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The Seconde Part of this Booke is of the things that are brought from our Occidentall INDIAS, which serue for the vse of Medicine, wherein is treated of the Tabaco, and of the Sassa∣fras, and of the Carlo Sancto, and of many other hearbes and plantes, seedes and licoures, that newly are brought from those partes, of great vertues and meruellous ef∣fectes.
Written by Doctor Monardus, Phisition of Seuill.
THese daies past I wrote a booke of all thinges which come frō your Occidentall Indias, seruing for the vse of medicine, and surely it hath been taken in that estimati∣on, that the things which in it are intreated of doe de∣serue. And seeing the profite that it hath done, and howe many haue been remedied and healed with those reme∣dies, I did determine to proceede forwardes, & to write of the thinges, which after that the first part was written, haue come from those countries, of the which I haue vn∣derstood, that no lesse vtilitie and profite shal come, then of those which are past, for there shalbe discouered newe thinges & secrets, which will bring admiration, neuer to this day seene nor knowne before. And seeing that these medicinall things which we do treate of, & the Realmes and Countries from whence they come, belong vnto your maiestie, and he also that writeth of them, is your Maiesties subiect: I doe desire your Maiestie, to receiue this trauell into your protection, and that the reward may be such, as for the like workes dedicated to your Maiestie is accusto∣med to be geuen.
Your Maiesties Subiect Doctor Monardes▪
THIS Hearbe which com∣monly is called Tabaco, is an Hearbe of muche anti∣quitie, and knowen amongst the Indians, and in especi∣ally among them of the new Spayne, and after that those Countries were got∣ten by our Spaniardes, be∣yng taught of the Indians, they did profite themselues with those things, in the wounds which they receiued in their Warres, healing themselues therewith to their great benefite.
Within these few yeeres there hath beene brought into Spayne of it, more to adornate Gardens with the faire∣nesse thereof, and too geue a pleasaunt sight, than that it was thought to haue the meruellous medicinable vertues, which it hath, but nowe wee doe vse it more for his vertues, than for his fairenesse. For surely they are such which doe bring admiration.
It is growing in many partes of the Indias, but ordi∣narily in moyst and shadowie places, and it is needefull that the grounde wh••re it is sowen, bee well tilled, and that it be a fruitefull grounde, and at all times it is sowen, in the hot Countries. But in the colde Countries it must bee sowen in the Moneth of Marche, for that it may defende it selfe from the frost.
The proper name of it amongest the Indians is Picielt, for the name of Tabaco is geuen to it by our Spaniardes, by reason of an Island that is named Tabaco.
It is an hearbe that doth growe and come too bee verie greate: many times to bee greater then a Lemmon tree. It casteth foorth one steame from the roote which groweth vpright, without declining to any parte, it sendeth foorth many Bowes, straight, that wel neere they bee equall with 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
and at the tyme as the hearbe is in the Morter a stamping, let there be put to it a fewe droppes of Uineger, that his worke may be made the better, and after the place is rubbed where the paine is, then lay vpon it one leafe or twoo leaues of the Tabaco being hotte, and so let it alone til the next day, and then doe the like againe, or in place of the leaues vse a Linen cloth wette in the hotte Ioyce. Some there bee, that after they haue rubbed it with the stāped leaues, do annoynt it with oyntments, made for the like euils, and vpon it they lay the leaues or the ioyce of the Tabaco. And surely with this cure they haue dissolued great and harde opilations, and very old swellings. In the griefe of the stone, of the Kidneis and Reines, this hearbe worketh great effectes, by putting the leaues into Ashes, or Embres, hotte, that they may warme wel, and then being layde vpon the griefe, multiply∣ing the vse of it as often as it is needefull. It is necessary in the seethinges that are vsed to bee made for Glisters to put into them with the other things, the Leaues of this hearbe, for that they shal profit much: and likewise for Fomentati∣ons and Plaisters, that they shall make.
In griefes of windes they worke the like effect, taking away the paines that come of the windinesse, applying the leaues after the same sorte as is aboue saide.
In the griefe of women, which is called the euill of the Mother, laying too one leafe of this hearbe Tabaco very hotte, in the manner as it is sayde, it doth manifestly profite and it must bee layde vppon the Nauell. And vnder it some doe vse to put first of al, thinges of good smell vpon the Na∣uel, and then vpon that they lay the leafe. In that which they finde most profit, is to lay the Tacamahaca, or the oyle of li∣quid Amber, and Balsamo, and Caranna, or any of these vnto the Nauel, and to kepe it too it continually, that it may cleaue vnto it, and this worketh manifest profit in griefes of the Mother.
In one thing, the women that dwel in the Indias doe ce∣lebrate this hearbe, that is, in the euill breathing at ye mouth of children, when they are ouer filled with meate, and also of olde people, anoynting their bellies with lampe oyle, and laying some of those leaues, in ashes hotte to their bellies, & also to theyr shoulders, for it doeth take away ther naugh∣ty breathing, and maketh them goe to the stoole, applying it vnto the fundement at what tyme it is needfull, and if the leaues bee ashed it is the better.
Wormes, of all kindes of them, it killeth, and expelleth them maruellously, the seething of the hearbe made into a Syrope delicately, beeing taken in very little quantitie, & the ioyce thereof put on the nauel. It is needful after this be done to giue a Glister, that may auoyde them, and expell them out of the guttes.
In griefes of the Iointes comming of a colde cause it maketh a maruellous worke, the Leaues of this Tabaco be∣ing laid hotte vpon the griefe: the lyke doth the Ioyce layde vpon a little cloth hotte, for that it doeth dissolue the humor, & taketh away the paines therof. If it come of a hot cause it doth hurt, sauing when the humor hath bene hot, and the sub∣til part is dissolued, and the grosse remayneth, then it doeth profite as if the cause were colde, and it is to be vnderstood, that the leaues being layde, where as is griefe of the sayde cause, in any part of the body, it profiteth much.
In swellings or in cold Impostumes, it doth dissolue and vndoe them, washing them with the hotte Iuyce, and laying the beaten leaues, after they be stampt, or the leaues beeing whole of the sayde Tabaco, vpon it.
In the Toothache when the griefe commeth of a colde cause, or of colde Rumes, putting to it a little ball made of the leafe of the Tabaco, washing first the tooth with a small cloth wet in the Iuyce, it taketh away the payne, and stay∣eth it, that the putrifaction goe not forwarde: in hot causes
it doth not profite, and this remedy is so common that it hea∣leth euery one.
This hearbe doth maruellously heale Chilblaines, rub∣bing them with the stamped leaues, and after putting the handes and Feete in hot water, with Salt, and keping them warme: this is done with great experience in many.
In Uenom and venomous wounds our Tabaco hath great commendation, which hath beene knowne but a shorte tyme since, for when the wilde people of the Indias, which eate mans fleshe doe shoote their Arrowes, they annointe them with an hearbe or Composition made of many poysons, with the which they shoote at all thinges that they would kill, and this Uenom is so strong, and pernicious, that it killeth with∣out remedie, and they that bee hurte dye with great paynes and accidents, and with madnes, vnlesse that their be found remedie for so great an euill. A fewe yeeres past they laid to their wounds Sublimatum, and so were remedied, and surely in those partes they haue suffered much with this vexation of poyson.
A little whiles past, certaine wild people going in their Bootes to S. Iohn De puerto Rico, to shoote at Indiās, or Spaniards, if that they might find thē, came to a place and killed certain Indians, & Spaniards, & did hurt many, & as by chaunce there was no Sublimatum at that place to heale them, they remembred to lay vpon the wounds the Ioyce of the Tabaco, & the leaues stamped. And God would, that lay∣ing it vpon the hurtes, the griefs, madnes, & accidents wher∣with they dyed, were mittigated, and in such sort they were deliuered of that euill, that the strength of the Uenom was taken away, and the wounds were healed, of the which there was greate admiration. Which thing being knowen to thē of the Ilande, they vse it also in other hurtes and woundes, which they take when they fight with the wilde people, nowe they stande in no feare of them, by reason they haue
founde so great a remedy, in a case so desperate.
This Hearbe hath also vertue against the hearbe called of the Crosseboweshooter, which our hunters doe vse to kil the wilde beastes withall, which heathe is Uenom most strong, and doeth kill without remedie, which the Kinges pleasure was to prooue, and commaunded to make experi∣ence thereof, and they wounded a little dogge in the throate, and put foorthwith into the wound the hearbe of the Crosse∣boweshooter, and after a little while, they powred into the selfe same wounde that they had annoynted with the Crosse∣bowe shooters hearbe, a good quantitie of the Iuyce of Ta∣baco, and layde the stamped leaues vpon it, and they tied vp the dogge, and hee escaped, not without great admiration of al men that sawe him. Of the which, the excellent Phisiti∣on of the Chamber of his maiestie, Doctor Barnarde in the margent of this booke, that sawe it, by the commaun∣dement of his Maiestie, wryteth these wordes: I made this experience by the commaundement of the kinges Maiesty. I wounded the dogge with a knife, & after I put the Crosse∣bowe shooters hearbe into the wounde, and the hearbe was chosen, and the dogge was taken of the hearbe, and the Ta∣baco and his Iuyce being put into the wounde, the dogge e∣scaped and remained whole.
In the venomous Carbuncles, the Tabaco being applied in maner as is aforesaid doth extinguish the malice of the ve∣nom, & doth that which al the woorkes of Surgery can doe, vntil it be whole. The same effect it worketh in bytinges of venomous beastes, for it killeth and extinguisheth the malice of the venom and healeth them.
In woundes newely hurt, and cuttes, strokes, prickes, or any other manner of wounde, our Tabaco worketh mar∣uellous effectes, for that it doeth heale them and maketh them sou••d. The wound must be washed with wine, & pro∣cure to annoynt the sides of it, taking away that which is superfluous, & then powre into it the Iuyce of this hearbe, &
lay vpon it the stamped leaues, and being well bound it shal cōtinue on vntil the next day that thou shalt returne to dresse it. After the same fashion the patientes shall keepe good or∣der in their meate, vsing the diet necessary, and if it be need∣ful of any euacuation by stoole, the cause being greate, let it be done what shal be conuenient. And with this order they shalbe healed, without any neede of any more Surgerie thē this hearbe only. Here in this Country, & in this City they know not what other to doe, hauing cut or hurt themselues, but to runne to the Tabaco, as to a most readie remedie. It doth maruellous workes, without any need of other Surge∣ry, but this only hearbe. In restrayning the fluxe of blood of the wounds it procureth most maruellous workes, for that ye Iuyce and the Leaues being stamped, are sufficient to re∣straine any fluxe of blood.
In olde Sores it is maruellous the woorkes and the ef∣fects that this hearbe doeth, for it healeth them wonderful∣ly, making cleane and mundifying them of all humors that are superfluous, and of the rottennes, that they haue, & brin∣geth vp the flesh, reducing them to perfite health, the which is so common in this Citie, that euery man doeth knowe it▪ and I hauing ministred it to many people as well men as women, in great number, and being grieued of tenne, and of twentie yeeres, haue healed olde rotten sores in legges, and other partes of the body, with this remedy only to the great admiration of all men.
The order of the Cure that is to bee wrought with this hearbe, is this following. For the olde rotten sores although they bee cankered, let the sicke man bee purged with the counsell of a Phisition, and let him blood if it be needfull, and then take this hearbe and pounde it in a Morter, and wring out the Iuyce, and put it into the Sore, and then af∣ter the maner of a Plaister laie the stamped leaues vpon it, which are the Leaues that the Iuyce is taken out of, and this doe once euery day eating good Meates, and not ex∣ceeding
in any disorder, for otherwyse it will not profite. And doing this, it wil make cleane the euil flesh that is rot∣ten, and superfluous, vntil it come to the whole flesh, and it is not to be maruelled at, if the wounde bee made very greate. For the euil must bee eaten vp, vntil it come to the good, and in the same cure putting in lesse quantitie of iuyce it wil in∣carnate, and reduce it to parfit health, in such sort that it ac∣complisheth al the workes of Surgery, that all the Medi∣cines of the worlde are able to doe, without hauing neede of any other maner of medicine.
This woorke doeth cure olde Sores, with very great ad∣miration: and not onely in men, but in brute beastes also. As at this day in all partes of the Indias, where there are any cattel hauing woundes or gaules, and the countrie beeing hotte and moyst ouer much, doeth soone rotte them, and very quickly they come to bee cankered, and for this cause, much great cattel doe dye: To remedy this and the wormes that doe increase in the sores, they had for remedy to put into the sores, Sublimatum, for that in this remedy they did ••••••de more benefite than in any other, that they had vsed. And for that the Sublimatum beares there so high a price, m••••y tymes it was more woorth then the cattel that it hea∣l••••. For this cause and for hauing founde in the Taba∣co so much vertue too heale newe woundes and rotten, they did accorde and agree together to vse the Tabaco, in the healing of beastes, as they had done in the cure and re∣medy of men, powring the Iuyce of the Tabaco into the woundes, & washing them therwith, & laying vpon them the stamped leaues of the Tabaco, after that the Iuyce is ta∣ken from them. And it is of so greate efficacie and vertue, that it killeth the wormes, and maketh cleane the sore, ea∣ting away the euill fleshe, and ingendering newe vntill it be whole, as in the other thinges which wee haue spoken of. The like it doth in the gaules of the beasts of Cariege, the iuyce being powred in, & the beatē leaues wherout the iuyce
commeth of the Tabaco, as it is sayde: although they be can∣kered, it doeth make them cleane, and incarnate them, and cureth and helpeth them. And so the Indians doe carry it, when they iourney, for this purpose and effect, and it procu∣reth the like profite, that the iuyce doeth.
I sawe a man that had certayne olde sores in his nose, wherby he did cast out from him much matter, which dayly did rotte and canker inwarde, and I caused him to take at his nose the iuyce of this Tabaco, and so he did: and at the se∣conde tyme, hee cast out from him, more then twenty little wormes, and afterwarde a fewe more, vntill that he remay∣ned cleane of them, and vsing it so certayne dayes, hee was healed of the sores, that hee had in the inner part of his nose: and if he had taried any longer, I thinke that there had re∣mayned nothing of his nose, but al had bene eaten away, as it happeneth to many, which we see without them, And bee∣ing wryting of this, a daughter of a Gentleman of this Ci∣tie, had many yeres a certaine kinde of drieskabbes, or wel neere skuruie in her head. I had her in cure and did vnto her many benefits, vniuersal, and particular: and also Maisters of Surgerie had done their diligence, and al did not profite. And a Gentlewoman, which had the charge of her, as s••e heard me speake one day much good of the Tabaco, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 did good, and profitable, for so many infirmities, sh••e sent for it, and did rubbe hard the disease that the wench had, & that day shee was very euill, and as though she had bene fooli••h: and the gentlewoman did not let, in seing her after that sor••, to rubbe her harder, and then the wench did not feele so much griefe, but the dry skabbes beg••n to fall, and the whyte scurffe of her head in such sorte, that it made cleane and healed her head, with dooing so certaine dayes, so that shee was healed of her scuruie disease very well, without knowing what she did.
One of the meru••lles of this hearbe, and that which
bringeth most admiration, is, the maner howe the Pri••stes of the Indias did vse it, which was in this manner: when there was emongest the I••dians any manner of busin••sse, of greate importaunce, in the which the chiefe Gentl••men called Casiques, or any of the principall people of the coun∣trie, had necessitie to consult with their Priestes, in any bu∣sinesse of importance: then they went and propounded their matter to their chiefe Priest, foorthwith in their presence, he tooke certayne leaues of the Tabaco, and cast them into the fire, and did receiue the smoke of them at his mouth, and at his nose with a Cane, and in taking of it, hee fell downe vppon the ground, as a Dead man, and remayning so, ac∣cording to the quantitie of the smoke that he had taken, when the hearbe had done his woorke, he did reuiue and awake, and gaue them their answeares, according to the visions, and illusions which hee sawe, whiles hee was rapte in th•• same manner, and he did interprete to them, as to him see∣med best, or as the Diuell had counselled him, geuing them continually doubtfull answeares, in such sorte, that howsoe∣uer it fell out, they might say that it was the same, which was declared, and the answeare that he made.
In like sort the rest of the Indians for their pastime, doe take the smoke of the Tabaco, too make themselues drunke withall, and to see the visions, and thinges that repr••sent ••••¦to them that wherein they doe delight: and other times they take it to knowe their businesse, and successe, because confor∣mable to that, which they haue seene beyng drunke there∣with, euen so they iudge of their businesse. And as the Deuil is a deceauer, & hath the knowledge of the vertue of hearbes, so he did shew the vertue of this Hearb, that by the meanes thereof, they might see their imaginations, and visions, that he hath represented to them, and by that meanes de∣ceiue them.
Too haue Hearbes that haue the like vertue, is a com∣mon 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
I••••ias but is also a common thing in the Orientall Indias. And also in the Portug••ll Indias, for this effect, they doe sell the Opi•• in their Shoppes, euen as they sell Conser∣••••, with the which the Indians vse to ease themselues, of their labour that they take, and to bee merie, and not to feele paynes of any greate labour of the bodie, or minde that may come vnto them, and they call it there amongst themselues Aphi••••. This Aphion the Turkes doe vse for this effect. The ••o••l••iers and Captaynes that goe to Warres, when they labour much, after the time that they be lodged, that they may take their rest, they receiue Aphi∣on, and sleepe with it, and remayne lightened of their la∣bour: The most principall people take Bague, and it hath a better cast, and a better smell, for there is put to it muche Amber, and Muske an•• Cloues, and other spices. And sure∣ly it is a thing of admiration, ••o see howe these Barbarous people doe take such Medicines, and how many of them doe take them, and that they doe not ki•••• them, but rather they take them for health and reme••ie, for their necessities.
I sawe an Indian of those partes, that in my presence did aske an Apothecarie for a quart of Opi••, and I deman∣ded of him wherefore he woulde haue it, and he tolde me that he took it to put away wearinesse, when he felt himselfe ouer much greeued, and afflicted with labour, and hee tooke the halfe of that which he carried, for the Apothecary gaue him more then a pi••te for twelue pence, and therewith he slepte so soundly, that when he awoke from sleepe, hee founde him∣selfe very muche eased of his wearinesse, in suche sorte, that hee might continue his labour. I meruelled at it, and it seemed to me a thing of Mockerie, seeyng that fiue or sixe graynes, bee the most that wee can giue to•• sicke Person, howe strong soeuer hee bee, which beeyng verie well prepared, doeth cause many times Accidentes of Death. And many yeeres after standing in the Shoppe of
an other Apothecary of this Citie, there came an other In∣dian, of the same Orientall Indias, and he asked of the A∣pothecarie, for some Opio called Aphion, the which Apo∣thecarie vnderstoode him not. And I remembring my selfe of the other Indian, caused him to shewe vnto the Indian Opio, and in shewing it to him, he sayd that it was that which he asked for, and he bought a quarter of a Pinte of it, and I asked of the Indian, wherefore hee woulde haue it, and he tolde me the same that the other Indian did, that it was be∣cause he might labour, and ease himselfe of his wearinesse for that hee did beare burdens, and shoulde helpe to discharge a shippe: wherefore he sayde he woulde take the one halfe that he might therewith labour, and the other halfe after he had laboured, that therwith he might take ease, and rest. Then I gaue credite to the first Indian, of that he sayd vnto me, and since I haue beleeued that which I haue seene and read, in those partes to be a thing in common vse, for the like effectes. And truely it is a thing worthy of greate consideration, that fiue graines of Opio doe kill vs, and three∣score doe geue them health and rest.
The Indians doe vse the Tabaco, for to suffer drieth, and also to suffer hunger, and to passe dayes without hauing neede to eate or drinke, when they shall trauell by any desert, or dispeopled countrie, where they shall finde neither water, nor meate. They receiue thereof little balles, which they make of the Tabaco. For they take the leaues of it, and chew them and as they goe chewing of them, they goe mingling with them certayne pouder, made of the shelles of Cockels burned, & they mingle it in the mouth altogether, vntil they make it like dowe, of the which they frame certayne little Balles, little greater then Peason, and lay them to drie in the shadow, and after they keepe them, and vse them in this forme following.
When they vse to trauell by the waies, where they finde
no water nor meate, they take a little hall of these, and put it betweene the lower lippe and the teeth, and goe chewing it all the time that they trauell, and that which they chewe, they swallowe downe, and in this sore they iourney, three or foure dayes, without hauing neede of meate, or drinke, for they feele no hunger drieth, nor weakenesse, nor their trauell doth trouble them. I thinke that to iourney after this sort, is ••he cause they goe chewing continually the little balles: for they bring Fleume into the mouth, and swallowe it into the stomake, the which doeth retayne the naturall heate, which it doth confirme, and so they mainteyn themselues therby, the like whereof wee see to happen in many beastes, for that a great part of the Winter, they be shut vp in their Caues, & hollowe places of the earth, and passe their time there with∣out any meate, for that they haue to c••nsume the naturall heate, of the f••mes, which they had gotten in the Summer. The Beare being a great and fierce beast, much time in the Winter remayneth in his Caue, and liueth without meate or drinke, with onely chewing his pawes, which perhaps he doeth for the said cause. This is the substance which I haue gathered of this hearbe, so celebrated & called Tabaco, for that surely it is an hearb of great estimation, for the excellent vertues that it hath, as we haue sayde.
NICOTIANE, although it bee not long since it hath beene knowne in France, not∣withstāding deserueth palme and price, and among al other medicinable hearbs, it deser∣ueth to stand in the first rank, by reason of his singular ver∣tues, and as it were almost to bee had in admiration, as hereafter you shall vnderstand. And for that none suche as of auncient time, or of late dayes, haue written the nature of plantes, did neuer make mention thereof, I haue therefore learned the whole historie touching the same, which I lear∣ned of a gentleman my very friend, the first authour, inuenter, and bringer of this hearb into France: wherfore I thought good to publish it in writing for their sakes, that haue so often hearde speaking of this saide hearbe, and yet neyther knew the hearbe nor the effectes thereof.
This Hearbe is called Nicotiane, of the name of him that gaue the firste intelligence thereof vnto this Realme, as many other plantes haue taken their names of certayne Greekes and Romaynes, who hauing beene in straunge Countries, for seruice of their common Weales, haue brought into their countries many plants, which were before vnknowne. Some haue called this Hearbe the Queenes Hearbe, because it was firste sent vnto her, as heereafter
shalbe declared by the Gentleman, that was the first inuen∣ter of it, and since was by her geuen to diuers for to sowe, whereby it might bee planted in this lande. Others haue na∣med it the great Priors hearbe, for that he caused it to mul∣tiply in Fraunce, more then any other, for the greate reue∣rence that he bare to his hearbe, for the Diuine effectes ther∣in contayned. Many haue geuen it the n••me, Petum, which is indeede the proper name of the Hearbe, as they which haue tra••elled that Countrie can tell. Notwithstanding, it is better to name it N••cotiane, by the name of him that sent it into Fraunce first, to the ende that hee may haue the honour thereof, according to his desert, for that hee hath en∣riched our Countrie, with so singular an Hearbe. Thus much for the name, and nowe hearken further for the whole Historie.
Maister Iohn Nicot, Counsell••r to the King, being Embassadour for his Maiestie in Portugall, in the yeere of our Lorde. 1559.60.61. went one day to see the Pry∣sons of the King of Portugall: and a Gentleman beeyng the keeper of the sa••e Prisons presented him with this hearb, as a strange Plant brought from Florida. The same Maister Nicot, hauing caused the said hearb to be set in his Garden, where it grewe and multiplied maruellously, was vppon a time aduertised, by one of his Page••, that a young man, of kinne to that Page made a s••ye of that hearbe brused both the hearbe and the Iuice together vppon an vlcer, which he had vpon his cheeke neere vnto his nose, comming of a Noli me tangere, which began to take roote already at the griffles of the Nose, wherewith hee founde himselfe meruellously eased. Therefore the sayde Maister Nicot caused the sicke young man to bee brought before him, and causing the saide hearb to be continued to the sore eight or ten daies, this saide Noli me tangere, was vtterly extinguished and healed: and he had sent it, while this cure was a woorking to a cer∣teine Phisition of the king of Portugall one of the greatest fame
to examine the further working and effect of the said Nico∣tiane, and sending for the same young man at the end of ten dayes, the sayde Phisition seeing the visage of the said sicke yong man, certified, that the sayde Noli me tangere was vt∣terly extinguished, as in deede he neuer felt it since.
Within a while after, one of the Co••kes of the sayde Embassadour hauing almost cutte off his thombe, with a greate chopping knyfe, the Stew••rd of the house of the sayde Gentleman ran to the sayde Nicotiane, and dressed him therewith fiue or sixe tymes, and so in the ende thereof hee was healed: from that tyme forward this hearbe began to bee famous throughout Lishebron, where the court of the kyng of Portugall was at that presone, and the vertue of this sayde hearbe was extolled, and the people began to name it the Ambassadours hearbe. Wherefore there came certaine dayes after a Gentleman of the Countrie, Father ••o one of the P••ges of the Ambassadour, who was trou∣bled with an vlcer in his Legge, hauing had the same twoo yeeres, and demaunded of the sayde Ambassadour for his hearbe, and vsing the same in such order as is before written, at the end of tenne or twelue daies hee was healed. From that tyme forth the fame of that same hearbe increa∣sed in such sort, that many came from al places to haue some of it. Among al others there was a woman that had her face couered with a Ringworme rooted, as though she had a Ui∣sour on her face, to whome the saide L. Embassadour caused the hearbe to be giuen, and told how she should vse it, and at the ende of eight or tenne daies, this woman was throughly healed, who came and presented her selfe to the Ambassa∣dour, shewing him of her healing.
After there came a Captaine to present his Sonne sick of the kinges euill to the sayde L. Ambassadour, for to send him into France, vnto whome there was a saye made of the sayde hearbe, which in fewe dayes did begin to shewe
great signes of healing, and finally he was altogether hea∣led therby of the kings euill.
The L. Ambassadour seeing so great effects proceeding of this hearbe, and hauing heard say that the Lady Monti∣gue that was, dyed at Saint Germans, of an vlcer bread in her brest, that did ••••rne to a Noli me tangere, for the which there could neuer remedy hee fo••nde: ••nd lykewyse that the Countesse of Ruffe, had sought for al the famous Phisitions of that Realme, for to heale her face, vnto whom they could giue no remedy, he thought it good to communicate the same into France, and did sende it to king Frauncis the seconde, and to the Q••eene Mothe••, and to many other Lords of the Cou•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the m••ne•• of ministring th•• same, and howe to apply it vnto the said diseases, ••uen as he had found it by ex∣perience, and chiefly to the Lorde of Iarnac gouernour of Rogel, with whom th•• saide Lord Ambassadour had greate amitie for the seruice of the king. The which Lord of Iarnac told one day at the Queen••s table, yt he had caused the sai••e Nicotian•• to be distilled, and the water to bee dr••nke, min∣gle•• with water, of Euphrasio otherwise called eyebright, to one that was short breathe••, who was therewith healed.
This hearbe hath the stalke greate, bearded and slymie, the leafe large and long bearded slymie, it groweth in branches halfe foote to halfe foote, and is very ful of leaues, and groweth in height foure or fiue foote. In hot countries it is nyne or tenne monethes in the yeere laden, in one selfe tyme, with leaues flowers, & Coddes full of rype graynes, which is when they are waxed blacke, and to be ripe, which is when they are yet greene. It sproutes foorth neere the roote much, and reuyueth by a greate quantitie of buddes, notwithstanding the grain is the least seede in the worlde, & the rootes be like small threeds.
Nicotiane doth require a fat grounde finely digged, and in colde Countreys very well dounged, that is to say, a
grounde, in the which the doung must be so wil mingled and incorporated, that it be altogether turned into earth, & that there appeare no more doung.
It requireth the south Sunne, and to be planted by a wal, which may defende it against the North winde recouering the heate of the Sunne against it, being a warrant vnto the said hearbe against the tossing vp of the winde, because of the weaknes and highnes thereof.
It groweth the better being often watered, and reuiueth it selfe by reason of the water in tyme of droughts. It hateth the cold, therefore to preserue it from dying in the Winter tyme, it must either be kept in Caues made of purpose with∣in the said gardens, or els couered with a double Matte, and a Penthouse of Reede made on the Wall ouer the hearbe, and when the South Sunne shyneth, the dore of the place must bee opened where the hearbe is on the Southside.
For to sowe it, there must bee made a hole in the ground with your finger, as deepe as your finger can teache, then cast into that hole 40. or 50. graines of the sayde Seede to∣gether stopping againe your hole, for it is so small a Seede, that if there bee put in the hole but three or foure graynes thereof, the earth would choke them, and if the weather bee dry, the place must be watered lightly during the tyme of fiftiene dayes after the sowing thereof: it may also be sowen like vnto Lettis and other such hearbes.
And when the hearbe is out of the grounde, for so much as euery Grayne thereof will bring foorth his twigge, and that the little threeds of the Roote are the one with∣in the other, you must make with a great knife a greate compasse within the earth rounde about the saide place, and lift vp the earth together with the Seede, and cast it into a payle of water, so that the earth bee separated, & that the little twigges may swimme aboue the water, then shal you take them without breaking, the one after the other,
〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉FRom the Florida which is the firme Land of our Occidental Indias, lying in xxv. degrees, they bring a wood and roote of a tree that groweth in those partes, of great vertues, and greate excellencies, healing therewith grieuous and varia∣ble diseases.
It may be three yeres past, that I had knowledge of this Tree, & a French man which had bene in those partes, shewed me a peece of it, and tolde me meruels of the vertues therof, & how many and variable diseases were healed with the water, which was made of it. I gaue at that tyme no credit to him, for that in these things of Plantes, and hearbes, which are brought from other pla∣ces, they say much, and knowe little, vnlesse it bee by a man that hath experience of them, with care and diligence. The tree and the partes thereof lyked mee well, and I iudged that, which nowe I do finde to be true, and haue seene by ex∣perience. He tolde me that the Frenchmen, which had beene in the Florida at that tyme, whē they came into those parts, had beene sicke the most of them, of grieuous and variable diseases, and that the Indians did shewe them this tree, and the manner how they should vse it, and so they did, and were healed of many euilles, which surel•• bringeth admiration, that one only remedy should worke so variable, and so mer∣uellous effectes.
After that the Frenchmen were destroyed, our Spa∣niardes beganne to waxe sicke, as the Frenchemen had doone, and some which remayned of them, did shewe
it to our Spaniardes, and howe they had cured themselues with the water of this meruellous Tree, and the manner which they obserued in the vsing of it, shewed to them by the Indians, who vsed to cure themselues therewith, when they were sicke of any griefe.
Our Spaniards began to cure themselues with the wa∣ter of this Tree, and it wrought in them great effectes, that are almost incredible: for with the naughtie meates & drin∣king of the rawe waters, & sleeping in the dewes, the most parte of them fell into continuall Agues, of the which many of them came into opilations, and from the opilations they began to swell, and when the euil came first, immediatly it began to take away the lust that they had to their meate, and then happened to them other accidents, and diseases, as such like Feuers are accustomed to bring: and hauing there no remedie to bee healed, they did what the Frenchemen had counsailed them, doing that which they had done, which was in this forme.
They digged vp the roote of this tree, and tooke a peece thereof, such as it seemed to them best, they cutte it small into very thinne and little peeces, and cast them into water, at discretion, as much as they sawe was needfull, little more or lesse, and they sodde it the tyme that seemed suf∣ficient for to remaine of a good collour, and so they dranke it in the morning fasting, and in the day tyme, and at din∣ner, and supper, without keeping any more waight, or mea∣sure, then I haue sayde, nor more keeping, nor order then this, and by this they were healed of so many griefes, and euil diseases, that to heare of them what they suffred, and how they were healed, it bringeth admiration, & they which were whole, dranke it in place of wine, for it doeth preserue them in health: as it appeared very well by them that haue come from thence this yeere, for they came all whole and strong, and with good colours▪ which doeth not happen to them that come from those partes, and from
other conquestes, for they c••me sicke and sw••lne, without collour, and in short space the most of them di••. And these Souldiers doe trust so much in this Wood, that I beeyng one day amongest many of them, informing any selfe of th•• thinges of this Tree, the most parte of them tooke out of their Pockets, a good peece of this Wood, and sayde: Maister, doe you see here the Wood, that euery one of vs doeth bring to heale vs withall, if we fall sicke, as we hau•• beene there? and they began to prayse it so much, and to con∣firme the maruellous workes of it, with so many examples of them that were there, that surely I gaue great credite vn∣to it, and they caused me to beleeue all that thereof I ha•• hearde, and gaue mee courage to experiment it, as I haue done, and as wee shall see in the maruelles, which wee shall write of it. And nowe we come to shewe the description, and forme of this Tree.
The Tree from whence they cut this Wood, which they newly brought from the Florida, called Sassafras, is a Tree that groweth to bee very greate: there be of a middle sort, and lesser sorte. The greater sorte is of the bignesse of a Pine Tree, of a meane height, and well neere to the making of it, for it is straight, & casteth out no more but one branche of Bowes, after the manner of a Palme Tree, onely in the highest part, or sendeth out bowes after the maner of a Pine Tree, made cleane, making of the Bowes which it casteth forth, a forme of roundnes. It hath a grosse rinde of a Tawny colour, & vpon that an other thin rinde, of the colour of ashes, and vpon the inner parte thereof, the Trees and bowes b••e white, and neere like to Tawny. The tree and bowes are ver•• light, the rinde beeing tasted, hath an excellent sweete smell, and it is somewhat like to the smell of Fenell, with much sweetenesse of taste, and of pleasaunt smell, insomuche that a little quantity of this Wood being in a chamber, fil∣leth the ayre conteined in it, and the rinde hath some sharp∣n••sse
of t••st▪ the inner part hath little smell, the higher part that co••t••yneth the bowes hath leaues, the which be green, after the ••u••mer of a Figge tree, with three poyntes, an•• when they are little, they be like to the leaues of a Peare tree, in onely shewing theyr poyntes. They be of collour a sad••e Greene, and of a sweete smell, and muche more when they be drie. The Indians vse to lay them beaten or stampe•• vpon br••ises, or when any man is beaten with drie blowes, and being dried they are vsed in Medicinable thinges. They l••se no•• their leanes, they are alwayes greene, if any doe dry and fall, there springeth other, it is not knowen that it hath any flowre or fruite.
The rootes of this Tree be grosse, or slender, conforma∣bly to the greatenesse of the Tree, they bee light, but not so much as the body of the Tree, and the bowes, but for the greatnesse it is notable light.
The roote of this Tree is very superficiall, spreading in the vpper face of the soyle or grounde, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so they dygge them vp easily: and this is a common thing in the Tree•• of the Indias, tha•• moste of them haue their rootes of small depth, and if they carry any plant••s from Spayne to plante elsewhere, if they do not set them of smal depth in the ground, they beare no fruite.
The best of all the Tree is the roote, and that woorketh the best effect, the which hath the rinde cleauing very fast to the inner part, and it is of colour Tawnie, and muche more of sweete smell then all the tree, and his Braunches: the rinde tasteth of a more sweete smell, then the tree, and the water being sodden with the roote, is of greater and better effects, then of any other parte of the tree, and it is of a more sweete smell, and therefore the Spaniardes vse it, for that it woorketh better and greater effectes. It is a tree that groweth neere vnto the Sea, and in temperate places, that haue not much drouth, nor moysture. There be
Mountaynes growing full of them, and they caste foorth a most sweet smel, so that at the beginning when they saw th••m first, they thought that they had beene trees of Cinamon, and in parte they were not deceiued, for that the rinde of thi•• tree ••ath as sweete a smell, as the Cinamon hath, and doth imitate it in colour and sharpnesse of tast, and pleasantnesse of smell, and so the water that is made of it, is of most sweete smell and taste, as the Cinamon is, and procureth the same workes and effects as Cinamon doeth.
The tree groweth in some partes of the Florida, and not in others, for that it is in the porte of Saint Elen, and in the Port of Saint Mathew, and not in any other partes: but when the Souldiers did waxe sicke, in places where this tree grew not, either they carried them to bee healed to the sayde places, or they sent them the trees, or their Rootes chiefly, and therewith did heale them. The best of the tre•• is the roote, & ••fter them the bowes, and nexte the tree, and the best of all is the rindes. The complection and tempera∣ture of the tree and of his bowes, is hot & drie in the seconde degree, the rinde is somewhat more hot then the rest, for that it entreth into the thirde degree, of heate, and drieth, and this is manifestly seene in the water▪ and so they tha•• shall neede of it, must procure to haue the rootes or bowes, which haue the rinde, for that which is without it, doth no•• woorke so good effectes.
The name of this Tree, as the Indians terme it, i•• cal∣led Pauan••e, and the Frenche Men call it Sassafras. I knowe not wherefore our Spaniardes call it after the same manner, beeyng taughte by the Frenche Men, al∣though that some doe corrupte it, and call it Sassafragia, by the name that we haue from thence, & they of these partes doe call it Sassafras.
The vse of the Roote, or of the Wood of this Tree the which w••e haue treated of heere, is by the way of see∣thing,
& in this forme the Indians did shew it to the French men, and they vnto vs: and as the Indians haue neither weight nor measure, they haue not kept in those partes any order in the making of the water of this wood, for that they doe no more there than put a peece of the wood, or of the root at their discretion made in peeces, into the water as they doe thinke best. And they seeth it after their maner, without con∣suming more quantitie, then when they see that the seething is sufficient: so that all they which haue come from those partes, are very variable in their manner of seething, which is no small confusion to them that shall vse it, and likewise to the Phisition that shall minister it. That which I do here∣in. I will write. I looke vpon the complection, and tempe∣rature of the sicke person, that shall take and vse this water, as also the manner and qualitie of the disease, and conforma∣bly I make the water, and geue it to the sicke person, geuing to the Cholerike lesse seething, and lesse quantity of Wood, and to the Flegmatike more seething, and more quanti∣tie of Wood, and to the Sanguine meanably: and so after this sorte too their infirmities, according too the qualities of them, for that if it bee not done according to this order, they cannot choose but make many errours in the vse of this water, and also it is conuenient that for the mo••••e parte they keepe the vse of the diet & gouernment which is necessary for the disease which they pretend to cure. Let none thinke, that to take this water without order & good consideration, as many doeth, there shall followe health: but vnto them ra∣ther taking it without measure & without order, ••t shall do vn∣to them much hurt: wherby it seemeth to me that when this water shalbe ministred, as well in the diseases that it cureth, as in any other whatsoeuer they be, it is necessary that they goe to some learned Phisition, that may dispose the manner and making of the Water, and the order which they shall obserue in taking of it, for that in the Winter it shoulde bee
taken otherwise than in the Sommer. And otherwise it must be geuen to the leane person, than to the strong, and in an other manner it must bee taken of the Cholerike, than of the fleugmatike, & one order is required in the cold region, & an other order in the hot. Wherby it appeareth, that it is con∣uenient to keep order, measure, & forme in the taking of it, for that there goeth no lesse with it then health & life, cōsidering that we see it haue no price in the world, & not to let it alone to the iudgement of him that knoweth it not.
It happened to a gentle woman, vnto whom for certaine i••dispositions of the Mother, proceeding of greate colde that she had taken, I coūselled her that she should take this water of the wood of Sassafras. And I gaue her the order that shee should vse, in making and taking of it, which was asmuch as was conuenient for her disease, and seeming for her. But she tooke muche of the wood, more then I willed her, & seething the water more then I commaunded her, she thought that she should heale the sooner. And as shee tooke it certayne dayes with this strength, she was burdened in such sort with a very great Ague, that not onely it stood her vpon to leaue the wa∣ter, but it was needefull to let her blood fiue times, and put her life in aduenture, & so procured infamy to the reme∣die. After she was whole, and had preuayled, she returned & tooke the water with the order that I had first tolde her, and she healed very well of her disease. It is time nowe that wee come to the vertues of this wood so excellent, whereof let vs speak particularly of euery one of them, as we haue knowne, and experimented them.
In generall our Spaniardes in those partes of the Flo∣rida, where they haue beene and now are, doe vse this afore∣saide water sodden at their discretion, for all manner of dis∣seases, without making exception of any. An•• beeyng sicke of any manner of euill which commeth vnto th••m, sharpe, or long, hot, or colde, greeuous or otherwise, they ••ure them all by one maner of fashion, & they heale all with o••e maner of
water, without making any difference, and the best is that al be healed therewith, & in this they repose so much trust, that they feare not the euils which are present, nor haue any care of them that be to come, & so they vse it for an vniuersal reme∣die, in all manner of diseases.
In one of the thinges that they haue founde moste profite in this water, was in Opilations, in the interiour partes, of the which they came to bee swolne, and to bee full of the Dropsie the most parte of them. For of the long and large heates which they had taken, they came well neere ge∣nerally to haue these diseases. And with this water both the swelling and the opilation went away, and therewith they came to be made whole of the Quotidian Agues, which the most parte of them had. For in goyng thither the most parte of them fell sicke, of these long and importunate Fe∣uers, in the which I haue experience by this Water, be∣yng taken as it ought too bee, for it woorketh maruellous effectes, and haue healed many therewith. For the principall effect that it hath, is to comfort the Liuer, and to dissolue Opilations, and to comfort the stomake, which are the two principall thinges, that are most conuenient for the Phisiti∣on to doe, that the sick may be healed of the like diseases. For in these euils it is not to be feared that the humors be corrup∣ted. And if the principal members be hurt, one of the things that these medicines which are brought from our Indias do principally, when the water of any of them is taken, is to comfort the Liuer, and to amende it, that it may ingen∣der good humors, for if this be not done, the cure is in vaine. And so our Sassafra•• hath a maruellous propertie, to comfort the Liuer, and to dissolue the Opilations, in such sort that it doth ingender alowable blood.
I healed •• young man which had an opilation of cer∣t••yne Tertians. And thereof he was all swolne, in such sort that he was well neere full of Dropsie And with purging
him many times with Pilles of Ruibarbe, and by taking of Dialaca amongest the said Purgations, and drinking the water of this Sassafras, cōtinually without drinking of any o∣ther thing, he came to be healed very well, and was cleere of his swellings, and opilations. And he did not let to drinke it vntill he remayned perfectly whole.
The manner of curing with this water made of the Sas∣safras, for the Tertian Agewes & long Feuers, I will shewe you, and what hath passed in this yeere, that I wrote this. There haue beene many people diseased with the tertiane A∣gewes, so importunately, that no manner of medicine was sufficient to take them away, and to roote them out, insomuch that we let many alone, with onely good order, and good go∣uernment, without helping them any more. They were opila∣ted, and had euill colour of the face, and some of them were swolne.
And at that time it was, when the Captayne generall Peter Mellendis came from the Florida, and brought him in common, this wood of the Sassafras, and when euery man did so much prayse it, many of them that had Tertians, tooke water of the Sassafras, keeping the order that the Souldiers gaue them, and surely I saw in that greate maruelles, for that they healed many with the vse thereof. Not onely of the tertians that so much did molest them, but also of the Opila∣tions and euill colour that they had. And seeing this, I cau∣sed other to take it, that without counsel durst not doe it. And it did very wel with them, but it must be wel seene vnto how it shoulde bee geuen, and to whom, that the cause may carrie with it both order and measure.
That which ordinarily was done, was to geue one cuppe full of the Water well sodden, in the morning with Sugar or without it, and after to drinke the water conti∣nually, that which was more simple, then the firste, and as the Phisition shall iudge to be most conuenient for him that is sicke, keeping the conditions in the takyng of
this water that we shall speake of.
And surely it is a thing that geueth great contentment to heale onely with the drinking of a water, it beyng of a sweete smel, and good of sauour which is taken, and drunk without any maner of griefe, and so to doe that woorke which sharpe medicines and sirupes of euill sauour and tast cannot doe. And such as did drinke wine, did water their wine with it, & th••y found themselues well with it.
In one thing it was seene greately to profite, which is in the vse of this water, in them that haue lost the lust of their meate, insomuch that it is restored to them, & the lothsomnesse taken from them, by the vse of it, so that many did amende & come to their health quickely. And the vse of this water doth cause lust to meate. The Souldiers doe cōmend it with suche admiration, that some came to leaue it, and not to drinke it, for because that it caused them to haue so great hunger, that they coulde not withstand it. And because there was no suche abundance of meates wherwith they might satisfie their hun∣ger, which the water was cause of, they would not drinke it, as not hauing sufficient for their maintenaunce, for they did all vse it for a drinke in steede of wine, and it was a great re∣medie for them, that by it they became whole, as appeareth by them which came from those partes whereas they doe vse it.
In the Hauana there is a Phisition, whom they take for a Man of good vnderstanding in these causes, who did cure many of them which came in the Fleete from the newe Spayne sicke, with onely the vse of this water, without ge∣uing or making for them any other Medicine. And it did very well with them, for that many were healed there∣with, and he gaue them to drinke as much as they would, all the day, and at Dinner and Supper, and in the morning he gaue a Cuppe full warmed, to them that coulde not goe to stoole with a little Sugar not very white, and it wrought very well with them, for their going to stoole. And to other
he gaue Medicines of this water only and Hony, & it made a good worke. I cured heere some that were in cure in the Hauana. And being ordered in this maner, they which came not wel healed thence, were heere fully healed.
In griefes of the head, and in paines thereof being very olde, which proceed of any cold cause, the taking of this wa∣ter hot in the morning wel sodden, and at dinner and supper, and in the day tyme simple with good gouernement as well in the meate that is eaten, as in the rest of all other thinges, and doing this for many dayes, it cureth and healeth them maruellously. It is conuenient for him that shal do this, that he purge himself first, and in the tyme that hee must take it, that he receiue certaine Pilles of Hiera simplex, & he hath no need to keepe himselfe close neither in his chamber, nor in his bedde. He that shal take this, it is ynough that he go wel clothed, and that he keepe himselfe from the colde and ayre, and that he vse to eate good meates.
In griefes of the brest caused of colde humors, this wa∣ter doth profite much, and openeth the waies of the brest. It consumeth moysture and fleames, it stayeth the fluxe, & the running which cometh from the head to the brest. It must be taken in the morning hot, and drinke continually simple, for besides the ordinary drinking in the morning, it must bee drunke simplie for a long tyme. For these simple waters as they doe their worke by little and little, so it is needful that they be continued for a long season. It is good that there be put some suggar too it, that it may make the better woorke.
In griefes of the Stomacke when the cause is colde or windie, after that the vniuersal euacuations bee made, ta∣king this water in the morning strong, & as it is s••id simple, at other tymes, it taketh them away and healeth them, chiefly if there bee any olde griefe, for that I haue giuen it for this effect, to men that many yeeres did suffer most grie∣uous paynes in the stomacke, and with taking the water in
the morning hot for certaine dayes, and continuing with the simple water for a long tyme, and taking once euery weeke pilles of Hiera simplex, many people were healed therof ve∣ry wel. And thus we haue declared howe that the vse of this water restoreth the appetite lost, and giueth lust to meate.
In the weakenes of the stomacke, and in the lacke of na∣tural heate, where that which is eaten is not consumed, it worketh great effectes, and helpeth digestion. It consumeth windes, which are the cause of indigestion, it taketh away a stinking breath, and from them that do vomit their meate, it taketh away that euil custome, so that they eate little, and vse continually to drinke this water without wyne. And a∣boue al other thinges, it maketh a good breath, and a good smel at the mouth.
In the disease of the stone of the Ridneis and reines, the vse of this water hot when they haue this griefe, doth great∣ly profit, and much more vsing it continually simple by it self, or with wine, for that it doeth preserue that the paine come not so continually nor so grieuously. And also it maketh him that doeth vse it, to cast out much Sande, where the stones bee ingendred. And also it causeth the stones that are in the reynes to be cast out, and staieth the ingendering of them, for that it consumeth the fleames, of the which they be prin∣cipally ingendered, and the windes that be many tymes the causes of the paines.
To them which haue the burning of the Urine, & to such as haue great burning at the tyme that they make their wa∣ter, doe feele great heat, vnto such is not conuenient the vse of this water, for bicause it is hot.
Al such should vse of that wood, which I haue written of in the first part of this Historie, which is excellent, for such as suffer the lyke burninges and paines. For the stones and sandes, for al such euils comming of heate, the work is mer∣uellous that it doeth, sauing that if there bee any stone in the
Bladder, from which place proceedeth the lyke burning, for in such a case none of these waters doe take effect: but on∣ly the Surgions Raser when the Stone is greate, is that which doeth profite, as I haue seene in many. And whyle it is sayd it is a stone, it is no stone, death hath come vnto them that had it, whome if they had beene opened in time, might haue liued many yeres, as we haue seene in diuers of sixtie yeres and more who haue bin opened, and liued vntill they came to eighty yeres and more.
And I aduertise you, that this wood, which I call of the Uryne, and the stone, doeth make the water blewe, for if it doe not make the water blewe, it is not the right wood. And now they bring a wood, which maketh the water yel∣lowe, and this is not it which doeth profite, but that which maketh the water blewe, and this hath the couetousnesse of them caused, that bring it, because they haue seene that it is wel solde in this citie, for the manifest profites that it doeth, in these griefes of the Urine, by tempering the Reines, and the Liuer, and procuring many other benefits, & they bring of all the wood that they finde, and sell it for wood of the stone. The same hath happened in the Mechoacan, which when it came to be worth twentie Ducates the pounde, they laded so much from thence of it, some not being rype, other not being right, that when it is come hither, it woorketh not the effect, that th•• good and wel seasoned w••s wont to doe. Wherefore it is needfull to see to that which is taken, that it bee the same, and that it bee well seasoned.
That which is very whyte, is not such as the yellowe is, in myne opinion, for that which is yellowe, wee see that it m••keth the better woorke: it may bee that the ve∣ry whyte is not of it, or hath not the perfection that the good hath. And comming to our water of Sassafras, it pro∣uoketh Urine, it maketh them to Uryne well, which haue the impediment of it, chiefly if it come by humors of col••e
causes. I did knowe a Priest, which came in this fl••ete from the Florida, who being in those parts, did make water very euil, and cast from him stones, some tymes with very much griefe, and some of them did put him in hazard of his life, & when hee was in the Florida, as hee dranke of the water of Sassafras ordinarily, as many other did in the place of wyne: hee auoided many great & smal stones, without any paines, and after that hither vnto hee hath founde himselfe whole, and very well of this euill, by drinking the simple w••ter of this wood ordinarily, and watering his wy••e therewith. Many doe drinke of this water for the same purpose, and they cast out much Sande, and doe finde themselues cured therewi••h.
In them that bee lame or creeples, and in them that are not able to goe, nor to moue themselues, as for the most part that infirmitie commeth of colde humours: by taking this water hot in the morning, and procuring sweate all that hee can, eating things of diet, and drinking the simple water continually, and vsing it many dayes: wee haue seene many healed. And it is to bee noted, that in taking of this water, there is nothing to bee obserued, as in other waters: but when they shal take it hotte, if any sweate come, to keepe it, and after this they may ryse and goe well clothed: it is not needefull of any thing els, but of this and good order, and to eate good meates, and if they sweate not, it maketh no greate matter, but if they sweate not, they shalbe healed: I knowe a Captaine, one of them which came from the Florida: and hee certified mee that hee was so weake in all his body, that his Soldiours carried him vppon their shoulders, for that in any other manner he coulde not stirre, and hee was in a place where the tree of Sassafras was not, and he sent for it and toke the water, and therewith sweate for certaine dayes, and afterward he tooke it simply, and hee was restored to his perfect health, and I did see him whole, and well.
In the toothache, this wood beeing broken and chewed with the tooth that is grieued, and leauing that which is chewed in the hole of the tooth, which is grieued, if it haue any hollownesse, and although that it haue none, yet it ta∣keth away the paines meruellously, with experience done vpon many.
In the euil of the Poxe, it worketh the same effectes that the rest of the waters, of the holy wood, the China, and the Sarcaparillia doeth: taking it as these waters bee taken with sweates, putting vp more or lesse, the decoction of the water, and the quantitie of the wood, as the complexion is, and the disease of him that shall take it. For that in colde humours Flegmatike, it maketh a better woorke, then in them that bee Cholerike: and so in the Poxe that bee of a long tyme, it maketh a better and greater woorke, than in them that be of smal continuance: and more where there bee knobbes, and moisture of matter, & old griefes of the head, with the order as is aforesayd. And in these euils the simple water is continually taken for a great tyme, and it worketh greate effectes, chiefly in them that bee leane, which be al∣together weakened & debilited, with the vse of many Medi∣cines.
Many which haue the Gout, haue vsed, and doe vse to drinke of the Water of this tree, some of them taking it hotte, as wee haue sayde, and others simple continually by it self, and watering their wyne therewith. That which I haue seene, is that which in the olde kinde of Goutes, doeth neither good nor euil, and if it doe any good, it is to comfort the stomacke, and to dissolue win••inesse, & to giue them some lust to their meate, & the rest of the benefite that it bringeth, is to them that h••ue bin sicke but short time, if the cause pro∣ceede of cold, vnto whome it procureth notable profite, but if the humour and cause be hot, it doth them no good, but hur∣te••h them, infl••ming and causi••g them to haue greater paynes.
In one thing I haue seene it in many people to bring no∣table profit, with the continual vse of this water, and it is in them which haue foule diseased handes, which cannot exer∣cise them, as they were wont to doe. I healed a Gentleman which could not write, that when he went to write, his hande fell downe by little and little, and the penne also, after hee had begon to write not past fiue or sixe letters. And hee toke a Cuppe full of that, which was last sodden in the morning, and after he dranke it, hee continued twoo houres in his bedde, and after he rose and went about his businesse. And he did eate at his dinner good meates, and at his Supper vsed diet, and dranke the simple water of the self same Sassafras, and he was healed very wel: hauing spent a great somme of money on Phisitions and Medicines, which did not profite him any thing, vntil he came to be remedied in the order as is aforesaide.
Many did certifie mee that, which nowe I finde by ex∣perience, and learned of them that were sicke in the Haua∣na, and could not goe to the stoole, that the Phisition which is there, did cause them to take in the morning fasting a good Cuppe full hotte of the water of the Sassafras, and it did soften the belly, and they went to the stoole very well, which we haue seene heere to bee true by experience. And there was a Soldiour which certif••ed mee, and prooued it, with others of his companie, that hauing stooles by indis∣gestion and rawnesse of stomacke, for want of heate, it tooke them away, with taking of one good cupfull of this water euery morning fasting, and so with drinking it continually, but that which he dranke euery morning, he dranke it cold, and y••t neuerthelesse hee was healed very well of the flixe, which he had many yeeres.
I•• griefes of women the water of Sassafras doeth great∣ly profite, and in especially in that which is called the euil of the Mother: and where there is windinesse, it consumeth & diss••••••eth it, and also any maner of colde of the bel••y, and it
dissolueth the swelling of it, curing any manner of disease which proceedeth of the Mother. And this is so experimen∣ted, and so put in vse, that many haue beene healed with this water, that neuer thought to haue recouered health. And in the withhelding the Monethly course that commeth, not to women, this water maketh a meruellous woorke, by prouo∣king and making it come in them that wholie doe lacke it, taking one Cuppe ful of this water in the morning: & drin∣king it ordinarily at dinner, and at supper, and in the day tyme being more simple, then that in the morning, vsing good regiment, and dooing other thinges which may helpe the water, that it may bee prouoked. And vnto them also to whome it doeth not come wel, it bringeth manifest profite, taking the water in forme as is aforesaide, keeping them the tyme that they take it, from such thinges as may of∣fende them: and beeing vsed it doeth disopilate, and make a good colour in the face, as it is seene by the experience of them that doe vse it, hauing need of it. Let them beware if they haue much heate, or bee of a hotte complexion, in such case let them moderate the quantitie of the wood, and the seething of the water, as is conuenient, and this is easie to be done, by seing howe it goeth with them at the beginning, with the vse of it, and according thereunto they may ryse or fal, as it seemeth to be necessarie.
Some women doe vse of this water, for to make them with childe, and in some it hath wrought the effect as it is wel knowen. That which I can say, is that a gentlewoman, beeing many yeeres married, without hauing children, tooke this water, for that her husbande vsed it for certayne euilles of Opilations, and of an agewe that helde h••m, with certayne sittes of a double tercian which he had, and hee continued with the taking of it in the Morning hotte, and at Dinner simple, and at Supper, and in the day tyme, keeping a good gouernement, whereby it came to passe,
that she was with childe, and brought foorth a sonne.
And I vnderstande, that one of the principall vertues that this water hath, is to dryue away the Mother for this effect, for the most parte of women that haue no children, is for the greate colde that is ingendered within the Mother, which doeth hinder the cause of generation, and as the wa∣ter ryseth it consumeth it, comforting the place and dissol∣uing the windes, that are the let of it: I am sure that it will manifestly profite, as we haue seene in them which doe not bring forth childrē, for hauing too much heate and drieth, to whome permit not the vse of this water, for because it will not profite them, and if they do take it and feele hurt thereof, let them not put the fault in the water, but in their complexi∣ons, seing that it is not conuenient for them.
The vse of this water doeth make fatte, and this is cer∣tainly knowen, for we haue seene many leane and sicke, that haue taken it, and haue healed of their euils, and haue reco∣uered much more flesh, & better colour, as those people that come from the Florida, do praise it very much: & they they al say, that the vse of this water doeth make fat, and it happe∣neth so to many, and not onely it healeth them of their disea∣ses, but also maketh thē remaine with a good colour. And so it seemeth by thē that come from that country, for that they come al fatte, and of a good colour, who I beleeue as they w••re very sick, so that they were very leane & yellow, when as they were healed of their infirmities which they had, they gathered fleshe, and became of a good colour, ingendering in the Liuer good blood, by the which the members were ••etter maintayned, than when they were sicke. And surely it i•• a greate thing that this water shoulde woorke this effect, co••sidering that it is hot and ••rye, if it were not for the cau∣ses that are aboue sayd. And I haue seene many that entered i••, to ta••e the water of the wood, leane, and with an euil colour, to come foorth strong and fatte, and of a good
colour, eating no ot••er thing then Res••nges, Almondes, and Bisket.
In pestilent and contagious diseases, which we haue seen▪ in the time of the Pestilence past, there were many that desi∣red to drinke it, to preserue them from that euill. And we did see that none of them which vsed it, were wounded of the disease, that then reigned. Many did vse to carry a peece of ye Roote of the Wood with them to smell to it continually, as to a Pomander. For with the smell so acceptable it did re∣ctifie the infected ayre: I carried with mee a peece a great time, and to my seeming I found great profite in it. For with it & with the chewing of the rind of the Cidron nor of the Lemmon in the morning, and in the day time, to preserue health it ha••h a great strength and property. And it seemeth to me, that I was deliuered by the helpe of God from the fire, in the which wee that were Phisitions went in, blessed be our Lord GOD that deliuered vs from so great euill, and gaue vs this most excellent tree called Sassafras, which hath so great vertues, and worketh such maruellous effectes as we haue spoken of, and more which Time wil shewe vs, which is the discouerer of all thinges. It shall doe well to shewe the quantitie of the wood, and also the quantitie of wa∣ter, wherein it shall be sodden, & to prescribe a rule in waight and measure, in effectes, and temperatures, for them that are hot, and others that are colde.
I will tell you the order that ought to bee kept in ta∣••ing the water of this excellent wood, which must bee made conformably to the disease of him that shall take it, and ac∣cordin•• to the quantitie and comp••exion of the sicke bodie. For v••to the Cholerike Person the water ought to bee ge∣uen lesse sodden, and with lesse quan••itie of wood, and to the flegmatike more sodden and with more quantitie, of woode. So the diseases should be considered of. U••to them that are very cold the water ought to be geuen more sodden and with more quantitie of Wood. And vnto them th••t
be not so col••e, but doe participate of some heate: the water ought to be geuen lesse sodden, & with lesse quantity of wood. The like shall be done in the hot or cold times, & in the age of the person, or the most causes making to this respect and pro∣portion. And for the more light, I will here set downe the ma∣ner how this water ought to be vsed, the which shall serue to shew how that they may rise or fal therein, cōformably to the opinion which shall seeme good to euery one. For in these in∣firmities that be very cold, they must set vp the water in quil∣lates, both in seething and also in quantity of the wood. And in the diseases that are not so colde, or that doe participate of any heate, they must set the water lower, in Quillats, see∣thing it lesse, & putting in lesse wood, the maner and order of the preparing it is this.
You shall choose the freshest wood that may be had, and that which hath a rynde. For that wood which hath not the rinde, is not good, nor taketh effect, you must procure that it be of the roote, for that is the best of the tree for these ef∣fects and cures, and for the diseases which we haue spoken of. And if in case there be no roote, then the bowes are the best that growe in the higher part of the Trees, and in case the bowe•• lacke, then is the tree good, & if so be that the one and the other haue the rinde of the roote, let there be taken lesse in quantity therof, & more of the bowes, & much more of the tree, which must be double to the quantitie of the roote. Nowe let vs speake of the bowes as of a thing in the middest, be∣tweene the roote and the tree, beeyng that which continu∣ally they doe bring, of the which you shall take halfe an Ounce, and cut it as small as may be. And it must be put into three Pottelles of water in a newe Earthen pot, and there lie a steeping two howres: and after it must bee sodden at a fire of Coales, vntill the two partes bee con∣sumed, and t••e one rem••yne. And after it is colde, let it be strayned and kepte in a glassed vessell, and vpon those small cuttinges of wood that haue beene already sodden, let there
be poured other three Pottels of water, and let it seeth vntil halfe a Pottell bee consumed, and no more, after that it is colde, let it be strayned and kept in a glassed vessell. Let the first water be taken in the morning fasting, halfe a Pint hot, and then keepe your selfe warme, and procure sweate, then change your selfe into hot clothing, and wipe your selfe from the sweate. And eate of a Hen rosted, & dry fruite, and Con∣serua, and drinke of the second water at Dinner and Sup∣per, and in the day time. And then rise and goe well clothed, and flie from all things which may offend you. And at night make a light Supper, and eate drie fruite and Conserua, but eate no flesh at night, and drinke of the second water. And this you may doe for as many dayes as you finde your selfe greeued: and if you finde your selfe well with the vse of this water taken in this maner, proceed forward vntill you be whole, & if not, then cōtinue in taking of the strong water euery third day, & drink of the simple water cōtinually. After this order it may be geuen in all diseases, that we haue trea∣ted of, and it will profite. But many will not submit them∣selues to this labour, which truely is the best of all others, & that which is most conuenient. They may make ••he simple water in this forme.
Let there be taken halfe an ounce of the wood, little more or lesse, with the conditions aforesaide, and let it be made in∣to small peeces, and seeth it in three Pottels of water, vntill halfe be sodden away, rather more then lesse. And of this water you may drinke continually, at Dinner and at Sup∣per, and in the day time, and surely taken in this order it doeth and hath done mauellous woorkes, and moste grea••e Cures, in long diseases, and importunate, taking it and ••eeping a good gouernem••nt in y••ur Meate and other thinges prohibited. And howsoeuer it bee, beyng drunke so simple, it procureth great profite. They that cannot forbeare t••e drinking of wine, may water their wine therewi••h,
for it will rather make it of a better tast and sweetnesse, for this water hath a most sweete smell, and tast, and aboue all, it worketh maruellous effectes, as we haue seene and do see in diuers and sundrie diseases, in the which ordinary remedies of Phisicke doe not profit, with the greate examples which we haue hereof.
And it is to be considered, that principally it doeth profite in longe and colde diseases, and where there is wyndines, & other euils, that run this course, which shalbe knowne foorth∣with by him that shall haue need of it, & vse it. And one thing is to be vnderstoode, that vsing it in the order as is aforesaid, although that he which taketh it haue no neede thereof, it can doe him no hurte, but rather if it be well considered, it wil ma∣nifestly profite him in the time that he shall take it, yea, al∣though he leaue the taking of it when he seeth that he findeth not the profite which hee desireth, nor that it hath done him any hurt or harme during the time that hee hath ta∣ken it.
THey bring from the newe Spayne within this three yeeres a mauellous roote & of great vertues, which is called Carlo Sancto, the which a fa∣ther of S. Francis order dis∣cou••red and published in the prouince of Mechoacan, be∣yng taught by an Indian of that countrie that was verie wise in such thinges, and a man of greate ••xperience, in the vertues of them. In the fir••te parte wee haue de∣cla••ed that there bee many Medicinadle H••ar••es, which haue greate secretes, and vertues. This ••ur Carlo San∣cto groweth in that Prouince, in places which are v••rie
t••mperate, which ••e not drie nor ver•• moyst. The forme and figure thereo•• is like to our wilde Hop•• of Spaine, for it c••rrieth a Lease as they doe, and it r••nn••th vp by any ot••er t••ing that is neere vnto it, and if it haue nothing to lea••e v••to, then it c••eepeth all along vppon the grounde: the co∣lo••r is a sadde gr••ene, it car••ieth neither flow••e nor fru••t, the smell that it hath is little, and acceptable to some. Out of the Roote s••ri••geth a grosse tree, and it casteth foorth other Rootes of the greatnesse of a finger: it is white in colour, and hath a Rinde which falleth from the inner parte, the hearte of it is meruellously wrought: for it is com∣pounded of certayne small boordes very thinne, and they may be deuided by one and one, the roote hath a pleasant smell, and beeyng chewed, it hath a notable bitternesse, wi••h some sharpnesse of tast: this roote hath his vertue in the Rinde.
In the ships that he now come, there c••me the satin: p••e of it, and now there is more knowledge of the vertues t••erof then before there was. Many of them that came in this flee••e from the newe Spayne, doe speake much good of this roote. But he that speaketh most of it, is a Gentleman that came from Mechoacan, & brought a good quantity of it with him. That as he reporteth, & also what we haue experimented of it, we wil speake of, and also of the complection and tempe∣ra••ure thereof, which is hot, & drie, in the first part of the se∣cond degree.
The principall effect that this Roote doth profite in, is in ••••••mes and runninges of the head, for it causeth them to flo••e out of the mouth, and ••ringeth them from the head, ••y 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a little of the Rind of the Roote, a good time, but it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be t••ken in t••e mor••ing fasting, & it boydeth out much 〈◊〉〈◊〉, •• h••mors from ye head, that would go to the stoma••e, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 othe•• partes, but before this be done, it is conuenient, that 〈…〉〈…〉 be purged.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••hat chew it, w••ich can eas••ly vomite, doe vomite
with chewing of it, & it causeth them to cast out much Cho∣ler and fleume, and much more it maketh them vomite, if they take the decoction of it, for it maketh the humour to come vp, which is in the stomake with much easinesse. The roo••e comforteth the stomake, and also the gummes by chew∣ing of it, and it fortifieth the teeth, and doeth preserue them from woormes, and that they rotte not, nor corrupt. It maketh a good smell in the mouth, and because it is bitter, it is conuenient after that you haue chewed it, that you wash your mouth with wine, that the bitternesse may be taken away.
In the infirmities of women chiefly, where opilations are, and lacke of purgation, the pouder of the rynde of the Roote doeth dissolue them, and taketh them away, and ma∣keth their purgation to come downe well with the vse there∣of. It must be taken with wine, or with water, sodden with Coriander, and Cinamon, which they must drinke, whiles they doe take it: it dissolueth windes, and comforteth the stomake, whiles they vse it, they must annoynt their Bel∣lie with the oyle of Liquide Amber, and Dialtea of equall partes, and first they must bee purged, and take heede that they keepe all good order, and good gouernment.
In the euils of the hearte, chiefly beeyng ioyned with the Mother, the saide pouders and the water sodden with the rynde of the Roote, doe woorke very greate effectes. They must take the pouder in the order as is aforesaide: and the weight of twelue pence of the roote, cut small and sod∣den in one Pottell and a halfe of water, vntill halfe bee sod∣den away: and then they must cast into it the waight of two shillinges of the ryndes of Cidrous beeyng ••rie, and the weight of twelue pence of Cinamom made in pouder, and geue it certayne seethinges with them, and then strayne it: and they must take euery morning a small vess••l of sixe Ounces of this seething with Sugar, because it is some∣what
what bitter, or without it as you please: and it is to be noted, that before you begin to vse it, you must make the vniuersall euacuations, which shall be conuenient.
This Gentleman sayeth which brought this Roote, t••at it profiteth muche, in the disease of the Poxe, taking it in Pouder, or the seething of it: which I haue not ex∣perimented, for that wee haue so many remedies for this euill, that wee haue made no experience thereof: he saith that it is to be taken without keeping, more, then when they be taking the water, or pouder, and that then they keepe good order and good gouernment in their meates, and in all other thinges.
In the falling sicknesse, a strong disease, and well neere incurable, they say that it hath a great propertie, and wor∣keth greate effectes: taking the pouder of the rinde of the roote, with wine or with water, as is most conuenient for him that shall take it. I counselled one heere, who was more then fourtie yeeres of age, and had had it of long time, to take it, and hitherto he hath not felte more then to vomite with the pouder, when he taketh it, and he casteth vp much Choler, and his faintnesse is not so great as it was wont to be. It seemeth to me, that it cannot take it away. For it shoulde worke that effect in them, that doe not passe twenty and fiue yeeres, who vnto that time haue remedy. I will proue it vp∣pon such: it woulde be no little good, that it might worke the effect that is spoken of it.
In griefes of the Head, they vse this roote in those partes, as a great and sure remedy. I will tell what hath passed. The first time that I sawe this roote, was in the power of one which was sicke, who came from Mexico, and he brought it for a greate thing, saying: that he healed there with and tooke away the paynes of the head, which he had certayne dayes, and he asked me if that he shoulde vse it. I tasted of the roote, and it seemed to me as I haue sayde,
and I counselled him that he shoul•• vse it, as they had willed him to doe in Mexico, and so he did chewe it in the morning, and it tooke away the paines of the head, which a long tyme had molested him.
After this, a passenger tolde mee, which came in the Shippe, where the Gentleman was that brought a quanti∣tie of this roote, and he chewed it wel, & did disfleume there∣with, and immediatly it tooke away the payne, & he shewed me a little that remained therof, which was the same that I sawe, and since that, some haue vsed it, and it hath done very wel with them.
In the toothache, they that haue brought it into Spaine do much esteeme of it. And being in the lodging where this man was which brought the roote, the host of the house cer∣tified me, that hauing the toothache very grieuous, it tooke it away from him with chewing the rinde of the roote, on the same side where the tooth was which grieued him, disfleming therewith as much as he could. And I being one day in the Custome house curing a Genoues which was there, an other of the same Nation complained vnto mee of the toothache, and wee caused to be brought some of the said Roote, and in the presence of as many as were there, hee chewed the rinde of this roote, hauing very greate paynes, and he auoyded much Fleume, and in disfleming it began to take away the paynes, and before he went from thence hee was throughly cured. Certaine dayes past I had a grief in one tooth, so that it pained me all one Night, and parte of one day, and I gathered in a garden which I haue in my house, c••rtaine leaues of Tabaco, and also the aforesaid roote, and I chewed both together, and disfleumed, and the paines went from me, and returned no more to me, being more then sixe monethes after I was payned therewith. This is the effect, that I haue obtayned of this Carlo Sancto, which being so little tyme knowen, is sufficient. The tyme will discouer the rest, and as wee shal vnderstande more of it, so
so wee wil giue notice thereof.
FRom the Florida they bring certayne rounde Rootes which are called the Beades of Sainct Elen. And they take this name by reason that they grow in a place of that Country that is so called: they are greate large Rootes, deuided into seueral peeces, and cuttinges, euery peece by it selfe, they remaine rounde as Beades, which be∣ing bored in the midst, they make of them Beads for to pray vpon, which the Souldiers do hang about their necks, for a thing of great estimation. They dry them, and they are as ha••de as a bone, on the outwarde part they are blacke, and within white, and the Rinde is ioyned in such sorte, that the harte and it is made alone, they are wrought after they bee dry, and this Roote beeing tasted, hath a sweete smel, with a good taste. And it seemeth by the taste that it is a kinde of Spyce, for it i•• lyke to Galanga, they are of the thickenesse of a mans thombe, somwhat lesse, the Plant hath a great stalke: the Bowes doe spread by the grounde, and cast out the leaues broade and greate, and very greene. It groweth
commonly in moyst places, the complexion thereof is hot in the ende of the second degree, and more drie the•• in th•• ••ir••t, th•• ver••ues thereof are these.
The Indians vse t••e hearbe beaten betweene t••••o st••nes ••hen they pretend to wash themselues, ••ubbing ••••l their body with it: for they say that i•• knit••eth their fl••••h t••∣g••t••er, and comforteth them with his good smell. And this they doe for the most part euery day, for the great profit that they f••nde in it.
In griefes of the Stomacke, the Indians doe vse it, by taking the Pouder of it, and our Spania••ds also take it, for the same purpose, receiuing it in wine, being grounde smal, of the which I haue seene notable experience in some.
In the griefe of the Stone of the Ridneis or Reines, the Pouder of this Roote woorketh a knowen effect. For that some haue taken this roote made into Pouder in wyne, ha∣uing the grief, and it hath taken it away. And I maruell not at al that his manifest quātitie is sufficient, to worke the like effectes.
In griefes of the Uryne of them that cannot pisse wel, by taking the Pouder, it doth profite, and expel it. A thing v∣sed of many that haue come from those partes, for that they haue proued it in the lyke euilles, and here hath bin seene the same experience. And one that had a stone which h••e coulde not auoyde from him, vsed certaine dayes the pou∣der of this roote, and did easily auoyde the same. A ••••ul∣dier brought Beades at his Necke, made of these rootes, and m••t with me•• one day, and asked mee if I knew tho••e Beades, and of what they were made, & he saide it was told him that they w••re ••oote•• of Gentiana. But I declared v••to him, that the ••••••des ••ere made of certayne rootes, that 〈…〉〈…〉 of ••aint Elen, & that they were not made of Gentiana▪ a••d then he tolde me great vertues of them, •• t••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 v••r•• rare that the vse of thē had wroug••t ••hi••h I did beleeue: for it seem••th well, in the roote that they ha••e
greate Medicinal vertues, according to their fashion, and sweete smell, and by that which I had experimented of them.
THey haue brought in these Shippes ••n hearbe from the newe Spayne that the Indians cal Guacatane, and it is lyke to our wilde tyme, sauing that it hath no smel, it is a litle hearbe, whitish, I know not whether it carry Flower or fruyte, the hearbe I haue without the roote: the name that it hath amongst the Indians, is as aforesaid, and the same name the Spaniardes also haue geuen it. The In∣dians doe vse it for their infirmities whereof we wil speake, and for the same the Spaniards doe vse it likewise there in the Indias, and they also which haue brought it hither, with notable profite.
In griefe of the Pyles they vse it in this manner: they grinde or stampe the hearbe very small, and wash the Piles with wine, in the which there is sodden this hearbe,
and if there bee heate in them, they seeth it in water, & with that hot seething they wash them, and then they dry them softly, and cast the Pouder of this hearbe vpon them, & sure∣ly the effect that it worketh is maruellous. Thus after I saw the good efects therof, I much esteemed the hearbe.
Whensoeuer you haue any griefe of colde or of windines in any parte of the body wheresoeuer it bee, apply Turpen∣tine vnto all partes, wheresoeuer the griefe is, and cast the pouder of this hearbe being smal ground vppon it, and lay a Linnen cloth vpon that, that it may cleaue fast as a Plai∣ster, in such sorte, that it be not taken away, vntil the griefe bee gone. And of this there is manifest experience, by them of the Indias, and also by vs of Spayne. The pouder of this hearbe cast vpon lit∣tle sores, and especially in the se∣cret places doeth mundifie, and heale them.
THey bring lykewyse from the newe Spaine, a kinde of Barley, which they cal smal Barley: they giue it this name, for the likenesse which it hath vnto our Barley: for it casteth out an eare like vn∣to it, and in the vaynes, the seede is shut, but it is different from it in qualities & vertues: for that this smal Barley, is the strongest poyson, which at this day in hearbe, or plant hath beene seene, inso∣much that it woorketh the same effect, which Sublimatum doeth. And wheresoeuer it is needful to burne, or eate away dead or rotten flesh, putting the pouder of this seed thertoo, it wil doe the like worke that any burning Iron shal doe. It extinguisheth and killeth any canker, howe strong soeuer it bee, it killeth and expelleth Wormes, wheresoeuer they bee, it eateth fleshe which is naught and rotten, taking it from the sores, and making them cleane from such euill fleshe.
The Indians for that they had no Sublimatum, nor o∣ther remedies which wee haue, when they shoulde vse the lyke, they had and haue this seede most strong, and surely so it is, and they doe vse it, as a remedy most strong, and of great efficacie. This pouder must bee layde too, by little and little, more or lesse, conformably to the greatnesse of the euil, applying things defensiue, which is vsed to be laid too, when as the lyke remedies are vsed.
In olde sores and filthy, where it is needfull, that naughty rotten fleshe bee eaten away, with taking of this Seede, and grinding it, and dissoluing it well with water of Planten, or of Roses, weating in the cleare wa∣ter that shall remayne vppon it, some small clothes, or in place of the smal clothes, lint of fine Linen cloth, weate in the water, it cleanseth the sore, eating the euil fleshe in such sorte: for howe euill, olde, and filthy soeuer that the sore
bee, it leaueth it cleane, and being laide to the flesh, it doeth soder and heale them, and after this is done, you must vse the Medicines which haue vertue to ingender flesh. And the ef∣fect of this seede is no more then to mundifie, & make cleane, and to take away the superfluitie of the wounde.
The self same effect that this seede worketh in vs, it wor∣keth in beastes also, which for the most part haue very euill sores, that bee cankered, and full of Wormes, the seede being laide vnto them, if the cause bee so great, that it doth requyre it: or the water of it, as it is sayde, maketh the lyke woorke, as wee haue spoken of, and better, vsing alwayes the defensiues as is conuenient, where such Medicines bee applyed, for that it is a Medicine most strong, and it hath neede of them all.
I wil shewe you what happened to me with it. An Indi∣an brought me this seede with many other hearbes, and go∣ing about to discouer them and being come to this seede, I tooke a graine and put it into my mouth, to proue it. He that brought it, as one which knew it wel, kept back my hand, & would not suffer me to proue it: & for all that I parted with my teeth one graine, which is no greater then one grayne of hempe seede, but some deale lesser, and beareth some likenes of it: at the tyme that it came to the point of the tongue, the seede being parted, made me a blister vpon it, which dured with me certaine dayes: I commended it to the Deuil, and then I beleeued what they had certified me of it. I began to make experience of it, and it wrought more effectually then was spoken of it. It is hot in the fourth degree, and more if there be any more degrees.
Also I haue an Hearbe which being sodde, and the water of it taken hot, healeth the euils of the brest: I know not the name of it, but in the remembrance of them which came, it was written.
And an other which enforceth to cast out the dead childe of the belly: of thi•• the Indians haue great expe∣rience
for this effect, and once in these countries, it hath profited.
They brought me two drie hearbes, which I would haue been glad to haue seene greene: the one of these being in the field in all his force, if a man or woman doe put their handes vpon him, forthwith he falleth downe dead vpon the ground. And the other lying abroade vpon the ground, in touching it to gather it, it shutteth it self together as a Cabadge of the Countrie of Murcia, Thinges meruellous, and of much con∣sideration.
I haue blacke Eleboro, brought from the Prouince of Mechoacan, like to that of Spayne, and woorking the like effect.
Certaine dayes past, a young man which tooke counsell of me, that came from the Prouice of Quito, and beeyng with me, there came vnto me a neighbour of mine, saying, that his daughter was verie sicke of the Flixe, and I had her in cure, and her disease increased with blood, requesting me that I shoulde goe to visite her. The Indian which was with me, asked me if they were stooles of blood, I said yea: and he sayd vnto me that he woulde geue her a thing, that beyng made into pouder and taken, woulde take them away forthwith, & that in the Prouince of Quito, it had been expe∣rimented many times. The Father of the sicke maiden, went with him to his house, and he gaue him certayne peeces of a fruite, which seemed to be of a greate tree: of the one parte they were very smooth, and of colour yeallowe, and of the other they were very sharpe and very redde, insomuch that they seemed of a purple colour. They were ground smal, and he gaue the pouder to the sicke womā, with the water of the hed of Roses, once that Euening, & an other time in the Morning, and immediatly the Flixe did cease, & from tha•• time waxed better, whereby she came to be whole.
And as for the man I neuer saw him, after he gaue it to her▪
〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉RIght worshipfull & famous Doctor, it will seeme a newe thing to your worship, that I being not learned, not of your profession, doe write to you in things of your faculty, being a Souldier that haue followed the warres in these Countries al my life: I haue done this, because I am affe∣ctioned to your worship, by reason of a book which you haue cōpiled of the medicines which are in these partes, & of the vertues & benefits, that by thē haue byn recey∣ued, which are so great that I cannot declare thē, as they deserue. And by means of your book we haue order how we should vse the remedies which we haue here, for be∣fore we did vse thē without rule or measure, so that ney∣ther they did work effect, nor with them the people were wel remedied, which now is to the cōtrary, & by meanes of your books, there hath been people remedied, that ne∣uer thought to haue had remedy nor health. It is more then 28. yeeres vnto this day, that I haue gone wādring by al these Indias, where are many things of those, which your worship doth write of in your book, & other things also which haue not byn brought thither, for bicause the Phisitions that come to these parts, are nothing curious. They apply not their eye to the vniuersal wealth, but to their owne particular, for they come onely to enrich thē∣selues, & for the most part they be ignorāt people which passe to those Indias, they doe not esteeme of the good which they might doe. And though that I haue no lear∣ning, I am affectioned to men of learning, & so I am to
your worship, for that I vnderstood of your bookes, and for the same that you haue in these partes, which is great, although I knowe you not, yet I was willing to take these paines, which is a contentment to m••▪ You write in your book, geuing knowledge of the Bezaar stone, & set down the signes of the beasts which haue thē: which being cō∣sidered, we haue happened vpon a kind of beasts that liue in the moūtaines of this country, which are much like to sheep or kiddes which your woorship speaketh of, which are in the Indias of Portugal, which breede & haue these stones, of the which there are many in this country, in the mountaines, & colde countries. They are for the moste of a darke red colour, they are fed with healthful herbes, wherof is greate plentie in the mountaines, where these beasts do feed they be very swift, insomuch that they can∣not bee hunted, but with the hande Gun: they haue no hornes, and in that onely they doe differ from them of the East India, for in all the rest they are the same.
The 15. day of Iune in this yeere of 1568. I & certain gē∣tlemen my freends went to the mountaines, to hūt, & we were a hunting fiue dayes, and we killed some of those beasts, which I haue spoken of. And as we went for this purpose, thinking that they were of the kind, of thē of the East India: we carried your booke with vs, & we opened one of them, the greatest that we hunted, and oldest we colde finde, & we found no stones in his belly, nor in any other part of him, nor any other thing, wherby we bel••e∣ued that they were not the same kind of beasts with those of the East India. And we asked of certaine Indians that went to serue vs, where these beasts had their stones, & as they are our enimies, & would not that we should knowe their secrets, they answered vs that they knew nothing of these stones, vntil one boy which was amongst them be∣ing an Indian of the age of 12. yeres, seeing, that we were so desirous to know the same, shewed vs the secrete of the 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
haue byn vsed since that hunting, that I haue spoken of, which were the first that haue bin discouered in the world for the vse to heale diseases: & we do trust that with them wil be done maruellous woorkes, according as they haue begun to do thē. & all this is owing to your worship, seing that by your book we had knowledge to seek them, & to discouer them, & to take them out of these beastes, which had them so hidden within them, that surely ther is much owing to your worship, for discouering vnto vs so great a treasure, as this is, which is the greatest that hath bin foūd in these parts, wherby our nation is much bound to you, & likewise al the world, because al men shal profit by thē, & the rest of the secrets which you haue set down in your book, which bringeth vnto vs great profit. And in recom∣pence of the benefit which I haue receiued, I send here to your woorship a dosen of stones, by the returne of Iohn Anthony Corso, the rich Merchant, which if they come thither, your worship may make experience of them, in many infirmities, for you shal find great effectes in them. By the same returne also your worship may aduise me of them, & any thing that shal please you to commaund me, I wil do it, as one that is most affectioned to you, because you are curious and learned, & for doing so much good to the world, in those thinges which you haue written & published. Heerewithall I send you a small Chest, in the which come certaine Frisoles, which you may command to be sowen in the beginning of Marche, that the colde doe not hurte them, which send foorth a plant like vnto beanes, but somewhat lesse, which haue certaine vaines where the seed is. Halfe a dozen of them eaten with salt, & being of the tast of green beanes, they purge valiantly, & euacuate the water of him which hath the dropsie, with∣out paynes. The selfe same effect it worketh if that they be dry, making thē into pouder, & taking thē with wine & it is needful that meat be made in a redines: for if they work to much, by taking more then they should be, with eating
any thing incontinent, the worke wil cease.
Also I sende you an hearbe, which groweth in these plaine countries, clounge to the ground like vnto grasse, which is of great vertues for many infirmities, chiefly for them which are grieued with Reumes and Fleumes in the throate, taking them away easily with great bene∣fite, and in this, & griefes of the head & Reumes chew∣ing it, they do dissleume very much: they call this hearbe after my name, because I vse it for the like euils, for that an Indian did teach it me, which knew much of the ver∣tue of hearbes.
Also I send your worship a fruite of a tree which is of great profit, & these trees be not founde in any countrie but in this they are of the greatnesse of an Oke, of those in Spain: it hath many vertues, for the rinde, being made in pouder, and cast into any sore which is needful to bee made cleane, it maketh it cleane, & afterward causeth the flesh to grow, & healeth it. And rubbing the teeth with this pouder, it maketh thē cleane very wel, & being laid vpon the gummes, if the flesh be taken away, it doeth in∣carnate them, & if the teeth be loose, it maketh thē fast. Seething the leaues of this tree well in water, & washing with the water thereof any manner of swelling, which hath any sore, or that is therof cankered, it taketh away the swelling, and impostume. And making some small li∣nen clothes weate in this seething, & laying them warme vpon the medicine, which is laide vpon the sore, or vpon the pouder that is made of the rinde: it maketh the sores to heale more quickly, causing that there come no hu∣mour to them. Out of the saide tree commeth a Rosine, which is of sweete smel, and serueth to perfume in many diseases of the head, & to make plaisters for many e••ils, and heere I send it to your worship. Of the fruite the In∣dians make a certaine drinke, which is for them very health••ul. Your worshippe may commande them to b••e sowen, for I would be glad that they should grow, for it
will bee a thing of much delight, for the profite that it bringeth in Phisicke, and for the noueltie of the tree, for at al tymes it hath a very good smel. I brought into this country a blacke woman, which I bought in Xerez de la Frontera, and there did appeare vpon her when we came hither certain olde sores in her legs, which were of long continuance, and comming to the Ilande of the Marga∣reta, and beeing very sorowefull for the sores which my blacke woman had, an Indian tolde me that hee woulde heale her, and seeing that she had no other remedy, I de∣liuered her to the custodie of the Indian, that he might heale her for me, and immediatly he toke a fruite, which is common in that country, and al people ingeneral doe eate it, which is of the greatnes of an Orenge, & it hath a stone like vnto a Peach. This stone the Indiā did burne, and made it into pouder, for the stone is hard, & can not be grounde, without burning of it: and he cast the pou∣der of it into the sores, which she had ful of much rotten flesh, and very filthy, which with the pouder were made cleane and very well, and it tooke out al the rotten flesh to the bone, and after it was cleane, with lint and a litle pouder laid too it, they began to be filled with newe flesh, vntil they were ful of flesh, and she was healed very wel. And it is to be considered, that the little kernel of the stone hath so much venom, & malice in it, that if any person or beast doe eate it, hee dieth forthwith without remedie, as though he had eaten any manner of venom corsiue, as Sublimatum, or any other Poyson.
In the Towne of Posco where I dwelt certaine yeeres, there was an Indian, which did cure the Indians and the Spaniards of any maner of grief or disease that they had, with anointing their Iointes and the partes which did grieue them, with the iuyce of a certain hearbe, & forth∣with he wrapped thē in many clothes, & they did s••eate at the ioynts pure blood. And also in the sick part where he did lay the iuyce, and as they went sweating he made
cleane the blood with a Linen cloth, vntil hee perceyued that they had sweat sufficiētly, & with this he healed ma∣ny diseases that were incurable. And I am able to say, that many did thinke that they had waxed yong againe, and were more strong and yong than they were before. Hee fel sicke, & for al that wee could do with giftes and faire words, and fierce words, and threatnings, he woulde ne∣uer tel vs what hearbe it was, nor shewe it to any man in this country. There is found a kind of tree, that is of soft Timb••r, the Indians wil make no fire of it, although you kil them. For that they say, if any of them come neere to the fire that is made of this tree, or receiue the smooke of it, he remaineth impotent, for women. And they haue this so certain in persuasion, and it is so verified, that you shal not make them to come neere the fire, that is made of that tree, for any thing in the worlde, for they are so carnal that they wil none of this.
They heale in these countries any swellings which are in thee feete or legges, caused of colde humors, with an hearbe called Centella, which being stamped and laid to the swelling, there arise certaine Blisters, by the which there commeth forth great quātitie of water & humors, vntil it leaue th•• Foote, or the legge dry. I haue seene great experience by these euacuations, amongēst the In∣dians, for they vse them much, & I haue seene some Spa∣niards vse it, and were healed of th•• lyke diseases.
In the yere 1568. in the Prouince of Chile, they did cut of frō certain Indians being prisoners, the calues of their legs, to eate them, & they rosted them for that purpose, & that which is of more admiration, they applied vnto the place where they were cut, leaues of certain hearbes, & there came not out a drop of blood, and many did see it. And this was done in the Citie of S. Iames, in the pre∣sence of the Lord Don Garcia de Mendosa, which was a thing that made al men maruell at it.
There are to be found here very few hearbes and trees like vnto those of Spaine, for that the earth doeth not beare them: but in the newe Spaine there are more of them than in any other parte of the Indias. For when it was conquered, they found many trees and hearbes and Plantes like vnto those of Castile, and birdes and beastes likewise. We ha••e heere snakes which bring admiration to such as see thē, for they be as greate as men, which are for the most parte tame, & do no hurt. Here are Spyders as great as Oranges, & very venomous. It raineth Todes as greate as those of Spaine, which the Indians doe eate rosted, for they are a people which eate al kinde of veno∣mous beastes. There bee so many buytres, which breede in many Ilandes, that are in the sea, neere to the lande, that they eate vp the Cattel, and such numbers of them that it is wonderful, and as the keepers of them be black so they care litle for them. One thing doeth make mee maruel, that the kine which are bread in the moūtaines, being brought to the plaine ground, doe al dye. I sawe a friend of mine that brought 300. Kine to be weayed, & they staid a tyme before they were wayed, and by litle & litle, in one moneth there remained not one, but al died. And that which is more to bee maruelled at, is, that they died al trembling, and consumed. Some there be that do attribute it to the mountaines which is a countrie most cold, and it raineth euery day, and in the plaine countrie where there is no raine, but it is hotte, and as they moue from one extremitie to an other they dye, that trulie is a thing worthy of consideration, to see howe that in the space of eight Leages, little more or lesse, which are of plaine grounde from the coast to the mountaine, by a long vale of more then one thousande Leages, it neuer raineth in them, and in the mountaines it rayneth euery day.
Your worship shall vnderstande, that the eight day of
October in this yere, there came hither a Cosin of mine, called Alonso Garcia, a good Souldiour, who tell••th vs that he hath found an hearbe which is good against the venomous hearbe, which the wild people do v••e. Which hearbe doeth kil without remedy, and these valiant peo∣ple of the Indias doe vse it in their warres. And likewyse those that dw••l from the Charcas towardes Chile, and liue like vnto wilde people, mainteining themselues on∣ly by hunting, and fleshe of mankinde, who haue killed with their arrowes which are poysoned with these vene∣mous hearbes, an infinite number of Spaniardes▪ which they say bee not good to eate, for that their fleshe is hard, so that when they kil them, they kepe them to wax tender, three daies or foure daies. But with this hearbe that is now found, the hurt shal be much remedied, that they doe make. Howbeit our people doe not much feare them, but only the hearbe which they shoote withal, for that it maketh them to dye by madnesse, without any re∣medy. And now with the recoūtering hearbe which they haue founde, they are al gladned. They say it is an hearbe that carrieth very broade leaues, which are like to the leaues of Planten of Spaine: which being beaten & layd to the wound that is poysoned, kill the venome, and im∣mediatly take away the accidents, which the venome of the hearbe procureth. They take it for a greate matter in that country, that they haue found such a remedy. And you shal vnderstand that the coūter hearbe was found in the same country, where the hearbe of poyson was: & I thinke it be also in other parts, but there where the hurt is done, our Lords wil was to discouer the r••medy.
I note vnto your worship these things, to the ••nde by them yee may consider, howe many more hearbes▪ and plante•• of greate vertues lyke to those, this our Indias haue, which we haue not yet attained v••to, for as the In∣dians are a naughty kinde of p••ople, and our enemi••s▪ so 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
and beeing tasted and vsed betweene the teeth they are pure Earth. The stone hath neither sauour nor tast, rather it doth coole then heate, and they be ordinarily as great as beanes, or bigger. For the most part there are both greate and little of them, and it seemeth wel by them that they haue medici∣nal vertues: many persons bring them, which are now come in this Fleete, who come to mee as though I were the first discouerer of them. They declare maruellous effects of thē, that i•• seemeth wonderful. I brake one and gaue it made in∣to pouder, to a boye, of whome it was sayde that venom had bene giuen to him. I cannot tel whether any other benefites done vnto him, or that healed him, but hee was well recoue∣red. I wil vse it in other infirmities, and what I find of their operation, and the rest of the medicines, which shalbe new∣ly discouered, I wil shew in the thirde volume, which I wil wryte of this Medicinall historie, wherein shalbee expressed thinges maruellous, and greate secretes of Phisicke, that may giue contentation to al men, and much more to the sick, that shalbe healed with them. Of one thing you must bee ad∣uertised, that which is heere written, part of it we haue lear∣ned of them that haue come from those partes, and brought knowledge of them hither: and parte is attributed to theyr complexion, and qualities, what they may doe: and part wee haue experimented: and in all haue this consideration, that al these things which are brought from our Indias, bee for the most parte hotte, and see that you vse them in this qualitie, in all causes wherein they shal bee need∣ful. And it is needful that there bee some ad∣uertisement giuen heereof, since the vse of the things doeth so import it.
the other the blood of Drago, in bread.
The one, and the other, haue vertue to retayne any maner of the fluxe of the bellie, layde vppon the bellie, or geuen in glisters, or taken by the mouth. Made into pouder, it staieth the running of the head, and to the lower parts applied, in a∣ny maner of fluxe of blood, it doeth retaine and slanch it. It sodereth and gleweth woundes together, which be fresh and new made. It letteth that the teeth fall not out, and it maketh the flesh to grow on the bare gummes. It is a meruellous co∣lour for Painters. And besides this, it hath many other ver∣tues. I do meane to sow some of the seed, to see if it wil grow in these partes. It is thought that the blood of Drago is tem∣perate, with little heate.
There was a gumme geuen vnto me which they bring from the firme lande of the Peru, wherewith they purge them, which haue the Goute in those partes, they put of it as much as a Nut into distil••ed water, and let it stande all the night in steepe, and in the morning they strayne and wring it, and take that water, which must be the quantity of two Ounces: and the patient must remayne without meate, till the middest of the day, and therewith they purge the humour, which causeth the Goute. I saw a Gentleman who came in this last Fleete, vse it, which hee brought for remedie of this euill, who was full of the Goute, and with vsing this euacuation, he findeth himselfe well, and the Goute doeth not come to him, as it was woont to doe, for that it came to him very cruelly, and often: and he gaue mee as muche as a small Nutte, and would geue me no more, and I gaue it in the order aforesaide, to one which had the Goute, and hee had three stooles with it. I know not how it will proue, it were needfull to haue more quantitie, for to proceede forewarde, in more experience thereof: but it will bee brought hither by others, as they haue done many other thinges. It hath a go••d tast in the
taking, for that it hath neither smel nor sauour, it maketh his worke without paynes. It is hot in my opinion, in the first degree. I know not what manner of thing the Tree is, wher∣out they take it, for hee which brought it, knoweth not so much himselfe.
THis beasts portraiture I tooke out of an other naturally made, which was in the Counting house of Gonsalo de Molina, a Gentleman of this Citie, in the which there is greate quantitie of Bookes of diuers Authours, and the fashion and fourme of many kindes of Beastes, and Birdes, and other curious thinges, brought from the Orien∣tall Indias, as also from the Occidentall, and from other partes of the worlde. And great variety of coynes and stones of antiquity, and differences of armes, which with greate cu∣riositie, and with a noble minde, he hath caused to be brought thither.
〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉waight then two pound: hollowe in some partes, and very white: they are al somwhat heauie. Of these stones they haue in the Indias great ••xperience: geuing them made into pou∣der, vnto those that suffer the griefe of the stone in the Kyd∣neies, and to them that cannot pisse, and to them that cannot cast out the stone of the Reines, and of the Bladder, beeyng of such greatnesse that it may not passe out. This is a thing amongst the Indians very common, and well knowne: and likewise amongest the Spaniardes, which dwell in those partes and they which come hither auerre it plainly, and af∣firme it to be so. I haue tasted it, and it seemeth a thing vnsa∣uorie, but I haue not proued it, nor applied hitherto, in time it shal be done, & we wil geue some reason thereof.
They bring also from the newe Kingdome and from the prouince of Cartagena, a certayne Turpētine, very cleare, & of sweet smel, much better then that they call de Vetae, which they bring from Venice: it hath all the vertues that the good Turpentine hath, & it worketh the selfesame effectes, & bet∣ter, and with greater efficacie and readinesse.
Here hath beene vsed of it in woundes, and it is a thing maruellous to see the good worke which it doeth, especially in wounds of ioyntes and Sinewes, & of Legges, wherein I haue seene gre••t works done with it. And it doth mundifie being mingled with other thinges, all kind of olde soares, & it is an excellent thing, washed, & prepared, for the faces of Ladies which haue neede of it.
Moreouer they bring from the selfesame parts Caranna, of Cartagena, purified so cleare that it is like to Cristal, and surely it is better, & it is applied vnto much better effect then that which hithervnto hath come, and maketh better works, and is of a more sweet smel, and more excellent in operation.
MAny persons of them which came now in this last Fleate from the firme land, brought very good Mechoacan, better then that of the new Spaine, gathered in the Coast of Ni∣caraga, and in Quito: yea, since the Mechoacan was dis∣couered, in the new Spaine, they haue founde the selfsame hearbe and roote in those partes which I doe speake of. And they vse it to purge, and it doth maruellous works, and they vse it in those countries and in al the firme land, as they did vse that which was brought from the newe Spaine, with maruellous successe.
From the Cape of Saint Elen, which is in the same coast, they bring another kind of Mechoacan, but it is very strong, and beeing taken it causeth great accidentes of vo∣mites and faintnesse, with many stooles, and for this cause they cal it Escamonea, & no man vseth it, bicause it bringeth 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
by incision, which commeth foorth like to a whyte teare or drop, most cleare, with a maruellous sweete smel, declaring wel the maruellous effectes, and Medicinal vertues that it hath, of the which wee haue treated in the first parte. And that Balsamo which is made by seething, as wee doe there showe, we see the maruellous effectes that it worketh, with so great and maruellous vertues, that it bringeth admirati∣on to the whole worlde, with many other maruels which he∣therunto we haue seene, that be there spoken of. And greater wil these woorkes bee, that shal bee done with the Balsamo which they nowe bring, made by incision: seeing that one drop of this is more woorth then twoo Gallons of the other, as it is manifestly seene by vsing of it.
And surely that which was in Egypt, and failed so ma∣ny members of yeeres past, I beleeue that it had not more vertues then this. And I am sure that this is of greater ver∣tue and effectes then euer that was of. I haue the fruite of this tree, which is little, according to the greatnesse of the tree, and it is a grayne as great as a white Pease, the taste of it is a little bitter, it is shut into the end of a little ••od of the length of a finger, beeing narrowe, whyte, and thinne, of the thicknesse of vi. d. It carieth no more but one graine in the ende, which is the fruite that the Indians doe vse, to perfume them withal, in griefes of the head, and in Reumes. Surely the Balsamo is a maruellous thing, and it sheweth well in it selfe what it is, according to the workes therof.
They bring moreouer from the firme land a Turpētine, or Licor, which is called Deabeto, and it is gathered from certaine trees of mixture, they be not Pine trees, nor Ci∣pres, for they bee higher then our Pine trees, they are as straight as Cipresses trees. In the highest part of the tree, it bringeth forth certaine bladders of two sortes, the which are great and smal, and being broken, there cometh foorth of them a maruellous licour, which falleth drop after
droppe, and the Indians gather them with great delibera∣tion, and they receiue the same droppes which bee in the bladder into a shel, and alwayes haue shelles lying vnder the bladders, whereou•• they distill, and it is a thing done with such leasure, that many Indians doe gather very little al the whole day.
The Licor serueth for all things that the Balsamo doeth, it healeth very well woundes, it taketh away colde griefes, and windie. Some do take it for the griefs of the stomacke, caused of colde humors, or for windines, with a little white wyne. And it is to be vnderstood, that the Balsamo which is made by seething, or that which is made by incision, and this or any other manner of Licour of these of the Indias, which is to bee taken by the mouth, ought to bee taken but in little quantitie, which must not bee more then foure or fiue droppes, and it must not be taken in the Palme of the hand as it is sayde, but putting a litle wine or Rose water into a spoone, and pouring vpon that the droppes of Balsamo, & putting the spoone wel into your mouth, and letting the Li∣cor fal in, so that it touch not the tongue. For taken with it, or touching it, the sauour and tast is not remoued away in a long time: & it procureth an euell tast, in such sort, that for this onely cause many doe abhorre it, and wil not take it, and from others it hath taken away the lust of their meate, by re∣ceiuing it and touching it with the tongue.
ALso they bring from Cartagena, and from the coast of the firme lande, from Nata neere to Veraga, a certain kinde of Peper, which they cal long Peper, which hath a sharper taste, then the Pe∣per which is brought from the Oriental Indias, and biteth more then it, and is of more sweete taste, and of better smell, then that of Asia, or the Peper of the East India: it is a gentle spyce, to dresse meates withall, and for this purpose al the people in that country doe vse it.
A Gentleman gaue me a platter full of it, for he brought a great quantitie of it for the seruice of his Ritchin, because
they vse it in place of blacke Peper, and they take it to be of a better tast, and more healthfull. I haue tasted it, and it by∣teth more then the blacke Peper doeth, and it hath a more sweete taste then it hath. I haue caused it to be put into drest meates, in place of the Oriental Peper, & it giueth a more gentle taste vnto the meates that are drest therewith.
It is a fruite that casteth out a high plante, of the great∣nesse of a grosse Packethreed, and the lower parte neere to the roote, is as great as a litle sticke, that is very small: and vpon it are ioyned the little graines, very neere together, as though they were wrested one within the other, which cau∣seth the greatnesse whereof wee spake: and beeing ta∣ken away from the litle sticke, the stick remaineth bare and whole: and it is greene being fresh, but the Sunne ripeneth it, and doeth turne it blacke, and so they bring it into these partes. It groweth in the coast of the firme lande in Nata and in Cartagena, and in the newe kingdome: in all these partes they vse it, as I haue saide. It hath the Medicinall vertues, which the Orientall Peper hath that we vse. The complexion thereof is hotte in the third degree.
And going to visite a childe, the sonne of this Gentle∣man, which gaue mee this Peper, being diseased of the fire in the face, I commanded him to bee let blood, and that to his face they should apply some litle cloth with Rose water, and the hearbe Mora: hee saide to me that hee liked the let∣ting of blood well, because the boye was of Sanguine com∣plexion, but as for that which should be laid to his face, hee had wherewith to heale it in short tyme: and he commanded to bee brought foorth, a thing lyke vnto a cake, as great as a meane platter, the outside was blacke, and within yeal∣lowe, and beeing brought wel neere twoo thousand Leages, it was moyst, and hee dissolued a little of it with Rose Water, and layde it to the boyes face. I was desirous to know what it was, & he said, that when the worke was seene what it would do, he would tel me whereof it was compoun∣ded.
The next day I returned to the sicke, and his face was so amended, that I maruelled at it, and immediatly he was washed with Rose water, a little warme, and hee remayned as though he had not had any euil therein at all.
The cake was made of certaine Wormes, which the Indians take out of the grounde, and they make them fatte, giuing them to eate leaues of a certaine kinde of corne, that they haue there called Maiz, and after they are fatte, they put them into a frying panne of earth, and seeth them there∣in, and as they take of the skumme, they strayne it, and seeth it stil, vntil it be thicker then an oyntment, after the fashion and manner as he had it there.
They bring also from the Charcas certaine Rootes, that bee like to the Rootes of flower de Luce, sauing that they are smaller and they smell much lyke the leaues of Figge tree: they call these Rootes in the Indias, a re∣medy against the venemous hearbe, for beeing made into pouder, and taken with whyte wyne, it is a thing of great strength, and of the greatest vertue, that is there against venome, of what manner or qualitie soeuer it be, so that it be not corsiue as Sublimatum, or the lyke: and as for that kinde of poyson, with only drinking of much Milke they bee re∣medied.
This Roote beeing taken, causeth the venome to bee cast out, which is eaten or drunken, or any manner vene∣mous humour, comming of any euill degree, or cause what∣soeuer, which is as wel done by vomit, as by sweate. If th••re bee any small Wormes, or long Wormes in the body, it killeth, and expelleth them: and if you haue any suspicion, that there haue beene giuen you any venomous morsel, whe∣ther it bee venome or witchecraft, it expelleth it: in which there is so much trust in those partes, that they take it for a meruellous remedy, for the thinges afore∣sayde. The roote being tasted, it hath a sweete relishe, with
some sharpnes. It seemeth to be hot in the second degree.
From the coast of Nicaraga, and of Nata, they which come in these last ships, from the firme land, bring a certaine kind of purge with them, that surely by the tast is easie to be taken, and it worketh well, and without any payne, & princi∣pally it purgeth Choler. It is the fruite of a tree very great, after the maner of Thornish Chestnuts, which haue within them Chestnuts, sauing that they pricke not, but be playne▪ within those prickles there be some like to Chestnuts, made cleane without shale, well neere square, which deuide them∣s••lues asunder, by meanes of a little skin, euery one into two partes, and so they are couered with it, and when they be ta∣ken & occupied, that little skin is plucked away, & they are made cleane frō it, for that beyng taken with it, it procureth most dangerous accidentes, and vomites, & much faintnesse and infinite stooles: and without it the Chestnut is a purga∣tion very gentle, and they purge easily, and without paines: if they be tosted, then they will purge lesse: if they be greene they eate them: or being beaten in a Morter, they take them with wine, or with the broth of a henne: if ••hey bee drie, they make pouder of them, any manner of fashion. They doe their worke well, and with much assurance, keeping the order that ought to be kept, by them which be purged, and the humors beyng prepared, as is conuenient. They are hot in the first degree.
IN the first part wee declared, howe that they brought Sarcaparillia from Pe∣ru: which wee vse in some persons, and it worketh greate effectes. And be∣cause there was but little of it and soone done, we returned to that of the H••nduras which is that we haue spen•• hi••herto. And
ning as much as they can drinke at once, or at diuers times, and after they cast themselues into a sweate, and they sweate so much, that it runneth by the Bedde in great quantitie. Af∣ter that, they take cleane cloathes, and eate of a Henne, but they drinke of no other thing but of that iuyce which they tooke out of the rynde of the Sarcaparillia, as well at Din∣ner, as at Supper, and they must eate very little at Supper, & likewise at Dinner. And they must procure to keepe them∣selues from the Ayre and from the colde all that they can, although in that Uillage of Guaiaquill, wherein bee about fiftie houses, or few more, the most of them are Cotages, & of little safegarde, and the Walles be made of Canes, and there be no Chambers on high, but onely belowe: they dwel all in places of little defence. Being in this order and small comforte for lacke of Conserua and drie fruite, which were necessary, yet in eight or nine dayes they are made whole of all the diseases, that are healed with the Sarcapa∣rillia, and of many others which shoulde be very large to speake of. It is sufficient that there goe no Man from thence which returneth not whole, although he had ne∣uer so greeuous a disease, so that they bee not sharpe A∣gewes: For in that case the cure hath no place, or in any other sharpe disease. All other diseases it healeth with maruellous successe, as it is seene by the great number of people which come thither, and goe away whole of the diseases, which they bring thither. But it is needfull that he which doth enter into this cure, bee strong and not weake, for if he be weake, he cannot suffer so great sweate, without great perill of his person.
For these euilles they haue another manner of Wa∣ter, that is, taking foure ounces of Sarcaparillia, rather more then lesse, for that there they vse neyther wayghte nor measure, but doe put all at discretion, and they take away the rynde from the Sarcaparillia, and breake it, without putting it in Water, if it bee greene, and if
if it be drie, then they breake it & put it in water, vntill it bee made soft: this rynd beyng without the heart, they seeth in 4. Pottels of water, little more or lesse, and they seeth it vntill halfe the water be diminished, rather more then lesse: and of that Water they drinke as muche as they can in many times, or at one time, and forthwith they betake themselues to sweat, and although they sweat not so much, as they sweat with the first water, yet they will heale, they moue their clothes, they eate of a Pullet, they keep themselues from the colde and ayre, and at Dinner and Supper, they vse the self same water, for that in one day they consume one seething: this people take it in this manner fifteene or twentie dayes, & in this sort also they are healed of all their euils & diseases, to the great admiration of the people. And for the vse of this Sarcaparillia they do not except any disease, vnles it be feuers or sharpe diseases: these people purge not at the beginning, as we doe heere, nor in the middest, nor in the ende of the cure, for there is no other Phisition nor medicine, but cer∣tayne women which be there, that giue the water: they are women Phisitions, and therefore they take away, and put to as it seemeth good vnto them.
That which I doe note in this businesse, is that they seeth the Sarcaparillia without the heart: & that they vse not but of the rynde, which seemeth to be very well done, & verie con∣formable to good Phisicke, for the parts of the roots which bee harde, should be taken away, as things superfluous, and without vertue & profite, which rather do let and disturbe, that it cannot worke that effect which is desired in it, & the vertue is in the rynde: and this is that which we doe commonly vse when we will profite our selues by it. And so from hencefor∣ward, when I shall ordaine this water for any that haue need of it, I will vse the rynde onely.
And thus I ordayne it at this present. Which is to take foure ounces of Sarcaparillia, and too take away the hearte,
〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉BEing in company with Iohn Gotierres Telo, a gentlemā very excellēt, & Treasurer of ye Con∣tratatiō house, a passenger which came frō the Florida, gaue him a peece of Ambar Grese, very ex∣cellent, saying that he brought it from the Florida. I took it, & brake it, & it was perfect grese, of a very good colour, and in the vttermost part it was blacke, and I asked him that brought it, where he had it: he sayd, that he gathered it in the coast of Florida, and that they haue it commonly of the Indians, that gather it in that Coast, and they take much pleasure in it with great delight, and contentment annoynting their fa∣ces with it, and other partes, for the good smell which it hath. And surely it maketh mee maruell to see, that in our Occidentall Indias, there is so excellent Ambar, and that the time hath discouered it vnto vs, and that there hath come from those partes not onely so greate riches, of Siluer and Golde, Pearles, and other precious stones, but that also nowe they bring vs suche excellent Ambar Grise, a thing so esteemed in the world, & so muche vsed for the health of the body, and so necessary to cure and to heale withall, so many and diuers infirmities, as we will speake of beeing a thing which for the delicacy of mankind, is an ornament, & cōtentment wt very much serueth for vse. I do vnderstand also that other Passengers brought of the like Ambar, and some in much quantitie, of which I was very glad, and the first peece that I saw was very suspicious vnto me, and after that I had seen more, then I beleeued that there was of it, in those parts, which is found cast vp vnto the coast.
Some there bee which thinke that it is the seede of a Whale, as it hath beene an auncient opinion, which is false,
as Simeon Archiatros a Greeke author doeth shew, saying that the Ambar in diuers places doeth spring, they bee his fountaynes from whence it doeth spring, as those of Pitch Licor: the worst is that which these fishes doe taste, and swallowe downe, &c. The same it seemeth Serapio doth vn∣derstande, and besides this Simeon a Greeke, and Actio, I finde no other Greekes that make mention thereof, but it is treated of by the Arabies with as great ignorance and con∣fusion as may bee seene. Whosoeuer by them will verifie what Ambar is, it is to bee determined vppon, that it is a kinde of Pitch, that cometh forth of springs & Fountaines, that are made in the deapth of the Sea, and comming forth to the ayre, the Licor being grosse doth congele, and waxe hard, and is made the Ambar which we see, as many things else which are in the lower part of the Sea, are soft & ten∣der, but being brought out into the aire are made harde. As we see in the Coral, which in the lower partes of the Sea is soft and tender, and by bringing it into the ayre is turned in∣to a stone: and the Ambar whereof the Beades are made, in the lowe parts of the Sea is whyte, and being come foorth into the aire, turneth hard and stony, and is Pitch, which co∣meth foorth of a fountaine, which is in the Germaine Sea, wherby the barbarous opinions are confounded, that say the Ambar is the seede of the Whale. And the cause whereof this ignorance came, was this, for that Ambar was founde in the Whales, and other fishes, and therefore men said that it grewe of it own nature in their mawes, and as this Pitch riseth vp to the highest partes of the Sea by reason of the lightnes therof, the Whales do deuoure it, thinking that it is a thing to bee eaten, and so men finde it in their Mawes. For if it were seed, it would be found in other parts of their bodies, where it is natural to al beasts. In my tyme was ta∣ken a Whale, in the coast of the Canaria that had more thē one hundred pound waight of Ambar within him, and after
that they killed many, and found none.
They that come from the Florida say, that there bee Whales by those coastes, and that they haue killed some of them, and founde neither Ambar nor other thing in theyr Mawes, more then fishes: & also in the yong Whales which are very greate, although they haue killed them, that they found nothing in them, for that the Indians doe fishe for thē. and take them with the greatest cunning that may bee ima∣gined, which is after this maner. One Indian taketh a long cord, and strong, made with certaine ginnes, and shippeth himself in a litle Boate, and maketh towarde the Whale where he seeth him comming with his yong Whales, and goeth to one of them and leapeth vppon him, and casteth his snare vpon his snow••. The strong young Whale when hee feeleth this, he goeth downe to the deapth of the Sea & the Indian hampered fast with him, for they are greate swim∣mers, and can abide long in the water: and the yong Whale as hee hath neede to breath, returneth vp to the height of the Sea. And in the tyme that hee cometh vp warde, the Indian carrying with him a sharpe wedge, and putting it through his nose where he breatheth, he striketh the wedge into him with his fist, in such sorte, that the yong Whale cannot cast it from him, and when hee commeth vpp on heigh, the Indian giueth him corde, and taketh his boate, and goeth after the yong Whale, and as he cannot breath, he ch••keth him easi∣ly, and he commeth to the lande. It is surely a delicate and maruellous hunting, wherein they haue so much cunning, that a great Lizard or Crocodil of xxiiii. foote, the most hor∣rible and cruel beast that is in the Sea, one Indian doeth kil. Some say, that the Ambar is made of certaine fruite growing by the Sea side, where Whales bee, and in the Moneth of April and May, when it is in season, & of sweete smell, the Whales doe eate it, and of that the Ambar is made, as if the fruite so eaten, would be conuerted into an o∣ther
thing then into blood and flesh. There bee many other opinions, concerning this matter what Ambar shoulde bee made of, which are confuted all: and it is to bee vnderstoode, that it is a kinde of Pitche which springeth from Foun∣taines that there are in the deapth of the Sea, in particu∣lar partes of it, as wee see there bee of Petrolio, of Napta of Sulphur, and of many other things, as in our Occidental In∣dias, of diuers other Licors: the best Ambar is that which is most like to a red colour, the whyte is not so good, and the worst of al is the blacke.
Ambar hath great vertues, and serueth in the world for many thinges, and so it is a substance of great price: for that which is good is worth at this day, twyce more thē the most fine Gold. For the contentment of man, and for the delicate∣nesse of the worlde, it serueth for many thinges: with it they make Beades, and fine perfumes, and odorous smelles, and water of Angels of most sweete smell, in diuers formes and fashions: with it they dresse gloues of diuers sortes, & make Oyles and licors of most sweete and delectable smelles: it serueth for meates & drinkes, in diuers and sundry formes, which to reporte, would be a large processe.
In medicinal thinges the vertue thereof is greate, and it profiteth very much in our Medicines, for it entereth into the most principall matters of Phisicke, which are com∣pounded in the Poticaries Shoppes, as well Electuaries, as Confectiōs, pouders, & pilles, Preparatiues, Ointmēts, plaisters, & many other thinges, that receiue great vertues therby: & of the name of it, there is made a confection called Dia-Ambar. The vertues which it hath in particular are great, and of great effects, for that with it are healed diuers and sundry diseases. And this the Arabiens did teach vs: for of the Greekes onely Simeon, and Actio wrote a fewe woordes of it, and also Actuario made the lyke mention of
it: These three authours beeing Greekes, liued after the tyme that the Arabiens did wryte, and they made some re∣corde of the Medicines, and thinges which they wrote of, wherof the ancient wryters made no mention & one of them is Ambar, which the olde Phisitions knewe not before the Arabiens, for they made no mention of it.
The vertue therof is to heale, dissolue, & cōfort any maner of way, wherin it is applyed: For that the cōplexion thereof is hot and dry, with some fatnes, and it hath vertue to molli∣fie, & make soft, with other vertues that it hath besides.
And beeing applied to the Braines, in the manner of an oyntment, and melting it with the Pestel of a Morter being hot, and mingled with the oyle of the flowers of Orenges, in this sorte it taketh away the griefe of the head, it comfor∣teth the Sinewes, it dissolueth any maner of colde which is in them, with a great prerogatiue and helpe, aswel in it own forme as in making a plaister of Al••pta M••scata, which is made of certaine compoundes, that it bee applied continu∣ally to that part.
Smelling vnto it in the peece, or making a Pomander of it, mingled with Muske, and Lign'aloe, it comforteth the braynes, and openeth the vnderstanding: in the one sorte, or the other, beeing applyed vnto it, it maketh a good memorie, and helpeth the vnderstanding that it may bee better and more perfite. And it is conuenient that wee vse it more then women, for the hurte which the good smell doeth vnto them, which bee grieued with the Mo∣ther, for they ought not to vse it, if there be not a descending of the Mother to the lower partes: for in such case it were conuenient to smell much to it, for it causeth the Mother to ryse vp to his place, with the good smell, taking some euil sauour by the inferior partes. And lykewyse by smel∣ling vnto it, it comforteth the harte, and maketh the Spi∣rites valiant and strong: and for this purpose it profiteth, be∣ing carried about one, and smelling to it, in the tyme of the
Pestilence, and in corrupt ayres, to resist the corruption, and malice of them, with the vertue and sweete smel thereof.
It is a maruellous thing to vnderstande howe muche the Ambar doeth profite and succour them, which be olde, in what maner or sort soeuer they vse it: & although with it excellent smel it comforteth the spirites, and the braynes of the head, yet it maketh thinne also Flegmatike humours, which doe continually abounde. And some say, that the vse of it holdeth back age, and conserueth that it goe not forward, and it is good that such doe vse it in their meates, and in sweete smelles for their apparel and Chambers, and appli∣ed to the braine and harte, and that they holde it to smell in their handes continually: and that it bee put into the wyne, wherewith they shall wash their handes and face: for it is a maruellous thing howe much it comforteth, and giueth strength, wherein I haue seene maruellous effectes, & they which are old and crooked, and doe vse it, shal perceiue what great good it wil doe them.
In paines of women, it is a maruellous remedie, min∣gled with the Lode stone, and Galuano, made in little plai∣sters layd vpon the nauil, to keepe the Mother in his place, and for the rest of the paines of it. Chiefly by smelling to it continually, it profiteth women that the moother may come downe. And if it ryse vp, putting into it a Tente of Cotten woll, dissolued with oyle of Liquid Ambar, it maketh it come downe. And being put into the mouth of the mother in women which doe not bring forth children, for the coldnesse that is in them, it is most excellent. I vse to take this confe∣ction: which is compounded with Ambar twoo partes, and the scraping of Iuory, one part grounde small, halfe a parte of Lignaloe made into pouder, and a little Muske: of the which make Pilles, and they must take three, that may way three pence, from three to three daies: applying moreouer the little plaister, which is spoken of, to the nauill, and
the tent into the mouth of the mother: surely it doeth profite much, the vniuersal euacuations, beeing made, and it must be vsed many dayes.
The Ambar profiteth much in the diseases of the sto∣macke, and for the coldnes of it, if there bee a plaister made thereof, and of Alipta Muscata, and of Storacke, after the maner of a brest plate, and laid to the stomacke: and like∣wise of the self same thing Pilles being made and mingled with wine, of sweete smell, and taken in the morning fa∣sting. For it dissolueth windes, it taketh away any maner of colde which is in the stomacke, it helpeth disgestion, it gi∣ueth appetite, and lust to meate, and this is conuenient for him that is colde of complexion, or for that which cau∣seth the hurte of the stomacke, that commeth of colde: and therefore it shoulde bee conuenient for them that be old, and cold of stomacke.
It comforteth the harte, and healeth the diseases thereof, principally if they come of windinesse, or of cold humors, being taken by it self, or mingled with Lignaloe & Muske, in maner of pouders, or pilles. For that the Muske, as A∣nerois sayeth, comforteth more then al other sweete smelles that are in the worlde, for that the sweete fauour, and com∣forting smell thereof preuayleth more, then al other smelles. In what maner of way soeuer the Ambar is applyed, by it self, or with other things, in infirmities of the harte, it pro∣fiteth, much applyed thereunto outwardly, and in any maner of sorte taken, it doeth comfort and strengthen, and dissolue any humour that is in the body.
I doe cause Ambar to bee ground, which being wel min∣gled with yeallowe wax molted, and made into a thynne cake, and layde to the harte, doeth profite much in the e∣uilles of the harte, chiefly if they come first of windinesse, Melancholie, or of any other cause whatsoeuer, so that it be not hotte.
The Ambar is very profitable for them that be Melan∣cholike,
for it maketh them very merie, taking awaye the causes of the euill, and dissoluing the windinesse thereof which there are very many grieued with al: and vnto such it is good to bee ministered, and to vse it after the manner of Medicine, mingled as we haue saide, in the morninges: and also to vse it laide vpon the harte, and vpon the braines, and in meates, for surely I haue seene great effectes wrought in them that haue frequented it.
Where there is corruption of ayre, the Ambar doeth rectifie it by it self, or mingled with things of sweete smel, the place beeing perfumed with it, where men shoulde re∣maine, principally in the tyme of winter, and vnto such as doe suffer colde Rewmes, in cold tymes: chiefly perfuming their kercheifes, wherein they sleepe, with it, or with some mixture thereof, perfuming the Chamber likewise, for it is a maruellous thing to see the good woorke it doeth make.
And likewise it doeth good to them, which haue the pal∣sey, or weakenesse of Sinewes, perfuming themselues with it, or with the mixture therof.
Those that haue the Falling sicknesse, by giuing to them at their noses, when they bee in their traunce or paroxismos, the smoke thereof, it maketh to awake: and wearing it a∣bout them, & smelling to it continually, the traunce doth not come so quickly, nor so strong. And vnto those which suffer the disease of the Palseye, by anoynting their head with it, and all the vpper part of the skull, it bringeth manifest pro∣fite: for that the Ambar is a thing that comforteth the Si∣newes and brayne, more then any thing that wee knowe.
One propertie the Ambar hath, that bringeth admiratiō, and Simeon Secto a Greeke authour doeth reporte, that if any smell to it before hee drinke wyne, it maketh him stand as if he were dronken▪ and if it bee put into the wine, it maketh him dronke indeede, in such sorte that a little
wyne mingled with Amb••r, causeth dronkennesse, which I haue seene by experience, in the house of a great Lorde of this Realme, where for delicatenesse, and daintinesse, they had a S••lte seller of Ambar, as also Salte to cast into meates: and to a Iester there was Ambar cast into his wyne, and hee was made very dr••nke with it. Many other things ••here were to treate of Ambar, but because I would not passe the limites of my purpose, I leaue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wryte of them, and the r••ther, for that in the thirde parte wee wil declare that which we meane farther to say of them.
Howe it is sowne and how it grow∣eth.
The name of it.
The descrip∣tion of it▪
In the griefe of the stone.
To put them ••n Glisters.
In griefes of winds.
The euill of the Mother.
For an euill breath.
For Wormes.
In euill of the Ioyntes.
In cold s••el∣lings.
For the t••••••∣ache.
For C••il∣blaines.
In Venom & venomous woundes.
Sublimatum in venomed woundes.
Against the hearbe of the Crossebow∣shooter.
Historie.
Doctor Bar∣narde.
In venomous Carbuncles.
In bitinges of venomous beastes.
In woundes newly hurte.
The manner of healing.
Note.
In olde sores.
The order of the Cure.
It cureth best the woundes that be rotten & cankered.
Sublimatum doth heale the soares of beastes that bee cankered.
Historie.
Historie.
The man•••••• how the Prieste•• of the Ind••as do vse th•••• Ta∣baco.
Hearbe•• which ha••••
••istorie.
The Tabaco taketh away drought.
Little balles for hunger and drought.
The maner how to vse them.
Nicotiane the chiefest amōg other medicinable hearbes.
Nicotiane wherefore so named.
The Queen•• Mothers hearbe.
The graund Priors hearb.
Petum.
Maister Ni∣cot Ambas∣sadour for the king in Portugall.
Experience of the Noli me tangere.
Experienc•• for woundes.
L••shebron.
The Ambas∣sadours hearbe.
Experienc•• of an olde vlcer.
Experience for the Ring∣wormes.
Experience for the king•• euill.
The Lady of Montigue dead of a No∣li me tangere in her Br••st.
How the Ni∣cotiane was brought into Franc••.
Distilled wa∣ter of Nico∣tiane, singu∣lar good for short breath••. The figure of Nicotiane.
Groūd fit for Nicotiane.
The Sunne fit for Nico∣tian••.
To water Nicotiane.
How to keep•• Nicotiane in Winter.
The sowing of Nicotian••.
To remoue Nicotiane.
The Histori•• of the Sassa∣fras.
Historie.
They which we••e whole dranke it.
The descrip∣tion of this Tree.
The rootes.
Note.
The best is the roote.
The S••ssa∣fras as good a•• the Cina∣mon.
The c••mpl••∣ction & tem∣perature of the tree.
The name.
The vse ••y seething.
Variety of seething.
How the au∣thour doth order it.
Historie.
T••e vertues thereof.
It healeth opilations.
It comfor∣teth the Li∣uer and the stomake, and doth disopi∣late.
H••storie.
Peter Mel∣lendis.
How this wa∣ter must be g••uen.
Digression.
To giue appe∣tite to eate.
How a Phisi∣tion of the Hauana doth vse it.
In the h••ad∣ache.
In euils of the brest.
In grie••es of the Stomake.
For the weak¦nes of the Stomake of them which do not disgest their meate, and for them which do vo∣mit their meate.
In the griefe of the Stone.
It causeth to cast out gra∣uel & stones.
The wood of the Vrine wil make the water blewe.
••alse Me∣choacan.
It prouo••eth Vners.
In thē which be lame.
In the tooth∣ach••.
In the euil of the Poxe.
The simple water.
In thē which haue the gout and the euil o•• the Ioyntes.
For them that haue foule handes.
The water h••t maketh a man goe to the stoole.
For the going to the stoole by indigestiō.
In stopping the courses of Women.
Where as i•• much heate this water i•• not conueni∣ent.
To ma••e wo∣men with childe.
Note.
This water doeth make fatte.
In P••stil••n•• and corru•••• ay••es.
How 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wa∣ter ought to be ma•••• in generall.
The maner to make it in particular.
The order ho•• to make the strong water.
The ••im••le wat••r.
The s••mp••e water.
Note.
The roote of Carlo San∣cto.
Where it gro••eth▪
The ••••rme 〈…〉〈…〉.
The col••••r. The sm••••••.
The ro••te.
The heart is marue••••••us.
T••e vertue is in the rin••e of the r••ote.
〈…〉〈…〉.
〈…〉〈…〉.
It comforteth the teeth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & keepe them from worme ea∣ting.
In diseases of women it prouoketh Purgation. It dissolueth windes and comforteth the stomake,
In the euill of the hearte.
In the euill of ••••e Poxe.
In the falling sickenesse.
In griefes of the head.
In the tooth∣ache.
The Beads of the rootes of sainct Elen.
The forme of them.
The ••lant.
〈…〉〈…〉
In griefe•• of the ••••••ma••ke.
In the ••rief•• of the ••tone in t••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or ••eines.
In griefes of the V••i••••.
The descrip∣tion of the Guacatane.
In the disease of the Piles.
In griefes of colde and windines.
It is most strong and mighty poy∣son.
It killeth th•• Canker. It killeth wormes.
It eateth rotten fl••sh.
Howe it must be ministred.
In olde filthy sores where it is needful that they bee cleansed.
In Beastes it woorketh the same effect, and better.
Historie.
An hearbe which hea∣leth the euill o•• the brest. An hearbe which maketh a wo∣man to cast from her a dead childe. Two maru••l∣lous herbes.
Blacke Ele∣boro.
Historie.
How they haue found the Bezaar stones.
An hearbe for the Reumes.
A fruite of a tree of gr••at vertu••s.
A cure with the sweate of blood.
Centella, an hearbe good for the swel∣ling of the feete or leg••.
Against the he••rbe whic•• the Indian•• doe vse.
The vertue of the blood of Drago.
It is tempe∣r••te.
Gumme to purge them which haue the Goute.
For the grief of the stone in the Kidneies.
Maruellous for woundes.
Caranna of Cartagena.
Mechoacan of the firme Land••.
Furious Me∣choacan.
The Balsamo of the Indias which is made by inci∣sion, is better then that which was in Aegipt.
In griefes of the head.
Turpentine or O••le of Deabeto.
The vertue therof.
Note.
Long Peper.
Historie.
The descrip∣tion of it.
Historie.
Of what it was made.
Rootes a∣gainst venom & venomous things.
M••lke good a∣gainst poyson.
Of the Sar∣capari••lia of Guaiaquill.
Another way to take it.
The manner how to ma••e the water of the rynde of Sarcaparillia
Ambar is not the seede of the Whale, but a Gūme.
Simeon a Greeke au∣tor.
Coral.
Ambar con∣geled.
Amb••r foūd in the Whales Mawe.
Whales of the Coast of the Ambar.
Which is best Ambar.
The vertues of the Am∣bar.
The medici∣nal vertues therof.
The comple∣xion thereof.
It cōforteth the braine & Sin••wes.
What the smel of the Ambar doth.
The Ambar is a great re∣medy for thē that be old.
In paynes of women.
For the euils of the sto∣macke.
For the euill of the harte.
Of them that be Melan∣cholike.
It rectifieth the ayre.
The Ambar doeth make dronke.