☿ Fennel.
EVery Garden affordeth this so plentifully, that it needeth no Description.
Vertues and Vse.
Fennel is good to break wind,* 1.1 to provoke Urine, and eas the pains of the Stone, and help to break it. The Leavs or Seed boiled in Barley Water and drunk is good for Nurses to encreas their Milk and make it more wholsom for the Child: The Leavs, or rather the Seed boyled in Water staieth the Hiccough, and taketh away that loathing which often∣times hapneth to the Stomachs of Sick, and Feaverish Persons, and allayeth the heat ther∣of. The Seed boyled in Wine and drunk, is good for those that are bitten by Serpents, or have eaten Poyson full Herbs or Mushroms: The Seed and the Root much more helpeth to open Obstructions of the Liver, Spleen, and Gall, and thereby helpeth the painful and windy swellings of the Spleen, and the yel∣low Jaundice, as also the Gout and Cramps. The Seed is of good use in Medicines to help shortness of breath, and Wheesing by stopping of the Lungs. It helpeth also to bring down the Courses and to clens the parts after delivery. The Roots are of most use in Physick Drinks and Broths that are ta∣ken to clens the Blood, to open Obstructions of the Liver to provoke Urine, and amend the ill colour in the Face after Sickness, and to caus a good habit through the Body: Both Leavs, Seeds, and Roots hereof are much used in Drinks, or Broths, to make people more spare and lean that are too fat: The distilled Water of the whol Herb or the condensate Juyce dissolved, but especially the Natural Juyce that in hot Countries issueth out there∣of of its own accord, dropped into the Eyes, clenseth them from mists and films that hin∣der the fight. The sweet Fennel is much wea∣ker in Physical uses, than the common Fennel. The wild Fennel is stronger and hotter than the tame; and therfore most powerful against the Stone, but not so effectual to encreas Milk, becaus of its driness.
One good old fashion is not yet quite left off, viz. To boil Fennel with Fish, for it consumes that Flegmatick homot which Fish. most plentifully afford and annoy the body by, therfore it is a most fit. Herb for that pur∣pose though few that use it know why or wher∣fore they do it, I supoose the Reason of its be∣nefit this way is becaus it is an Herb of Mer∣cury a••d under Virgo, and therfore bears An∣tipathy to Pisces. Dill is also an Herb of Mercury, which I forgot to certifie you of be∣fore.