¶ The Nature and Vertues.
These plants are not onely of a singular astringent facultie, and thereby helpe them that bee [ A] grieued with the Dysenterie and hot swelling; but of such singular efficacy to heale spreading and eating cankers, and corosiue vleers, that their vertue in a manner passeth all credit in these fretting sores, vpon sure proose done vnto sundry persons, and especially vpon a man whom Pena reporteth to haue his nose eaten most griouously with a canker or eating sore, who sent for the Physitions & Chirurgions that were famously knowne to be the best, and they with one consent concluded to cut the said nose off, to preserue the rest of his face: among these Surgeons and Physitions came a poore sorie Barbar, who had no more skill than he had learned by tradition, and yet vndertooke to cure the patient. This foresaid Barbar standing in the companie and hearing their determinati∣on, desired that he might make triall of an herbe which he had seene his master vse for the same purpose, which herbe Elatine, though he were ignorant of the name whereby it was called, yet hee knew where to fetch it. To be short, this herbe he stamped, and gaue the iuice of it vnto the patient to drinke, and outwardly applied the same plaisterwise, and in very short space perfectly cured the man, and staied the rest of his body from further corruption, which was ready to fall into a leprosie, Aduersar. pag. 197.
Elatine helpeth the inflammation of the eies, and defendeth humours flowing vnto them, beeing [ B] boiled, and as a pultus applied thereto.
The leaues sodden in the broth of a hen, or Veale, staieth the dysenterie. [ C]
The new writers affirme, that the female Fluellen openeth the obstructions or stoppings of the [ D] liuer and spleen, prouoketh vrine, driueth forth stones, and clenseth the kidneies and bladder, accor∣ding to Paulus.
The weight of a dram or of a French crowne, of the pouder of the herbe, with the like waight of [ E] treacle, is commended against pestilent Feuers.