Broom flowers, Elder flowers.
If you compare but the quallities of the Flowers, with the Herbs, and with the Explanation of these terms at the latter End, you may easily find the tem∣perature, and property of the rest.
As for the vertues of the flowers, there were but few quoted before, and those very briefly; I think the reason was, because the Printer was afraid the book would be too big: I shall therefore give a supply here, to what was wanting there, and where I was too briefe there, I shall be more large here.
The Flowers of Ox-eye, being boyled into a pul∣tis, with a little barly meal, take away swellings, and hardness of the flesh, being applied warm to the place.
Chamomel flowers heat, discuss, Loosen, and rari∣fie, boyled in Clisters, they are excellent in the wind chollick, boyled in Wine, and the decoction drunk, purgeth the reins, breaks the stone, opens the pores, casts out chollerick humors, succors the heart, and ea∣seth pains and aches, or stiffness coming by travai∣ling.
The flowers of Rocket used outwardly, discuss, swellings, and dissolve hard tumors, you may boyl them into a pultis, or Cataplasme, as Scholers cal it, But inwardly taken, they send but unwholsom vapors up to the head.
Hops open obstruction of the bowels, Liver, and spleen, they clense the body of Choller and flegm, provoke urine. I wonder in my heart how that apish fashion of drinking Beer and Ale together for the stone, came up, and others affirm that the disease of the stone, was not in rerum naturam, before Beer was invented, a gross untruth: for Physitians have written of the stone, that lived a thousand years be∣fore Beer was invented. I deny not but staleness of Beer, may cause sharpness of urine, otherwise Beer, if mild, is ten times better drink for such as are troubled with the stone, than Ale, as being more opening.
Jasmine flowers boyled in Oyl, and the greived place bathed with it, takes away cramps, and stiches in the sides: The plant is only preserved here in the gardens of some few, and because hard to come by, I pass it; If you desire more vertues of it, be pleased to search it in Dodonoeus.
The flowers of Woodbine, or Honey-suckles, be∣ing dryed, and beaten into pouder, and a drachm, ta∣ken in white Wine in the morning, helps the rickets, difficulty of breathing, provoke urine, and help such as cannot make water: I would have none make a common practice of taking it, for it clenseth the uri∣tery vessels, so potently that it may cause pissing of blood.
The flowers of Mallows, being bruised, and boyl∣ed in hony (two ounces of the flowers is sufficient for a pound of hony, and having first clarified the honey, before you put them in) then strained out, this ho∣ney taken with a Liquoris stick, is an eccellent reme∣dy both for Coughs, Astmaes, and cansumptions of the Lungues.