ROOTS.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Culpeper, Nicholas
Cucumeris a grestis. Of wild Cucumber roots; they purge flegm, and that with such violence, that I would advise the country man that knows not how to correct them, to let them alone.
Cinaræ, &c. Of Artichokes. The roots purge by urine, whereby the rank savour of the body is much amended.
Cynoglossæ, &c. Of Hounds-tongue, Cold and dry: being roasted and laid to the fundament, helps the hemorrhoids, is also good for burnings and scaldings.
Curcumæ. Of Turmerick, hot in the third degree, opens obstructions, is profitable against the yellow jaundice, and cold distemper of the liver and spleen, half a dram being taken at night going to bed in the pulp of a roasted apple, and if you add a little saffron to it, it will be the better by far.
Cyperiutriusque, longi, rotundi. Of Cyprus Grass, or English Galanga, both sorts, long and round: is of a warm nature, provokes urine, breaks the stone, provokes the menses; the ashes of them (being burnt) are used for ulcers in the mouth, cankers, &c.
Dauci. Of Carrots. Are moderately hot and moist, breed but little nourishment, and are windy.
Dentaria majoris, &c. Of Toothwort, toothed violets, or corralwort: they are drying, binding, and strengthening; are good to ease pains in the sides and bowels; also being boiled, the decoction is said to be good to wash green wounds and ulcers with.
Dictiamni. Of Dittany: is hot and dry in the third degree, hastens travail in women, provokes the menses. (See the leaves.)
Doronici. Of Doronicum, a supposed kind of Wolf’s bane: It is hot and dry in the third degree, strengthens the heart, is a sovereign cordial, and preservative against the pestilence: it helps the vertigo or swimming of the head, is admirable against the bitings of venomous beasts, and such as have taken too much opium, as also for lethargies, the juice helps hot rheums in the eyes; a scruple of the root in powder is enough to take at one time.
Dracontii, Dracunculi. Divers authors attribute divers herbs to this name. It is most probable that they mean dragons, the roots of which cleanse mightily, and take away proud, or dead flesh, the very smell of them is hurtful for pregnant women: outwardly in ointments, they take away scurf, morphew, and sun-burning; I would not wish any, unless very well read in physic, to take them inwardly. Matthiolus, Dioscorides.
Ebuli. Of Dwarf Elder, Walwort, or Danewort; hot and dry in the third degree, the roots are as excellent a purge for the dropsy as any under the sun. You may take a dram or two drams (if the patient be strong) in white wine at a time.
Echij. Of Viper’s Bugloss, or wild Bugloss. This root is cold and dry, good for such as are bitten by venemous beasts, either being boiled in wine and drank, or bruised and applied to the place: being boiled in wine and drank, it encreaseth milk in nurses.
Ellebori, Veratri, albi nigri. Of Hellebore white and black. The root of white Hellebore, or sneezewort, being grated and snuffed up the nose, causeth sneezing; kills rats and mice being mixed with their meat.
Black Hellebore, Bears-foot or Christmas flower: both this and the former are hot and dry in the third degree. This is neither so violent nor dangerous as the former.
Enulæ Campanæ Helenij. Of Elecampane. It is hot and dry in the third degree, wholesome for the stomach, resists poison, helps old coughs, and shortness of breath, helps ruptures, and provokes lust; in ointments, it is good against scabs and itch.
Endivæ, &c. Of Endive, Garden Endive, which is the root here specified, is held to be somewhat colder, though not so dry and cleansing as that which is wild; it cools hot stomachs, hot livers, amends the blood corrupted by heat, and therefore is good in fevers, it cools the reins, and therefore prevents the stone, it opens obstructions, and provokes urine: you may bruise the root, and boil it in white wine, ’tis very harmless.
Eringij. Of Eringo or Sea-holly: the roots are moderately hot, something drying and cleansing, bruised and applied to the place; they help the Scrophula, or disease in the throat called the King’s Evil, they break the stone, encrease seed, stir up lust, provoke the terms, &c.
Esulæ, majoris, minoris. Of Spurge the greater and lesser, they are both (taken inwardly) too violent for common use; outwardly in ointments they cleanse the skin, take away sunburning.
Filicis, &c. Fearn, of which are two grand distinctions, viz. male and female. Both are hot and dry, and good for the rickets in children, and diseases of the spleen, but dangerous for pregnant women.
Filipendulæ. Of Dropwort. The roots are hot and dry in the third degree, opening, cleansing, yet somewhat binding; they provoke urine, ease pains in the bladder, and are a good preservative against the falling-sickness.
Fœniculi. Of Fennel. The root is hot and dry, some say in the third degree, opening; it provokes urine, and menses, strengthens the liver, and is good against the dropsy.
Fraxini. Of Ash-tree. I know no great virtues in physic of the roots.
Galangæ, majoris, minoris. Galanga, commonly called Galingal, the greater and lesser: They are hot and dry in the third degree, and the lesser are accounted the hotter, it strengthens the stomach exceedingly, and takes away the pains thereof coming of cold or wind; the smell of it strengthens the brain, it relieves faint hearts, takes away windiness of the womb, heats the reins, and provokes amorous diseases. You may take half a dram at a time. Matthiolus.
Gentiana. Of Gentian; some call it Felwort, and Baldmoney. It is hot, cleansing, and scouring, a notable counterpoison, it opens obstructions, helps the biting of venemous beasts, and mad dogs, helps digestion, and cleanseth the body of raw humours; the root is profitable for ruptures, or such as are bursten.
Glycyrrhizæ. Of Liquorice; the best that is grows in England: it is hot and moist in temperature, helps the roughness of the windpipe, hoarsness, diseases in the kidneys and bladder, and ulcers in the bladder, it concocts raw humours in the stomach, helps difficulty of breathing, is profitable for all salt humours, the root dried and beaten into powder, and the powder put into the eye, is a special remedy for a pin and web.
Gramminis. Of Grass, such as in London they call couch grass, and Squitch-grass; in Sussex Dog-grass. It gallantly provokes urine, and easeth the kidneys oppressed with gravel, gripings of the belly, and difficulty of urine. Let such as are troubled with these diseases, drink a draught of white wine, wherein these roots (being bruised) have been boiled, for their morning’s draught, bruised and applied to the place, they speedily help green wounds. Galen, Dioscorides.
Hermodactyli. Of Hermodactils. They are hot and dry, purge flegm, especially from the joints, therefore are good for gouts, and other diseases in the joints. Their vices are corrected with long pepper, ginger, cinnamon, or mastich. I would not have unskilful people too busy with purges.
Hyacinthi. Of Jacinths. The roots are dry in the first degree, and cold in the second, they stop looseness, bind the belly.
Iridis, vulgaris, and Florentine, &c. Orris, or Flower-de-luce, both that which grows with us, and that which comes from Florence. They are hot and dry in the third degree, resist poison, help shortness of the breath, provoke the menses; the Root being green and bruised, takes away blackness and blueness of a stroke, being applied thereto.
Imperitoriæ, &c. Of Master-wort. The root is hot and dry in the third degree; mitigates the rigour of agues, helps dropsies, provokes sweat, breaks carbuncles, and plague-sores, being applied to them; it is very profitable being given inwardly in bruises.
Isotidis, Glasti. Of Woad. I know no great physical virtue in the root. See the Herb.
Labri Veneris, Dipsaci. Fullers-Thistle, Teazle. The root being boiled in wine till it be thick (quoth Dioscorides) helps by unction the clefts of the fundament, as also takes away warts and wens. Galen saith, they are dry in the second degree: and I take it all Authors hold them to be cold and dry. Unslacked lime beaten into powder, and mixed with black soap, takes away a wen being anointed with it.
Lactucæ. Of Lettice. I know no physical virtue residing in the roots.
Lauri. Of the Bay-tree. The Bark of the root drunk with wine, provokes urine, breaks the stone, opens obstructions of the liver and spleen. But according to Dioscorides is naught for pregnant women. Galen.
Lapathi acuti, Oxylapathi. Sorrel, according to Galen; but Sharp-pointed Dock, according to Dioscorides. The roots of Sorrel are held to be profitable against the jaundice. Of Sharp-pointed Dock; cleanse, and help scabs and itch.
Levistici. Of Lovage. They are hot and dry, and good for any diseases coming of wind.
Lillij albi. Of white Lillies. The root is something hot and dry, helps burnings, softens the womb, provokes the menses, if boiled in wine, is given with good success in rotten Fevers, Pestilences, and all diseases that require suppuration: outwardly applied, it helps ulcers in the head, and amends the ill colour of the face.
Malvœ. Of Mallows. They are cool, and digesting, resist poison, and help corrosions, or gnawing of the bowels, or any other part; as also ulcers in the bladder. See Marsh-mallows.
Mandragoræ. Of Mandrakes. A root dangerous for its coldness, being cold in the fourth degree: the root is dangerous.
Mechoachanæ. Of Mechoacah. It is corrected with Cinnamon, is temperate yet drying, purges flegm chiefly from the head and joints, it is good for old diseases in the head, and may safely be given even to feverish bodies, because of its temperature: it is also profitable against coughs and pains in the reins; as also against venereal complaints; the strong may take a dram at a time.