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 Description.

THis root which is brought from the remotest parts of the world, and is in frequent vse with vs, hath not been knowne in Europe little aboue fourescore and ten yeares: for Garcias ab Orta the Portugall Physition writes, That he came to the first knowledge thereof in the East Indies, in the yeare 1535, and that by this meanes, as he relates it: It hapned (saith he) that about that time a merchant in the Isle Diu told the noble gentleman S^r. Mart. Alfonso de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my Patron, by what meanes he was cured of the French Poxes, which was by a certaine root brought from China; whose faculties he much extolled, because such as vsed it needed not obserue so strict a diet as was requisit in the vse of Guajacum, but should onely abstaine from Beefe, Porke, Fish, and crude fruits; but in China they do not abstaine from fish, for they are there great gluttons. When the report of this root was divulged abroad, euery man wonderfully desired to see and vse it, be∣cause they did not well like of the strict dyet they were forced to obserue in the vse of Guajacum. Besides, the inhabitants of these countries, by reason of their idle life are much giuen to gluttony. About this time the China ships arriue at Malaca, bringing a small quantitie of this root for their owne vse. But this little was sought for with such earnestnesse, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gaue an excessiue rate for it; but afterwards the Chinois bringing a greater quantitie, the price fell, and it was sold verie cheape. From this time Guajacum began to be out of vse, and banished the Indies, as a Spaniard that would famish the Natiues. Thus much Garcias concerning the first vse thereof in the East Indies.

1 The China now in vse is a root of the largenesse of that of the ordinarie Flag, or Iris palustris, and not much in shape vnlike thereto, but that it wants the rings or circles that are imprinted in the other: the outer coat or skin of this root is thin, sometimes smooth, otherwhile rugged, of a brownish red colour, and not to be separated from the substance of the root, which is of an indiffe∣rent firmenesse, being not so hard as wood, but more sollid than most roots which are not of shrubs or trees: the colour is sometimes white, with some very small mixture of rednesse; otherwhiles it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a greater mixture of red, and some are more red than white: it is almost without tast, yet that it hath is dry, without any bitternesse or acrimonie at all. The best is that which is indifferently ponderous, new, firme, not worme-eaten, nor rotten, and which hath a good and fresh colour, and that either white, or much inclining thereto. The plant whose root this is (if we may beleeue Chri∣stopher A Costa) hath many small prickly and flexible branches, not vnlike the Smilax aspera, or the prickly Binde-weed: the biggest of these exceedeth not the thickenesse of ones little finger. The leaues are of the bignesse of those of the broad leaued Plantaine: the roots are as large as ones hand, sometimes lesse, sollid, heauy, white, and also sometimes red, and many oft times growing together.

[illustration]

1 China vulgaris Officinarum. True China.

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2 Pseudo-China. Bastard China.

It groweth aboundantly in the territorie of China, and is also found in Malabar, Cochin, Cranganor, Coulan, Tanor, and other places.

The Chinois call it Lampatan: in Decan they call it Lampatos: in Canarin, Bouti: the Arabi∣ans, Persians, and Turks terme it Choph-China.

2 This other root, whose figure you see here exprest, was sent from London to Clusius in the yeare 1591, by Iames Garret, being brought out of Wingandecaow, or Virginia, with this inscrip∣tion, Chinae species, A kinde of China. Clusius caused this figure thereof to be drawne, and thus describeth it. This root (saith hee) was very knotty, and formed with out-growings, or bunches standing out, of a reddish colour, and it yet retained at the top some part of the stalke, being som∣what like vnto that of Smilax aspera, or common rough Binde-weed, hard, wooddy, and full of veines, as the stalks of Smilax aspera: the substance of the root was also reddish, as the root of the common Flagge, at the first of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 taste, it being old, (for so it was when I receiued it)

and then drying. Now I iudge this the same that the writer of the Virginian Historie mentions in his chapter of roots, and saith, it was broughtinto England for China, though the Natiues knew no vse thereof: but they vse another root very like China, which they call Tsinaw, of which beeing cut, beaten, and pressed out with water, they draw a iuice wherewith they make their bread. Thus much Clusius, to whose words I thinke it not amisse to adde that which M^r. Thomas Hariot (who was the writer of the Virginian historie, here mentioned by Clusius) hath set downe concerning this thing.

Tsinaw (saith he) is a kinde of root much like vnto that which in England is called the China root, brought from the East Indies. And we know not any thing to the contrarie but that it may be of the same kinde. These roots grow many together in great clusters, and doe bring forth a Brier stalk, but the leafe in shape is far vnlike: which being supported by the trees it groweth neeerest vn∣to, wil reach or clime to the top of the highest. From these roots whilest they be new or fresh, being chopt into small pieces and stampt, is strained with water a iuice that maketh bread, and also bee∣ing boiled, a very good spoonemeat in manner of a gelly, and is much better in taste, if it be tempe∣red with oyle. This Tsinaw is not of that sort which by some was caused to be brought into England for the China root; for it was discouered since, and is in vse as is aforesaid; but that which was brought hither is not yet knowne, neither by vs, nor by the inhabitants, to serue for any vse or pur∣pose, although the roots in shape are very like. Thus much Hariot.