♂ Butchers-Broom.
Description.
THe first shoots that sprout from the Root of Butchers-Broom are thick, whitish, and short, somwhat like those of Asparagus, but greater: these rising up to be a foot and an half high are spread into divers Branches, green & somwhat crested with the roundness, tough and flexible, wheron are set somwhat broad and almost round hard Leavs, sharp and prickly pointed at the ends, of a dark green co∣lour, two for the most part set at a place, very close or neer together; about the middle of the Leaf, on the back or lower side from the middle Rib, breaketh forth a smal whitish green Flower consisting of four smal round pointed Leavs standing upon little or no Foot∣stalk, and in the place wherof cometh a smal round Berry, green at the first, and red when it is ripe, wherin are two or three white, hard, round Seeds contained: The Root is thick, white, and great at the Head, and from thence sendeth forth divers thick, white, long, tough strings.
Place.
It groweth in Copses, and upon Heaths and wast grounds, and oftentimes under or neer the Holly-Bushes.
Time.
It shooteth forth his yong buds in the Spring and the Berries are ripe in or about September, The Branches and Leavs abiding green al the Winter.
Vertues and use.
The Decoction of the Roots made with Wine, openeth Obstructions,* 1.1 provoketh U∣rin, helpeth to expel Gravel and the Stone, the Strangury, and Womens Courses, as also the yellow Jaundice and the Head-ach; and with some Honey or Sugar put therunto, clen∣seth the Breast of Flegm, and the Chest of much clammy Humors gathered therin. The Decoction of the Roots drunk, and a Pultis made of the Berries and Leavs being applied, are effectual in knitting and consolidating broken Bones and Parts out of Joynt.
It is called Bruscus in some places, and in Sussex Kneeholly, and Knecholm. The com∣mon way of using it is to boyl the Roots of it and Parsly, and Fennel, and Smallage in white Wine, and drink the Decoction, adding the like quantity of Grass Roots to them; the more of the Roots you boyl the stronger will the Decoction be, it works no ill effects, yet I hope you have wit enough to give the stron∣gest Decoction to the strongest Bodies.