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 Walwort / or Dane wort. Chap. xlv.

❀ The Description.

ALbeit Walwort is no tree, norplant of a wooddy sub∣stance, but an herbe that springeth vp, euery yere a newe from his roote: yet notwithstanding it lyketh vs best in this place to set out his descrip∣tion, not onely bycause he is like vnto El∣der, but also, bycause the auncientes haue alwayes set and described Elder & Wal∣wort togither, the which I thought good to imitate in this matter. Therefore Wal∣wort is no wooddy plante, but an herbe hauing long stalkes, great, straight, and cornered, parted by knottes, and ioyntes, as the branches of Elder, vppon whiche groweth the leaues of a darke greene colour, parted into diuers other leaues, muche like to the leaues of Elder, both in figure and smell. At the highest of the stalkes, it bringeth foorth his flowers in tuftes, and afterwarde it hath seede and beries like Elder. The roote is as bigge as a mans finger, of a reasonable good length, fitter to be vsed in medicine then the roote of Elder, the which is hard, and therefore not so fit as Walwort.

[illustration]

Ebulus.

❀ The Place.

Walwort groweth in places vntoyled, neare vnto high wayes, and some∣times in the feeldes, specially there where as is any moysture or good ground and fruitefull.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] Bryonie or the white Vinde do grow in most places of this Countrie in the feeldes, wrapping it selfe, and creeping about hedges and ditches.

[ 2] The herbe whiche is taken for the blacke Bryonie, is founde in certayne woodes, on the hanging of hilles, in good ground, as in the Countrie of Fau∣quemont, and rounde about Coloygne, whereas of some it is accounted for a kinde of Naplus, wherevnto it hath no kinde of lykenesse.

❀ The Tyme.

White Bryonie beginneth to flowre in May, and the fruite is ripe in Sep∣tember.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] White Bryonie is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Vitis alba: in the Arabian tongue Alphesera, of Mattheus Syluaticus, Viticel∣la: in Shoppes Bryonia: in Frenche Couleureé blanche: in high Almaigne Stich∣wurtz, and Hunds kurbs: in base Almaigne Bryonie.

[ 2] The other blacke kinde is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Vitis nigra, and Bryonia nigra, of some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, Chironia vitis. And it may be well called in French Couleureé noire: in high Douche Schwartz Stickwurtz: in base Almaigne Swerte Bryonie.

The herbe, which some thinke to be the blacke Bryonie, is called of some Christophariana, and of others Costus niger, albeit it is nothing like the right Costus.

❀ The Nature.

[ 1] The roote of white Bryonie is hoate and drie, euen vnto the third degree.

[ 2] The blacke Bryonie is of the same complexion, but not altogither so strong.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote of white Bryonie, especially the iuyce thereof doth mightily pro∣uoke to the stoole, causing tough flemes to come foorth, and prouoking vrine, and is very good to mundifie and clense the braine, the brest, & inward partes from flemes, grosse and slimie humours.

[ B] The roote of Brionie taken daily the quantitie of a Dragme by the space of one whole yere, healeth the falling euill.

[ C] It doth also helpe them that are troubled with the Apoplerie, & turninges or swimminges of the head. Moreouer men do with great profite mingle it in medicines which they make agaynst the bitinges of Serpentes.

[ D] The quantitie of halfe a dragme of the roote of Brionie, dronkē with vine∣ger, by the space of thirtie dayes, healeth the Melt or Splene that is waxen harde and stopped. It is good for the same entent, if it be pounde with figges, and layd outwardly vpon the place of the Splene.

[ E] Of the same they make an Electuarie with honie, the whiche is very good for them that are short breathed, and whiche are troubled with an olde cough, and with payne in the sides, and for them that are hurt and bursten inwardly, for it dissolueth and dispatcheth congeled blood.

[ F] Being ministred below in a Pessari or Mother suppositorie, it moueth wo∣mens flowers, and deliuereth the Secondine, and the dead childe.

[ G] The like vertue hath a bath made of the Decoction thereof: bysides that it purgeth and clenseth the Matrix or Mother from al filthy vncleannesse, if they do sit ouer it.

[ H] The same pound with salt, is good to be layd vpō noughtie spreading sores, that do freat, and are corrupt and running, especially about the legges.

And the leanes and fruit are as profitable for the same intent, if it be layde to in like maner.

[ I] It clenseth the skinne, and taketh away the shriueled wrinckles, & freckles made with the Sonne, and all kindes of spottes and scarres: if it be mingled with the meale of Orobus, and Fenugrec. So doth the oyle wherin the roote of Brionie hath ben boyled.

[ K] The same pounde & mingled with wine, dissolueth the blood that is astonde or fixed, it dispatcheth al scarres, and blewe markes of bruysed places, and dis∣solueth newe swellinges, it bringeth to ripenesse and breaketh old Apostemes. It draweth foorth splinters and broken bones, and appeaseth noughtie vlcers and agnailes, that grow vp about the rootes of the nayles,

[ L] The fruit of Brionie is good against the itche, leprie, or noughtie scabbe.

[ M] The first springes or sprutinges are very good to be eaten in Salade, for the stomacke: they do also open the belly and prouoke vrine.

[ N] The roote of blacke Brionie is as good for al the greeues abouesaid, as the white Brionie, but not so strong: yet it preuayleth muche against the falling euill, and the giddinesse or turninges of the head, to prouoke vrine, the natural sicknesse of women, to waste and open the Splene or Melt that is swollen or stopped.

[ O] The tender springes of this kinde of Brionie, are also very good to be eaten in Salade, for to purge waterie superfluities, and for to open the belly, neither more nor lesse then the white Brionie.

❀ The Danger.

The roote of Brionie by his violence doth trouble & ouerturne the stomacke, and other of the inner partes. Moreouer the same with his leaues, fruite, stalkes, and rootes, is altogither contrarie and euill to women with childe, whether it be prepared or not, or whether it be mingled with other medicines: insomuche that one cannot geue of the sayde roote, or any other medicine com∣pounded of the same, without great daunger and perill.

❀ The Correction.

The malice or noughtie qualitie thereof is taken away, by putting thereto Masticke, Ginger, Cinamome, and to take it with hony, or with the decoction of Raysons.