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 white Hellebor or Nesewurte. Chap. xxiiij.

❀ The Description.

THe white Ellebor hath great broad leaues, with ribbes or sinewes like the leaues of the great Plantayne or Gentian. The stalke is rounde two or three foote high, at the vpmost part wher∣of groweth alongest and rounde about the top, the flowers one aboue another, pale of color, diuided into sixe little leaues, the which haue a greene line ouerth wart. The same being passed, there commeth in their places smal huskes wherin is cōteyned the seede, the roote is rounde, as thicke as a mans finger or thombe, white both with∣out and within hauing many thicke laces or threddy stringes.

❀ The Place.

White Hellebor groweth in Anticyra, neare about the mountayne Deta, and in Capadocia & Syria, but the best groweth in Cyrene. The Herboristes of this Coun∣trie do set it in their gardens.

❀ The Tyme.

White Hellebor flowreth in this Coun∣trie in Iune and Iuly.

[illustration]

Veratrum album.

❀ The Names.

This kind of Hellebor is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Veratrum album: in shoppes Helleborus albus: of some Pignatoxaris & Sanguis Herculis: in Frēch Ellebore blanc: in high Douche Weisz Nieswurtz: in base Almaigne Witte Nies∣wortel or wit Niescruyt: in English White Hellebor, Neseworte, and Ling∣wort.

❀ The Nature.

The roote of Ellebor is hoate and drye in the thirde degree.

❀ The Vertues.

The roote of white Ellebor causeth one to vomit vp mightily and with great force, all superfluous, slymie, venemous and naughtie humours. Like∣wise it is good agaynst the falling sicknesse, Phrensies, olde payne of the head, madnesse, sadnesse, the gowt, and Sciatica, all sortes of dropsies, poyson, and

agaynst all colde diseases, that be harde to cure, and suche as wyll not yeelde to any medicine. But as concerning the preparation thereof before it be ministred to any, and also in what sort the body that shall receiue it ought to be prepared, it hath ben very well and largely described by diuers olde Doctors, wherof I minde not to intreate, bycause y^e rules to be obserued be so long, that they cannot be comprehended in fewe wordes, for they may well fyll a booke, and bycause Galen teacheth, that one ought not to minister this vehement and strong roote in inwarde medicines, but onely to apply the same outwardly.

[ B] Therefore it is good to be vsed agaynst all roughnesse of the skinne, wylde scurffe, knobbes, foule spottes, and the leprey, if it be layde thereto with Oyle or Oyntmentes.

[ C] The same cut into gobbins or slices, and put into fistulas, taketh away the hardnesse of them.

[ D] The same put vnder in manner of a Pessarie, bringeth downe flowers, and expelleth the dead childe.

[ E] The powder thereof put into the nose, or snift vp into the same, causeth sne∣sing, warmeth and purgeth the brayne from grosse slymie humours, & causeth them to come out at the nose.

[ F] The same boyled in vineger and holden in the mouth, swageth toothache, and mingled with eye midicines, doth cleare and sharpen the sight.

[ G] The roote of Hellebor pounde with meale and hony, is good to kill Myse and Rattes and suche lyke beastes, and to driue them away: lykewyse if it be boyled with mylke, and Waspes and Flyes do eate thereof, it killeth them, for whatsoeuer doth eate of it, doth swell and breake: and by this we may iudge howe perilous this roote is.

❀ The Daunger.

White Ellebor vnprepared, and taken out of time and place, or to muche in quantitie, is very hurtfull to the body: for it choketh, and troubleth all the in∣warde partes, draweth togyther and shrinketh al the sinewes of mans body, and in fine it sleaeth the partie. Therfore it ought not to be taken vnprepared, neyther than without good heede and great aduisement. For such people as be either to yong or to old, or feeble, or spit blood, or be greeued in their stomackes, whose breastes are straight and narrowe, and their neckes long, suche feeble people may by no meanes deale with it, without ieobardie and danger. Wher∣fore these landleapers, Roges, and ignorant Asses, which take vpō them with∣out learning and practise, do very euill, for they giue it without discretion to al people, whether they be young or olde, strong or feeble, and sometimes they kil their patientes, or at the least they put them in perill or great daunger of their lyues.