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

¶ The Vertues of Squills.

The root is to be couered with paste or clay, (as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 teacheth) and then put into an ouen [ A] to be baked, or else buried in hot embers till such time as it be throughly rosted: for not being so baked or rosted it is very hurtfull to the inner parts.

It is likewise baked in an earthen pot close couered and set in an ouen. That is to be taken [ B] especially which is in the midst, which being cut in pieces must be boyled, but the water is still to be changed, till such time as it is neither bitter nor sharpe: then must the pieces be hanged on a thread, and dried in the shadow, so that no one piece touch another. ‡ Thus vsed it loseth most of the strength; therefore it is better to vse it lightly dried, without any other preparation. ‡

These slices of the Squill are vsed to make oyle, wine, or vineger of Squill. Of this vineger of [ C] Squill is made an Oxymel. The vsew whereof is to cut thicke, tough, and clammy humors, as also to be vsed in vomits.

This Onion rosted or baked is mixed with potions and other medicines which prouoke vrine, [ D] and open the stoppings of the liuer and spleene, and is also put into treacles. It is giuen to those that haue the Dropsie, the yellow Iaundise, and to such as are tormented with the gripings of the belly, and is vsed in a licking medicine against an old rotten cough, and for shortnesse of breath.

One part of this Onion being mixed with eight parts of salt, and taken in the morning fasting [ E] to the quantitie of a spoonefull or two, looseth the belly.

The inner part of Squilla boyled with oyle and turpentine, is with great profit applied to the [ F] chaps or chil-blanes of the feet or heeles.

It driueth forth long and round wormes if it be giuen with honey and oyle. [ G]

‡ The Pancratium marinum, or Hemerocallis Valentina (saith Clusius) when as I liued with Ronde∣letius, at Montpellier, was called Scilla; and the Apothecaries thereof made the trochisces for the composition of Treacle: afterwards it began to be called Pancratium flore Lilij. Rondeletius also was wont to tell this following story concerning the poysonous and maligne qualitie thereof. There were two Fishermen, whereof the one lent vnto the other (whom he hated) his knife, poysoned with the iuyce of this Hemerocallis, for to cut his meate withall; he suspecting no treachery cut his victuals therewith, and so eat them, the other abstaining therefrom, and saying that he had no stomacke. Some few dayes after, he that did eate the victuals died; which shewed the strong and deadly qualitie of this plant: which therefore (as Clusius saith) cannot be the Scilla Epimenidia of Pliny, which was eatable, and without malignitie ‡