¶ The Vertues.
The best of all the tree is the root, and that [ A] worketh the best effect, the which hath the rinde cleauing very fast to the inner part, and is of colour tawnie, and much more sweet of smell than all the tree and his branches.
The rinde tasteth of a more sweet smell [ B] than the tree; and the water being sod with the root is of greater and better effects than any other part of the tree, and is of a more sweet smell, and therefore the Spaniards vse it, for that it worketh better and greater ef∣fects.
It is a tree that groweth neere vnto the sea, [ C] and in temperate places that haue not much drouth, nor moisture. There be mountaines growing full of them, and they cast forth a most sweet smell, so that at the beginning when they saw them first, they thought they had been trees of Cinnamon, & in part they were not deceiued: for that the rinde of this tree hath as sweet a smell as Cinamon hath, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 imitate it in colour and sharpnesse of taste, and pleasantnesse of smell: and so the water that is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of it is of a most sweet smell and taste, as the Cinamon is, and procureth the same 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as Cinamon doth.
The wood hereof cut in smal pieces and boiled in water, to the colour of Claret wine, and drunk [ D] for certaine daies together helpeth the dropsie, remoueth oppilation or stopping of the liuer, cu∣reth quotidian and tertian agues, and long feuers.
The root of Sassafras hath power to comfort the liuer, and to free from oppilations, to comfort [ E] the weake and feeble stomacke, to cause good appetite, to consume windinesse, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cause of cruditie and indigestion, stay vomiting, and make sweet a stinking breath.
It prouoketh vrine, remoueth the impediments that doe cause barrennesse, and maketh women [ F] apt to conceiue.