DANDELYON, ♂ Vulgarly called, Piss-a-beds.
Description.
THis is wel known to have many long and deeply gashed Leavs lying on the ground, round about the Head of the Root; the ends of each Gash or Jag on both sides looking downwards towards the Root, the middle rib being white which broken yieldeth abundance of bitter Milk, but the Root much more: from among the Leavs which alwaies abide green, arise many slender, weak, naked Footstalks, every one of them bearing at the top one large yellow Flower, consisting of many rows of yellow Leavs, broad at the points and nicked in, with a deep spot of yellow in the middle, which growing ripe, the green Husk wherin the Flower stood, turneth it self down to the Stalk, and the Head of down becometh as round as a Ball, with long reddish Seed under∣neath, bearing a part of the Down on the Head of every one, which together is blown away with the Wind, or may be at once blown a∣way with ones Mouth. The Root growth downwards exceeding deep, which being bro∣ken off within the ground, wil notwithstan∣ding shoot forth again; and wil hardly be de∣stroyed where it hath once taken deep Root in the ground.
Place.
It groweth frequent in al Meadows and Pa∣sture Grounds.
Time.
It Flowreth in one place or other almost all the yeer long.
Vertues and use.
It is of an opening and clensing quality, and thefore very effectual for the Obstructions of the Liver, Gall, and Spleen, and the Diseases that arise from them, as the Jaundice, & Hypo∣condriacal Passion: It wonderfully openeth* 1.1 the Passages of the Urin both in yong and old. It powerfully clenseth Aposthumes, and in∣ward in the Uritory passages, and by the dry∣ing and temperate quality doth afterwards heal them; for which purpose the Decoction of the Roots or Leavs in white Wine, or the Leavs chopped as Potherbs with a few Alli∣sanders and boyled in their Broth, is very effe∣ctual. And whoso is drawing towards a Con∣sumption, or an il Disposition of the whol Bo∣dy called Cachexia, by the use herof for some¦time together shal find a wonderful help: It helpeth also to procure rest and sleep to Bodies distempered by the Heat of Ague Fits, or o∣therwise. The distilled Water is effectual to drink in Pestilential Feavers, and to wash the Sores.
You see here what Vertues this common Herb hath, and that's the reason you French and Dutch so often eat them in the Spring; and now if you look a little further you may see plainly without a pair of Spectakles, that Forraign Physitians are not so selfish as ours are, but more communicative of the Vertues of Plants to People.