of it taken before dinner walking half an hour after it, provokes appetire, helps digestion, strengthens the stomach, and takes away loathing of meat, it pro∣vokes lust exceedingly, and expels wind as much.
Borrax, or Borrace as some cal it, besides its vertues it hath to sodder Gold, Silver, and Copper &c. In∣wardly given in smal quantities, it stops fluxes, and the running of the reins; being in fine pouder, and put into green wounds it cures them at ounce dres∣sing.
Cambuge, which out of many names, which every Country bestows upon it, the Colledg are pleased to call Gutta Gamba: Authors are extreamly different, both about its being, what is is, whether a juyce or not; If a juyce, of what, and about its operation, whether it work violently or not: for my part I care not for medling with an unknown medicine my self, neither would I advise my Country men.
Caranna outwardly applied, is excellent for aches, and swellings in the nerves and joynts; If you lay it behind the ears, it draws back humors from the eyes, applied to the temples as they usually do Mastich, it helps the tooth-ach.
Gum Elemi Authors apropriate to fractures in the skull and head. See Arceus his Liniment.
Gum Lacca being well purified, and the quantity of half a drachm taken in any convenient liquor, strengthens the stomach and liver, opens obstructi∣ons, helps the yellow jaundice and dropsie, provokes urine, breaks the stone in the reins and bladder.
Liquid Amber is not much unlike liquid Styrax; by unction it warms and comforts a cold and moist brain, it easeth all greifs coming of a cold cause; it mightily comforteth and strengtheneth a weak sto∣mach, being anointed with it, and helps digestion ex∣ceedingly, it dissolves swellings. It is hot in the third degree, and moist in the first.
I think it would do the Common-wealth no harm, if I should speak a word or two of Manna here, al∣though it be no Gum; I confess Authors make some flutter about it, what it is, some holding it to be the juyce of a tree; I am confident it is the very same condensated that our honey-dews here are, only the Countryes whence it comes being far hotter it fulls in greater abundance: Let him that desires reasons for it, be pleased but to read Butler his book of Bees, a most excellent experimental work, where he shal find reason enough to satisfie any reasonable man. Chuse the dryest, and whitest, it is a very gentle purger of choller, quencheth thirst, provokes appetite, easeth the roughness of the throat, helps bitterness in the throat, and often proness to vomit; It is very good for such as are subject to be costive to put into their drinks in stead of Sugar, it hath no obnoxious quali∣ty at al in it, but may be taken by a woman with child, without any danger, a child of a year old may take an ounce of it at a time, dissolved in milk, it wil melt like Sugar, neither wil it be known from it by the tast.
Mirrh is hot and dry in the second degree, excee ding dangerous for women with child; It is bitter, and yet al Authors hold it to be good for the rough∣ness of the throat and wind-pipe; half a drachm of it taken at a time, helps rhewmatick distillations upon the Lungues, pains in the sides, it stops fluxes, pro∣vokes the terms, brings away both birth and after∣birth, softens the hardness of the womb: being taken two hours before the fit comes, it helps Agues, Malhi∣plus saith he seldom used any other medicine for the quartan ague, than a drachm of Mirrh given in Muskadel, an hour before the fit usually came; if you make it up into pills with Treacle, and take one of them every morning fasting; it is a soveraign pre∣servative against the pestilence, against the poyson of serpents and other venemous beasts, a singular reme∣dy for a stinking breath, if it arise from putrifaction of the stomach, it fastens loose teeth, and staies the shedding off of the hair, outwardly used, it breeds flesh in deep wounds, and covers the naked bones with flesh.
Olibanum is hot in the second degree, and dry in the first: you may take a drachm of it at a time, it stops loosness and the running of the reins, it streng∣thens the memory exceedingly, comforts the heart, expels sadness and melancholly, strengthens the heart, helps Coughs, Rhewms, and pleurisies; your best way (in my opinion to take it, is to mix it with conserves of Roses, and take it in the morning fa∣sting.)
Tachamacha, is seldom taken inwardly, outward∣ly spread upon leather, and applied to the navil, it staieth the fits of the Mother, applied to the side, it mitigates speedily, and in little time quite takes away the pain and windiness of the spleen; the truth is whatsoever ach or swelling proceeds of wind or cold raw humors, I know no better Plaister coming from Beyond Sea then this Gum; it strengthens the brain and memory exceedingly, and stops al such de∣fluxions thence, as trouble the eyes, ears or teeth, it helps the gout and Sciatica.
Gum Coopal, and Gum Anime are very like one a∣nother, both in body and operation, the former is hard to come by, the last not very easy, it stops de∣fluxions from the head, if you persume your Cap with the smoke of it, it helps the headach and Me∣grim, strengthens the brain, and therefore the Sin∣news.
Gum Tragaganth, which the vulgar call Gum dra∣gon, being mixed with pectoral Syrups (which you shall find noted in their propper places,) it helps coughs and hoarceness, salt and sharp distillations up∣on the Lungues, being taken with a liquoris stick, being dissolved in sweet Wine, it helps (being drunk) gnawings in the bowels, sharpness and fret∣ting of the urine, which causeth excoriations either in the reins or bladder, being dissolved in milk and the eyes washed with it, it takes away wheals and scabs that grow on the eye lids, it is excellent good to be put in pultisses to sodder wounds, especially if the nerves or sinnews be hurt.
Sagapen. dìssolved in juyce of Rue and taken, wonderfully breaks the stone in the bladder, expels the dead child and after-birth, cleers the sight, dissol∣ved in Wine and drunk, it helps the cough, and distil∣lations upon the Lungues, and the fits of the mo∣ther, outwardly in Oyls or Oyntments, it mightily helps such members as are out of joynt or overstret∣ched.
Galbanum is of the same operation, and also taken from the same plant, viz. Fennel, Giant.
Gum Arabick, thickneth and cooleth, and cor∣recteth Chollerick sharp humors in the body, being dissolved in the white of an Egge well beaten, it helps burnings, and keeps the place from blistering.
Mastich staies fluxes, being taken inwardly any way: Three or four small grains of Mastich swal∣lowed down whol at night going to bed, is an excel∣lent remedy for pains in the stomach: Being beaten