Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Casia. chap. 27.

OF Casia is mention made in Exod. 80. And is a certeine kinde of spice∣ry, with good smell and molde, and grow∣eth

in Arabia, as Isidore saleth. And is a rod with a strong rinde and red Purple leaues, as the rind of Pepper, and is lyke to Canell in vertue, but not so mighty in effect and déed. Therof in medicines dou∣ble weight is taken in stéed of Canell, as Isidore sayth. The Glose super Exod. 30 meaneth: that Casia bréedeth in watrye places, and groweth strongly, and giueth good smell, Leb. 12. ca. 21. Plinius speaketh of Casia, and sayth, that the trée of Casia groweth fast by Cinamum in fields, and is three cubites long, and his braunch is greatet then the braunch of Canell, and hath thrée colours. For the first is white, and then redde, and then blacke, and that parte is best, and the white is lesse worth, for it is soone eaten with wormes and holed, and that for it is soft in sub∣taunce, and for lesse bitternesse and ver∣tue of the rinde. Casia is proued when it is new, by smelling, sauour, and cou∣lour. For the noble Casia is some deale swéete and biting, sharpe of sauour, and swéete and merrye of smell, and browns as Pepper of coulour, and heauye of weight. And that casia is best that brea∣keth not soone, but bendeth and foldeth. And another manner of kinde of Casses is lyke to Balsamus of Saba in smell, but it is bitter. And therefore the first, that is blacke, with some deale sweete and biting in sauour, and with good smell, is more praysed among Phisiti∣ons. Huc vseq Plinius. ibidem.

Platea and Dioscorides meane and speake of two manner Casia. The one is called casia sestula, and the other Ca∣sia lienea, that is the rinde of a lyttle trée, that groweth nigh the marches of Babylonia. And threof is diuerse man∣ner of kinde. One is like to Canell, and is some deale redde and round and sadds in substaunce, and foldeth not when it is broken or beaten, but with standeth, and hath a sharpe sauour, and some deale sweete. And vnneth Phisitions vse this manner kinde. The other manner kinds is same deale bitter with some deale di∣uerse colours, & Phisitions vse this man∣ner kinde.

And that is best that breaketh not seene, but bendeth and foldeth, and hath sharpe sauour meddeled with swéetnesse with good smell, and hath when it is bro∣ken somwhat white coulours distingui∣shed within, withred medled among, and is sometime teined with medling of the rinde of Capar, but is knowen for it is some deale bitter of sauour, & hath ver∣tue diuisitiue of his subtil substance. Also Casia hath a vertue to temper, to diuide & depart, and hath of his owne qualities vertue to consume and to wast. And hath by good smell vertue of comforte, and cureth the rumes and colde causes, and helpeth them that haue the falling euill, and comforteth the braine, and purgeth the reines and the bladder, and ripeth & healeth Postumes, and vnstoppeth the liuer and the splerie and the remes, and hideth and doth awaye the stinke of the mouth, if it be chewed, and exciteth men∣struall bloud, and comforteth and help∣eth against fowning and failing of the heart, if a stroppe bée made of the pouder thereof, and of roses, and of he boane of in Hart. Huc vsque Dioscorides & plat.

(* 1.1Casia, a sweete shrob or hearbe, bea∣ring a spice like Cynamon.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Additiō.