from thofe a uers whom I with to be ignorant herein. But courteous gentlewomen [may not. for the malic? that I doe bearevnto fuch, hide any thing from you of fuch importance :and therefore take om J hore that followeth.wherewith I hane done very manyand good cures,although of {mall coft;pet B regard itnottheleffe for that caufe. Take the leaues of Tabaco two pound, hogges greale ae pound, ftampe the herbe fmall in a ftone morter, putting thereto a {mall cup full of red orclaret wine, ftir themwell together. couer the morterfrom filth and fe let it reft vntill morning 5 put ictothefire andlet it boile gently,continually ftirring ir vntil! che confumption ofthewitts | The Deliription. Tree Nightfhade. head,and rheumes that falldownethecies, againft the paine called the Megram, ifeither youap. S. 4 OF he Hiftory of Plants, G The Time. Itis kept in pots and tubswith earthand fuch like inhoufes during the extremity of Winter,be2 =~ caufeit cannot indure the coldneffe ofour coldg climate;and is fet abroad into the Garden in March orAprill : it foureth in May, andthefruit is tipe in September, @ The Names. _ Tree Nightthade is called in Latine Solanum Arborefcens : of fome, Strychnodendron : and fome ludge it to be AmomumOfPlinie: it is Pleudocapficum of Dodoneus. @ The Nature andVertues, : Wehaue notas yet anything fetdowne as touching the temperature or vertues of this Plane, Sutit is referred of fometo the kindes of Ginnicpepper,but without any reafonatall ; for Ginny pepper though it bring forth fruit very likein fhape vntothis plant, yet in taftemaft vnlike, for that Capficum or Ginnypepper is more tharpe in rafte than ourcommon pepper, and the other hath no tafte ofbiting atall,but is like vnto the Berries of Garden Nightfhade intafte, although they differ in colour : which hath moued fometocall this plant red Nightfhade, ofthe colour of th erties :and Tree Nightfhade, of the wooddyfubftance whichdoth continue and growfrom yeare to yeare : and Ginnie pepperdicthatthe firft approch of Winter. ftraine it,and fet itto the fire againe, putting thereto theitice of the herbe one pound,of V enie titpentine foure ounces;boile them together to the confumption ofthe iuice,thenadde the Cua.