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 Poppie. Chap. lxxxi.

❀ The Kindes.

THere be three sortes of Poppie, as Dioscorides sayth, wherof the first kind is white, and of the garden, the two other are blacke and wilde.

[illustration]

Papauer satiuum. Garden Poppie.

[illustration]

Papauer syluestre. Wilde Poppie.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] [ A] THE garden white Poppie beareth a straight stem, or straight smoth stalke, about y^e height of foure or fiue foote in length, with long leaues therevpon, large and white, vneuenly iagged and toothed about: at the highest of the sayde stemmes, groweth a round bud or button, the whiche openeth into a large white flower, made of foure leaues, the whiche flower hath in the middle many smal hearie threddes, with little tippes at the eudes, and a round head, the which head waxeth great and long, wherin is the seede, which is white, and very necessarie in medicine.

[ B] Of this kinde there is yet another, whose flowrie leaues be iagged or fren∣ged, in all thinges els lyke to the aforesayde.

[ 2] [ A] The seconde kinde of Poppie, hath his stalkes and leaues much lyke to the white, but the flowers be of a fayre red colour, and the heades are more roun∣der, and not long. The seede is blackish.

[ B] Of this sorte there is found another kind, whose flowers be snipt & iagged, the whiche sometimes be very double, lyke to the other.

[ 3] The thirde kinde of Poppie, is lyke to the two other sortes in leaues, and stemmes, sauing that it is smaller, and beareth moe flowers, and headdes. The flowers be of a colour betwixt white and red, changing towarde blacke, hauing blacke spottes, at the lower part of euery flowers leaues. The heades be somewhat long, much smaller then the heades of the others, wherein there is also blacke seede, and when the sede is ripe, the heades do open aboue, vnder the shel or scale whiche couereth the sayde heades. And afterwarde the seede falleth out easily, whiche happeneth not to the other two Poppies, whose heades remayne alwayes close.

There droppeth or runneth out of Poppie, a liquor as white as milke, when the heades be pearced or hurt, the whiche is called Opium, and men ga∣ther and drie it, and is kept of the Apothecaries in their shoppes to serue in me∣dicine.

❀ The Place.

Al these kindes of Poppie are sowen in this Countrie in gardens. The third kind is very common, insomuch as it is sowen in many feelds for the commodi∣tie and profite which commeth of the seede. In Apulia and Spayne, and other hoate Countries, they gather the iuyce, whiche is the Opium, that men of this Countrie put in medicines.

❀ The Tyme.

It flowreth most commonly in Iune.

❀ The Names.

Poppie is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine and in shoppes Papauer, of some Oxytonon, Prosopon, Lethe, Lethusa, and Onitron: in high Almaigne, Magsa∣men, Moen, Magle, and Olmag: in base Almaigne Huel, & of some Mancop.

The iuyce of Poppie is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, & in shoppes Opium.

[ 1] The first kind is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Papauer satiuum, of some Thylacitis: in shoppes Papaueralbum: in Frenche Pauot cultiué & blanc: in Almaigne Witten Huel, and Tammen Huel: in Englishe White Poppie, and Garden Poppie.

[ 2] The seconde kind Dioscorides calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Papauer syluestre, & erraticum, some also cal it Pithitis: in Shoppes Papauer nigrum, magnum, of the vnlearned Papauer rubrum, and according to the same, the Frenchmen call it Pauot rouge: in Douche Rooden Huel: in Englishe, Blacke Poppie, and Wilde Poppie.

[ 3] The thirde sorte is also taken for a kinde of wilde Poppie, and is called in Shoppes Papauer commune, and Papauer nigrum, that is to say, Common Poppie, and blacke Poppie: in Douche Huel. This should seeme to be Poppie Rhoeas, that is to say, Flowing and falling, bycause the seede thereof floweth out when it is ripe, whiche chanceth to none of the other kindes, as is aboue∣sayde.

❀ The Nature.

Al the Poppies be colde and drie, almost euen harde to the fourth degree.

Opium is colde and drie, almost harde to the fourth degree.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The decoction of the leaues and heades of Poppie, made in water & dronke causeth fleepe. It hath the lyke vertue, if the head and handes be washed ther∣with.

[ B] Of the heades boyled in water, is made a Syrupe, whiche doth also cause sleepe, and is very good agaynst the subtil Rheumes, and Catharrhes, that di∣still and fal downe from the brayne vpon the lunges, and against the cough, ta∣king his beginning of such subtil humours.

[ C] The seede of blacke Poppie dronke in wine, stoppeth the fluxe of the belly, and the vnreasonable course of womens issues: & if it be mingled with water, and layde to the forehead, it will cause sleepe also.

[ D] A playster is made with the greene knoppes or heades of Poppie (before it is ripe) & parched barley meale, the which is good to be layde vpon the disease, named in Latine Ignis sacer, and hoate tumours, which haue neede of cooling.

[ E] Opium, that is the iuyce of Poppie dried, taken in quantitie of a fetche, swageth all inwarde paynes, causeth sleepe, cureth the cough, and stoppeth the flixe.

[ F] The same layde to with Oyle of Roses, swageth headache: and with Oyle of sweete Almondes, Myrrhe, and Saffron, it healeth ache, or payne of the cares.

[ G] With vineger it is good to be layde to the disease, called Erysipelas, or Wild fire, and all other inflammations, and with womans milke and Saffron, it swageth the payne of the gowte.

[ H] The same put into the fundement, as a Suppositorie, bringeth or causeth sleepe.

[ I] To conclude, in what manner soeuer Opium be taken, eyther inwardly or outwardly, it causeth sleepe, and taketh away paynes. Yet ye must take heede, to vse it euer with discretion.

❧ The Danger.

The vse of Poppie is very euill and dangerous, and especially Opium, the which taken excessiuely, or to often applyed vpon the flesh outwardly, or other∣wise without good consideration and aduisement, it wyll cause a man to sleepe to muche, as though he had the Lethargie, which is the forgetful sicknesse, and bringeth foolish and doting fansies, it corrupteth the sense and vnderstanding, bringeth the Palsie, and in fine it killeth the body.

❀ The Correction.

Whan by great necessitie ye are forced to vse Opium, mixe Saffron with it, for it shall let, and somewhat hinder the euill qualitie of Opium, in suche sort as it shall not so easily do harme, as it woulde, if Saffron were not mingled with it. See Turners Herbal for the remedie against Opium lib. 2 fol. 76.