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. 27. Of box Thorne, and the iuice thereof called Lycium.

¶ The Description.

1 BOx Thorne is a rare plant, in shape not vnlike the Box tree, whereof it hath beene recko ned for a wilde kinde, hauing many great branches set full of round and thicke leaues, ve∣ry like that of the common Box tree: amongst which grow forth most sharpe pricking thornes: the floures grow among the leaues, which yeeld forth small blacke berries of a bitter tast, as big as a pepper corne: the iuice whereof is somewhat oilie, and of a reddish colour; which bitter iuice being set on fire, doth burne with a maruellous cracking and sparkling; the ashes thereof are of a red colour: it hath many wooddie roots growing aslope.

[illustration]

1 Lycium, sive 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Box Thorne.

[illustration]

‡ 2 Lycium Hispanicum. Spanish Box Thorne.

2 The other kinde of Pyxacantha or Lycium, groweth like vnto the common Priuet, hauing such like leaues, but somewhat narrower: the tops of the slender sprigs are furnished with prickles: the root is tough, and of a wooddie substance.

¶ The Place.

They grow in Cappadocia and Lycia, and in many other countries: it prospereth in rough pla∣ces, it hath likewise been found in Languedoc, and Prouence in France: Bellonius writeth that hee found it in Palestina.

Matthiolus pictureth for Box Thorne, a plant with box leaues, with very many boughes, and cer∣taine thornes standing among them: but the notable Herbarist Anguillara and others, hold opinion, that it is not the right; with whom we also do agree.

There is drawne out of the leaues and branches of box Thorn, or as Pliny saith, out of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and roots being throughly boiled, a iuice, which is named Lycium.

Dioscorides saith, that the leaues and branches must be braied, and the infusion made many daies

in the decoction thereof, after which the feces or wooddie stuffe must be cast away, and that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 remaineth boiled againe till it become as thicke as honie: Pliny saith, that the roots and branches are very bitter, and for three daies together they must be boiled in a copper vessell, and the wood and sticks often taken out till the decoction be boiled to the thicknesse of honie.

¶ The Time.

They floure in Februarie and March, and their fruit is ripe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 September.

¶ The Names.

It is named in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which a man may call in Latine Buxea spina: and in English, Box Thorne: of some, Asses Box Tree, and prickley Boxe: it is also named Eycium, of the iuice which is boyled out of it: the iuice is properly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and retaineth in Latine the same name Lycium: it is termed in English Thorne box. But it seemeth to me, that the originall name Lycium is fitter, being a strange thing, and knowne to very few: the Apothecaries know it not, who in stead thereof do vse amisse the iuice of the fruit of Woodbinde, and that not without great errour, as we haue al∣ready written. ‡ It is vnknowne in our shops, neither is there any thing vsed for it, it being wholly out of vse, wherefore our Author might here well haue spared Dodonaeus his words. ‡

Dioscorides teacheth to make a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Sumach which is good for those things that Lycium is, and is vsed when Lycium is not to be had, and it is fit to be put in all medicines in stead thereof.

¶ The Temperature.

Lycium, or the iuice of Box Thorne, is as Galen teacheth, of a drying qualitie, and compounded of diuers kindes of substances, one of thinne parts digesting and hot; another earthie and cold, by which it enioyeth his binding facultie: it is hot in a meane, and therefore it is vsed for seuerall pur∣poses.

¶ The Vertues.

Lycium cleareth the sight, saith Dioscorides, it healeth the scuruie festred sores of the eye lids, the [ A] itch, and old fluxes, or distillations of humors; it is a remedie for the running of the eares; for vlcers in the gummes, and almonds of the throat, and against the chappes or gallings of the lips and fun∣dament. † 1.1

Notes

• † 1.1

  The figure which was in the 2. place, was of the Lycium Italicum of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and others; but the description and title better 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Hispanicum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which therefore I put thereto. The figure also of the Lycium Italicum of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our Author 〈◊〉〈◊〉 againe in the next chapter saue two.