Medela medicinæ a plea for the free prosestion and renovation of the art of physick, out of the noblest and most authentick writers ... : tending to the rescue of mankind from the tyranny of diseases, and of physicians themselves, from the pedansism of old authors and present dictators / the author, M. N. ...

Experiment III.

Matthiolus, Fuchsius, and many other Herbarists, declare, that Sage unwash't is very hurtful to such as eat it; yea, Mizaldus saith, that some by eating it have immediately fallen down dead: The Cause they impute to I know not what Toads poysoning the roots with their breath. But as for me, I have discovered another Cause of this Mat∣ter; for, while I examined more curi∣ously the constitution of this Plant, by the help of my Microscope, at length I observed in those leaves which were more rough than the rest, that their whole Superficies was covered with somewhat like a Spider's Web, within which appear'd Animals exceeding small, and which were perpetually at work therein, and certain round Things as it were Eggs were spred upon the Su∣perficies, which as it is doubtless a certain Breed or Spawn of that sort of petit Ani∣mals, so by their virulent humor they may do a man a deal of mischief: But wipe a leaf with your finger, or wash it with water, and they allpresently disappear;

from whence I collect the true cause of the pernicious quality of Sage that is not washed—. Moreover, if you make Experiment in other Herbs, you will to your very great admiration find, there is no Herb, out of whose moisture or putrid Mucor some Inf••ct doth not spring, which shews it self at first in the form of a very little worm, a little after it ac∣quires wings, and is transformed into a Butterfly, or some other flying Infect, according to the condltion of the Herb or Plant; all which I having found true by frequent Experiment, others also may be satisfied that will make trial of the matter.