A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

Of Euphorbium. Chap. xvi.

FVphorbium is the gumme or teare of a certayne strange plante grow∣ing in Lybia on the mount Athlante, or Athlas, next to the Countrie of Mauritania, nowe called Morisco, or of the Moores. And it was

first founde out in the tyme of Iuba king of Lybia: the leafe of this plant is long and rounde, almost lyke to the fruit of Cucumer, but the endes or corners be sharper, & set about with many prickles, which are somtimes foūd in the gumme it selfe: one of those leaues set in the grounde, doth increase and multiply di∣uers. The sappe or liquor that commeth foorth of the sayde leaues, burneth or scaldeth, and straightwayesit congeleth and becommeth thicke, and that is the Euphorbium. The first Euphorbium is yellowish, cleare, brittle, very sharpe and burning in the mouth and throte, freshe and newe, not muche elder then a yere: for this gomme doth soone lose much of his heate and vertue by age, as Galen and Mesue saith.

[illustration]

Euphorbium.

❀ The Place.

The Euphorbium described of the Auncientes groweth vppon the mount Athlas in the Countrie of Lybia, borde∣ring vpon Mauritania: it groweth also in Africa and Iudea, from whence it hath ben conueyed into certayne places of Spayne, Fraunce, & Italie, where as it bringeth foorth neyther floures nor fruit. Pena hath seene it growing at Marselles and Monspellier in France, where as he saw the floures and tasted of the fruite.

❀ The Tyme.

It putteth vp his leaues in the spring time, whereof the first, the second, and the thirde, is the stalke or stem, and the rest growe foorth as branches, and whan the plant is seuen or eyght yeeres olde, it bringeth foorth yellow floures, like in proportion to Balaustia, and in Autumne the fruit is ripe, of colour red and prickley. &c.

❀ The Names.

This gumme is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Euphorbium: in shoppes Euforbium: some call it Carduus Indicus, and Ficus Indica, that is to say, the Thistell, or figge of India, some take it to be Opuntia Plinij: This Euphorbiū should seeme to be that wherof Solinus hath made mention in the xxvii. Chap. of his Historie, wheras he saith, Proficere ad oculorum claritatem, Et multiplex sanitatis praesidium fore, ac non mediocriter percellere vim venenorum. It is also the Euphorbium described by Iohn Leo in his African historie.

❀ The cause of the Name.

Iuba king of Lybia, was the first finder out of this herbe: and named it after the name of his Physition, the brother of Musa who was also a Physition to the Emperour Auguste.

❀ The Nature.

Euphorbium is very hoate and drie almost in the fourth degree.

❧ The Vertues.

[ A] Euphorbium prepared in manner as shalbe vnder written, purgeth and dri∣ueth foorth by siege (as Mesue saith) tough, colde, and flymie flegmes, and draweth vnto it, from the sinewes and partes a farre of, and also purgeth choler. Moreouer it is very good against the olde head ache, the Paulsie, the Crampe, the weakenesse that foloweth after the Frenche pockes, the payne of the sinewes and extreme partes, that are of continuance, & against the Iaun∣ders. It is also good against the Pestilence, and suche lyke contagious sicknes∣ses, as one Gentilis writeth.

[ B] They make a playster with Euphorbium, and twelue times so much Oyle, and a little waxe, very singuler against all paynes and aches of the ioyntes, the Takinges, Lamenesse, Paulsies, Crampes, and shrinking of sinewes, and against all aches, paynes, & disorder of the same, as Galien in his fourth booke de Medicamentis secundùm genera, declareth more at large, shewing how and whan the quantitie of Euphorbium, is to be augmented or diminished, whiche shoulde be to long to recite in this place.

[ C] Euphorbiū mingled with Oyle of Bay, Beares grease, or Woolfes grease, or such like, cureth the scurffe and scales of the head, and pyldenesse, causing the heare to renewe and growe againe, not only vpon the head and other bare pla∣ces, but it will also cause the bearde to growe that is slacke in comming, if it be annoynted therwithal.

[ D] The same mingled with Oyle, and straked or layd vpon the temples of such as are very sleepie, or troubled with the lethargie, and raging, doth awaken and quicken their sprites agayne. And if it be applied to the nuque, or nape of the necke, it restoreth the speach agayne vnto them that haue lost it by reason of the Apoplexie.

[ E] Euphorbium mingled with vineger, and straked vpon the place, taketh a∣way al fowle, & euilfauoured spots from the body, especially the white scurffe and scales of the skinne.

❀ The Daunger.

Euphorbium by reason of his extreame heate, is very hurtfull to the liuer and stomacke, and all the inwarde partes, when it is receiued into the body, for it chafeth and inflameth the same out of measure.

❀ The correction and preparation therof.

[ 1] The malice and violence of Euphorbium is corrected many waies: and first ye must annoynt it with Oyle of sweete Almondes, after put it into the midle of a Citron, and wrap it, or close it vp in leauened paste, and so bake it, & when the paste is readie, ye may take the Euphorbium out of it, to vse in medicine.

[ 2] Maynardus taketh Mastick & gumme Dragagante, as much as the Euphor∣bium commeth to, and mingling them well togeather, putteth it into the midle of an vnbackte loafe, so letting it bake vntil the bread be wel backte: then taketh he of the crumbe or pulpe of that loafe, and maketh small pilles thereof, whiche be very singuler against the weakenesse or debilitie comming of the Frenche pockes, and al anguish and payne of the outwarde partes.

[ 3] An other mingleth with Euphorbium, the lyke quantitie of Masticke, and maketh pilles with the iuyce of Citrons or Orenges, the whiche are muche praysed against the Pestilence.