The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London

CHAP. 43. Of stinking Gladdon.

¶ The Description.

STinking Gladdon hath long narrow leaues like Iris, but smaller, of a darke greene colour, and being rubbed, of a stinking smell very lothsome. The stalkes are many in number, and round toward the top, out of which do grow floures like the Floure de-luce, of an ouer-worne blew colour, or rather purple, with some yellow and red streakes in the midst. After the floures be va∣ded there come great huskes or cods, wherein is contained a red berry or seed as bigge as a pease. The root is long, and threddy vnderneath.

¶ The place.

Gladdon groweth in many gardens: I haue seene it wilde in many places, as in woods and sha∣dowie places neere the sea.

¶ The time.

The stinking Gladdon floureth in August, the seed whereof is ripe in September.

¶ The Names.

Stinking Gladdon is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by Dioscorides; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by Theophrastus, according to Pena: in Latine Spatula 〈◊〉〈◊〉 among the Apothecaries: it is called also Xyris: in English, stin∣king Gladdon, and Spurgewort.

¶ The nature.

Gladdon is hot and dry in the third degree.

¶ The vertues.

Such is the facultie of the roots of all the Irides before named, that being pounding they pro∣uoke [ A] 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and purge the head: generally all the kinds haue a heating & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quality.

[illustration]

Xyris. Stinking Gladdon.

They are effectuall against the cough; they easily [ B] digest and consume the grosse humors which are hard∣ly concocted: they purge choler and tough flegme: they procure sleepe, and helpe the gripings within the belly.

It helpeth the Kings Euill, and Buboes in the [ C] groine, as Pliny saith. If it be drunke in Wine it pro∣uoketh the termes, and being put in Baths for women to sit ouer, it prouoketh the like effects most exquisit∣ly. The root put in manner of a pessarie hastneth the birth. They couer with flesh bones that be bare, being vsed in plaisters. The roots boyled soft, and vsed plai∣sterwise, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all old hard tumours, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the throat called Strumae, that is, the Kings Euill; and emplaistered with honey it draweth out broken bones.

The meale thereof healeth all the rifts of the funda∣ment, [ D] and the infirmities thereof called Condilomata; and openeth Hemorrhoides. The juice sniffed or drawne vp into the nose, prouoketh sneesing, and draw∣eth downe by the nose great store of filthy excrements, which would fall into other parts by secret and hidden waies, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the channels.

It profiteth being vsed in a pessarie, to prouoke the [ E] termes, and will cause abortion.

It preuaileth much against all euill affections of the [ F] brest and lungs, being taken in a little sweet wine, with some Spiknard; or in Whay with a little Masticke.

The Root of Xyris or Gladdon is of great force [ G] against wounds and fractures of the head; for it draw∣eth out all thornes, stubs, prickes, and arrow-heads, without griefe; which qualitie it effecteth (as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saith) by reason of his tenuitie of parts, and of his attracting, drying, and digesting facultie, which chiefely consisteth in the seed or fruit, which mightily prouoketh vrine.

The root giuen in Wine, called in physicke Passum, profiteth much against Convulsions, Rup∣tures, [ H] the paine of the huckle bones, the strangury, and the flux of the belly. Where note, That whereas it is said that the potion aboue named stayeth the flux of the belly, hauing a purging qualitie; it must be vnderstood that it worketh in that manner as Rhabarbarum and Asarum do, in that they concoct and take away the cause of the laske; otherwise no doubt it moueth vnto the stoole, as Rheubarb, Asarum, and the other Irides do. Hereof the Countrey people of Somerset∣shire haue good experience, who vse to drinke the decoction of this Root. Others do take the infusion thereof in ale or such like, wherewith they purge themselues, and that vnto very good purpose and effect.

The seed thereof mightily purgeth by vrine, as Galen saith, and the country people haue found [ I] it true.