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SEeing the Elder is a Tree most known even to the rudest of the Commons, it seems a matter not worth the pains to describe it in many words; Nevertheless, lest in this respect our Treatise should seem lame, some things are to be prefaced out of the ancient and Modern Botanicks.
'Tis called by Dioscorides, and o∣ther Greeks, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because it is a lover of brinks, and shadowy banks, as is thought by Pena and Lobel, in their Advers. of Plants, p. 434. which name Theophrastus Paracelsus hath re∣tain'd, in whose, and the modern Chy∣mist-writing, you will find frequent mention of Granorum Actes, and of Medicines prepared of them.
'Tis called of the Latins, Sambu∣cus, or by others, chiefly of Q. Sere∣nus, as witnesseth Hugh Frida, Val. l. 2. de tuend. san. c. 26. Sabucus, from the likeness the musical Instrument called Sabuc, or Sambuck, hath with its hollow and pith-emptied rods; Pe∣na and Lob, in the place before cited. Whence till this day 'tis called by the Spaniards, Sabuco, or Sabugo; by the Germans, Holunder; or by contracti∣on, Holder, albeit there be some which imagine 'tis from the many vertues
thereof called Holder, as it were de∣duced from Hulder, Or Hulderich; but in this we will not contend with any. The Italian names it Sambuco; the French, Susier, Suyn, and Susau; the Bohemians, Bez; the English, the Elder tree; the Scots, Boor tree, or Bore tree; the Low Dutch, Ulier. See Ta∣bernomontanus Herbal, part. 3. sect. 1. c. 62.
Matthiolus and others speak of four kinds thereof: The Domestick, the Mountain, the Water Elder, and the Little Elder or Danwort; whereof the first and last are most commended in Medicine by Physicians, who here∣in follow Dioscord. viz. the Elder tree, properly so called, and the Ebulus cal∣led the less, Dwarf, or low Elder. But because both these kinds, as we will hear anon out of Dioscorides, differ lit∣tle, or not at all, one from the other in vertue, I will describe here the Dome∣stik, or Elder tree, properly so called,
by which you may easily judge what is to be thought of the Ebulus.
The Elder Tree in figure is like the Ash, sendeth forth long, small, reed∣like branches, covered with an out∣ward bark of an ash colour; the next rine to it is green, and that is yellow and succulent which next clotheth the wood; within which is contained a white and fungous pith; the leaves are like those of the Walnut tree, but less, growing by intervals by threes, fours, yea if you look to both the sides of the branch, by fives and sevens, in∣compassing it together; of an heavy smell, lightly cut in edges. In the tops of the branches and twigs there springeth sweet and crisped umbels, swelling with white, sweet smelling flowers (in June befor St. Johns Eve) which by their fall give place to a many branched Grape, first green, then ruddy, lastly of a black, dark,
purple colour, succulent and tumid, with its winish liquor. Of all the wild plants 'tis first covered with leaves, and last unclothed of them. We omit other descriptions, this being full.
The place of its nativity is every where, and scarce can you find any place where any other tree or shrub enmantle themselves in their green garments, which the bountiful enrich∣er of Nature hath envyed this tree∣ling. But it most delighteth in hedges, orchards, and other shadowy places, or on the moist brinks of rivulets and ditches, unto which places 'tis thrust by the Gardeners, lest by its luxury and importunate encrease, whereby yearly it doth spread and enlarge it self, it should possess the place of more honourable, as they conceive, and of more pretious Plants.
The Qualities in general are descri∣bed by Galen, lib. 6. Simpl. Medic. facul. sect. That it hath the force of de∣siccating, conglutinating, and dige∣sting moderately; which word for word is repeated by the Galenick Phy∣sician Paulus of Aegian, lib. 7. Medic. ••. 3.
Dioscorides? who, as Galen witnes∣seth, hath of all others written most accurately, most truly, and most learn∣edly of Plants) did long agoe in more proper colours limn them in his fourth Book, and 175 Chapter, of the Matter of Medicine. These are his words.
The faculty and use of both (he meaneth the Elder and Ebulus) is the same in exiccating, and drawing wa∣ter from the belly: They are indeed troublesom to the stomach, neverthe∣less their leaves being boyled as pot∣hearbs, will purge bile and pituite: Their tender stalks being boyled in
pot or pan effect the same. The root being boyled in wine and given in meat, helpeth the Hydroped; yea it helpeth those that are bitten of a Vi∣per, drunk after the same manner. Being boyl'd with water for bathing, it softneth and openeth the vulva, and corrects what enormities are there a∣bouts. The berries thereof drunk with Wine work the same effect. A∣nointed on the hair, they make them black. The recent and tender leaves mitigate inflammations, being with Polent anointed thereon. Their a∣nointing helps burning and the bi∣tings of mad dogs. They conglutinate profound and fustulous ulcers, and helps the guttish, being together with the fat of a Bull or hee Goat anointed.
These vertues so nobilitate the Elder, that if after ages had not found out any, yet they are enough to commend it to us. But as in all other things (as Seneca witnesseth, Quest. Natur. l. 7. c. 31.) Nature doth not at once disco∣ver her mysteries, neither are her se∣crets
promiscously laid open to all, be∣ing withdrawn and shut in her inmost Cabinets, out of which, some in this age, some in another, is received and unfolded. Even so here, one day hath taught another. And the later Phy∣sicians with more intent thoughts, fal∣ling into the contemplation both of other herbs, and of the Elder, they have tryed it in many affections to be most wholsom; so that not undeser∣vedly they esteem it a Panacaea, or All∣heal: For what is given to others a∣part, experience proves together to be in the Elder. That I may say no∣thing of its wondrous and hid opera∣tions in expugning Epilepsies, Plague, Erysipelasses, and other malign affe∣ctions, which shall be spoken of after∣wards: It hath a wonderfull force in purging out of the body all hurtfull, bilous, pituitous, and especially serous humors, from which bud such troops of sicknesses, as is to be seen in that famous and learned Treatise of the in∣genious Piso De serosa Colluvie. Be∣sides
'tis Anodyne, and by rarifying the skin, and digesting the humors and vapours, it lulleth the pain, it pro∣vokes urine, sweat, expelleth the stone, provoketh the stopt flowers, and doth other rarities, according to the parts and preparation thereof. That not without cause, what the more sober and learned Chymists have attribu∣ted to their manifold Medicinal Mer∣cury, Antimony, Vitriol, we may ad∣mit, admire, and acknowledge in our Elder, though I willingly confess with some difference; yea, we are more to admire this, seeing what is got in that Triad of Minerals, is got with such sweat and pains, by those indefatiga∣searchers of the many works and windings of Nature; but we attain our desire in this with light and lit∣tle labour.