¶Of Wormwood. chap. 12.
ABseynthium, Wormwood, is a full sharpe hearbe, hot and drye, full sow∣rish and bitter, as Dioscorides saith, ther of is two manner kindes, that one is gréene in colour, and sower and bit∣ter in sauour, that other is some deale hoarishe, and lesse bitter, and lesse vertuous, and is gathered in the end of springing time, and dried in shadow, and kept all a yeare in great might & ver∣tue, and hath contrary vertues, as Plate. saith, for it laxeth and bindeth: it bind∣eth by thicke substaunce and sowrnes, & laxeth by heate and bitternes, & so when it is taken into the body, if it find thick matter and hard, by sowrenes and thick∣nesse of his substance, maketh it the more thicke and hard, & so it is cause of more binding: and if the matter be able and digested, it tempreth and softneth it with heate, and beareth it downe with sowre∣nesse, and putteth it out of the body: and sirop made of wormwood helpeth the ly∣uer, and comforteth the stomacke, & exci∣teth appetite, and withstandeth dronken∣nesse, and healeth the iaundes, & amend∣eth and chaungeth the colour. The iuice thereof with pouder sod, vnstoppeth the splene, and solueth and abateth ache of the stomacke, and wombe ache, that com∣meth of ventositie: and iuyce thereof dropped into ye eares, drieth vp moysture that runneth from the eares. Worme∣wood stamped with a Bulls lyuer, and put into the eares, distroyeth tincklyng, and ringing that is therein, and comfor∣teth and amendeth the hearing. Iuyce thereof swageth head ache that commeth of fumositie of ye stomacke. Wormwood with pouder of Commin and hony doth away moles and speckles, and ache that commeth of smiting, if it be layd thereto in a playster wise. Iuice thereof slayeth long wormes of the wombe, & wormes of the eares, if it be dropped therein.
Iuice thereof dronke, cleereth the sight, & doth away rednesse and webs of eyen, if it be ofte put therein. And Wormwood keepeth and saueth bookes and cloathes from fretting of mice and of wormes, if it be layd therewith in chestes or Cof∣fers, as Macrobius saith, and helpeth a∣gainst biting of Wesells & of Dragons, and healeth it if it be dronke, and the li∣cour that it is sodde in, swageth ven∣tositie and swelling of the wombe, if it be dronke, as Diosc. saith. And hath ouer these vertues, some conditions & proper∣ties that bée not full good: for it infect∣eth the tast with sowrenesse and bit∣ternesse, & grieueth the smel with strong odour, & maketh milke and wine bitter, and al other swéet thing, that it is med∣led with.