an excellent medicine, gentle, and without danger, wherein many singularities requi∣site in a laxatiue simple are comprised. And Rheubarb is best while it is greene, of a blac∣kish colour, some what enclining to a redde, and heauy, although it be of a rare body, and which being broken, is mixed with radde and skie colour within: and beeing chewed waxeth as yealow as Saffron. Besides it purgeth choler and fleme: it clenseth and fortifieth the stomacke and liuer, and healeth the paines and prickings of them. It clarifieth the bloud, openeth and healeth all maladies that proceede of stoppings, as the iaundise, the dropsie, smelling of the spleene, and long feauers. It is good against spitting of bloud, and stancheth it, out of what part soeuer it run. And it may be taken at all times without danger, and in all ages, yea it may be ministered to little children, and to great bellied wo∣men: although the vulgar people thinke otherwise, supposing that Rheubarb is a very vi∣olent medicine, and that Phisitions vse it but in halfe despaired maladies: which is not so.
Licorice is very worthie to bee numbred amongst the most excellent Phisicke plants. And thereof are two kinds, one bearing fruite, and the other not: that which beareth fruite groweth abundantly in Germanie, and in the territorie of Bamberg and other places. And it is a very branchie plant, of two cubits high, beeing thicke of leaues, and fatte in man∣ner of gumme: the flowers thereof are like an Hyacinth: the fruite thereof great like plan∣tine berries, and more rough and hairie, enclosed within little cods, like those of lentiles, hairie also and full of small prickles, of yellow colour enclining to a blacke. The other kind of Licorice is very well knowne, and groweth of it selfe in many places. In vertue it is ab∣stersiue, clensing, and al••ieth the bitternesse of humours: and therefore it is very good for heate of the vrine. Beeing chewed, especially whilest it it fresh, it stancheth hunger and thirst, and retayneth that vertue for many dayes. And the iuice thereof beeing made thicke and held in the mouth, till it melt of it selfe, hath the same effect. It is good for the breast and lungs; and is therefore ministred to those who haue short breath, or are in a con∣sumption or plurisie. The iuice asswageth the prickings, not onely of the arterie of the lungs but of the bladder also: and doth excellently staunch thirst, as beeing tempered with moi∣sture, and colder then our nature. And it is to be noted, that the roote wherein lye all these properties is much better being fresh taken out of the ground, then when it is drie, and is more pleasant in taste being employed in medicines.
The Aloe is a plant, which is feenegreene in many townes in Italy, in windows, and gal∣leries: it is kept in pots full of earth, more for pleasure to content the eie, then for vse in me∣dicine. But the licour and iuice that is pressed out of it and brought to vs, is extracted out of the Aloe that groweth in the lower Syria, and Arabia, and in the Indies, where the best is. This plant hath thick and fat leaues, with certaine little prickles here and there on all sides. The roote thereof is fat and oilie, bearing a white flower, out of which groweth a little graine, like that of Smallage. In the thicke iuice thereof prepared for medicine there is found grauel and earth, which is nothing but the setlings of pure Aloes, but the good is pure and cleane, not sophisticate, without grauel, or little stones, reddish, brittle, of a good smel, close like a liuer, & very much enclining to the colour therof, easily melting, and very bitter, that which is black, and hard to breake is worth nothing. The Aloe is profitable for many things because of the drines thereof without any sharpnes. It purgeth choler and fleame, the head, and stomacke, and is very good for paines in those parts, it quickeneth all the sences, openeth the liuer, and healeth the Iaundise. It killeth wormes in the belly, being incorpo∣rated with oxe gall, and vineger, and laid vpon the nauell. Some apply the powder thereof to wounds to seach them; it healeth vlcers, and stayeth them. It appeaseth the paine of the head, being applied to the temples, and forehead with vineger, and oyle of roses. In briefe the propertie thereof is to restraine, to drie, to prouoke sleepe, to binde the bodie, and yet to loosen the belly.
Sene hath leaues like Licorice, thicke, fat, and in taste like Beanes: the stalke thereof is a cubit high, out of which issue many branches as pliable as a leatherne thong. The flow∣ers thereof are yealow, straked with small purple strakes; after which there grow certaine cods crooked like a sickle, wherin is inclosed a blacke seed, enclining to greene, very like to kernels in grapes. It is sowed in diuers places in Florence, and prospereth very well, espe∣cially in the territorie of the citie of Florence; but the best is brought from Alexandria in Egypt, and out of Syria. It purgeth without any annoyance, choler, fleame, and melan∣choly. It mundifieth the heart, the liuer, the brain, the spleene, the lungs, and all parts of the body, and is profitable for all the accidents of them. It openeth the inner parts, and main∣taineth