The garden of health conteyning the sundry rare and hidden vertues and properties of all kindes of simples and plants, together with the maner how they are to be vsed and applyed in medicine for the health of mans body, against diuers diseases and infirmities most common amongst men. Gathered by the long experience and industrie of William Langham, practitioner in phisicke.

¶ Peony.

PEony, the roote endureth tenne yeeres, it comforteth and che∣risheth the body, prouoketh vrine, and purgeth the liuer and kidneis. 2 The roote boyled in wine and drunke, purgeth the blood, and is good for women in childe bed to purge their seconds and termes without harme, as much as an Almond is to be taken at once. 3 The roote boyled in wine, doeth helpe the gripings of the belly, the shedding of the gall, and the paine of the kidneis and bladder, comming by stopping of the vrine. 4 The smoke of the little braunches of the roote receiued into the nose, putteth away the Kings euill. 5 The roote taketh away blacke spots of the body. 6 The roote hanged about the necke, helpeth the falling sickenesse, especially the roote of the male Peony. 7 The roote of the female boyled in wine and drunke, doeth purge women af∣ter childe birth, and so doeth the seedes of it: and in other matters, the rootes of both be of like propertie. 8 The fresh roote worne about the necke withstandeth the vapours ascending into the head, and strengtheneth the braine: this doeth the male which beareth leaues like the leaues of a Walnut tree, and a white roote of a fin∣ger bignesse a span long. The roote is to be gathered in y^e wane of the Moone, and when she is vnder the earth, and the seedes doe es∣pecially prouoke termes, and send out the dead yongling, and the seedes drunke in wine, doe helpe a hard deliuerie of a woman in trauell. 9 The seedes bruised with Setwell, Galingall, & Su∣gar,

of eache like much by waight, and taken euery morning and euening, doth expell poyson, and loosen the belly gently. 10 Ten or twelue of the seedes drunke in olde wine, doe stay the superflu∣ous course of the termes. 11 And fifteene of the blacke seedes drunke either in water or hony, or in wine, doe helpe the night∣mare, the strangling of the secrets, and paines of the matrix. 12 Powder of the seedes giuen in meate and drinke to children, driueth foorth y^e stone that beginneth to breede in them. 13 Seeth the roote in wine and drinke it with powder of the roote to helpe the falling sickenesse. 14 Drinke powder of the roote with white wine to ease the paine of the reines and bladder. 15 The powder of the roote as much as a Beane drunke with wine, cleanseth the matrix after childebirth, and expelleth the flowers, the stone of the kidneis and bladder, and is good for the Iaundies, and the ache of the belly. 16 The water distilled of the rootes and flowers, strengtheneth the heart, and helpeth the falling sickenesse in chil∣dren, being taken two or three spoonefull at once. 17 The roote and seedes hanged about the necke of children, is good against the falling sickenesse, and the haunting of the Fairies and Goblins. 18 The iuice or powder drunke, is good against the stopping of the gall, liuer, and kidneis. 19 And sodden with olde red wine and drunke, it stoppeth the bloody-fluxe. 20 The red graines doe stop the red menstrues. 21 And the blacke graines sodden in red wine, do strengthen the matrix that aboundeth with fluxe of blood. 22 The roote sodden in wine and drunke, purgeth the belly, voy∣deth the chollike, cleanseth the guts, and defendeth against fren∣sies and passions of the braine, the strangury, and bitings of Ser∣pents, but there must bee taken at once but foure drammes. 23 Drinke the powder with white Wine and Saffron for the yellowe Iaundies, it is a soueraigne medicine. 24 Drinke fif∣teene or sixteene of the blacke seedes in wine or mede against the strangling of the mother, the night-mare, and melancholie dreames. 25 Drinke the powder with Sage, Rosemary, and Margerome in Hydromell, or meates for the falling sicke∣nesse. 26 The red seedes eaten, helpe the gnawing of the mouth of the stomacke. 27 Dropsie, put the seedes of Peo∣ny, Anise, and Fenell into thy drinke. 28 Falling euill, drinke

wine of the decoction of Peony, or eate euery morning and euening fiue graines of Peony pilled. 29 Flowers stopt, seethe it in wine and drinke it. 30 Mother suffocated, drinke fifteene graines of Peony. Vse to drinke powder of the seedes with wine to restore the wittes, and comfort the senses. 31 Weare the seedes about thee, that no euill spirites do hinder thee. Drinke powder of tenne or twelue seedes with Wine to auoide the night∣mare. 32 Vse powder of the roote with Sugar for the falling euill, or drinke the iuice three seuerall times. 33 Flowers stopt, drinke the powder or decoction of the roote. 34 Deliuerance to cause, stampe the blacke seedes with oyle, and anoynt the loynes and priuie partes therewith. 35 Mother suffocated, drinke fif∣teene seedes with wine. 36 Seethe the rootes with Castory in Wine to helpe the Palsie and the Stone. 37 Cast the powder of it on Cotton, and put it into the fundament, and also drinke thereof with wine against costiuenesse. 38 Falling sickenesse, eate it or drinke it with wine, and hang the roote about the necke fifteene dayes. 39 Milt griefes, seethe it in wine and drinke it. 40 Drinke the powder with water, hony, and powder of Cori∣ander, to helpe the griefes of the stomacke, milt, and grauell in the reines. 41 Let women seethe it in white wine, and drinke it against many diseases, to helpe the stone, the paine of the ma∣trix. 42 Seconds, drinke powder of fifteene of the blacke seedes at once. 43 To cause a woman to haue throwes in la∣bour, let her take foure or sixe of the seedes of Peony. 44 The roote gathered on the Sunday in the houre of ☉ in ♌, the moone increasing, and borne on them that haue the falling sicknesse, cu∣reth them, or hang the roote of male Peony about a boyes necke for the same purpose: or vse the first seedes that are rounde and blacke, especially taken with Oximell, or with syrupe of Steca∣dos, and a little Nutmeg. 45 Nose bleeding, put the roote vn∣der thy tongue. (See Orobus, Nigella.) 46 For griefes, swel∣ling, and windinesse of the matrix, drinke one dramme of the pow∣der of the rootes in broth, especially of the flowers of Camomile. 47 For the falling euill, feare mad, and witlesse, drinke Peony with Wine, Ale, or water: Or vse powder of it with all thy drinkes and brothes.

• Backe-ache 14
• Belly-ache 15
• Bladder griefe 3. 14
• Biting venom. 22
• Braine weake 22
• Dead childe 8
• Deliuerance 8. 34. 43
• Dreames melanc. 24
• Dropsie 27
• Falling euill 6. 13. 16 17. 25. 28. 32. 38. 44. 47
• Face deformed 5
• Fayries 17
• Flowers stopt 2. 7. 8. 15. 29. 33 to stop 10. 20. 21
• Gall to clense 4. 18
• Goblins 17
• Grauell 40
• Heart griefes 16
• Head griefes 22
• Iaundies 4. 15. 23
• Kidneis stopt 3 to clense 1 14. 18
• Kings euill 4
• Liuer griefes 1. 18
• Matrix griefes 11. 21. 41. 46
• suffocat. 24. 30. 35
• Melancholy 24
• Milt griefes 39. 40
• Palsie 36
• Poyson 9
• Purgation 9. 22. 37
• Seconds 2. 7. 8. 15. 42
• Stomacke griefes 26. 40
• Stone 12. 15. 36. 41
• Strangury 21
• Vrine stopt 1. 3
• Wicked spirits 31
• Womens griefes 41. 43 in childebead 2. 7. 8. 15