Roots

Acanths, Brancœ Ursinœ. Of bearsbreech, or brankursine, it is meanly hot and dry, helps aches and numbness of the joints, and is of a binding quality, good for wounds and broken bones. Dioscorides saith, They are profitable for ruptures, or such as are bursten, or burnt with fire, a dram of the root in powder being taken in the morning fasting, in a decoction made with the same root and water.

Acori, Veri, Perigrini, vulgaris, &c. See Calamus Aromaticus. I shall not speak concerning the several sorts of it, one of which is Water-flag, or Flower-de-luce, which is hot and dry in the second degree, binds, strengthens, stops fluxes of the belly, and immoderate flowing of the menses, a dram being taken in red wine every morning.

Allium. Garlic. It is hot and dry in the fourth degree, breeds corrupt blood, yet is an enemy to all poisons, and such as are bitten by cold venomous beasts, viz. Adders, Toads, Spiders, &c. it provokes urine, and expels wind.

Alcannœ. Of privet. See the leaves.

Althœ. Of Marsh mallows, are meanly hot, of a digesting, softening nature, ease pains, help bloody fluxes, the stone, and gravel; being bruised and boiled in milk, and the milk drank, is a good remedy for gripings of the belly, and the bloody flux. If a fever accompany the disease, boil a handful of common mallow leaves with a handful of these roots.

Angelicœ. Of Angelica; is hot and dry in the third degree, strengthens the heart, and is good against pestilence and poison, half a dram taken in the morning fasting.

Anchusœ. Of Alkanet; cold and dry, binding, good for old ulcers.

Anthorœ. A foreign root, the counter-poison for Monkshood, it is an admirable remedy for the wind cholic, and resists poison.

Apii. Of smallage. See the barks.

Aristolochiœ. Of birthwort; of which are three sorts, long, round, and climing. All hot and dry in the third degree. The long, being drank in wine, brings away both birth and after-birth, and whatsoever a careless midwife hath left behind. Dioscorides, Galen. The round, being drank with wine, helps (besides the former) stuffings of the lungs, hardness of the spleen, ruptures, convulsions; both of them resist poison. I never read any use of the climing birthwort.

Artanitœ, Cyclaminis, &c. Of Sowbread, hot and dry in the third degree, a most violent purge, dangerous; outwardly applied to the place, it profits much in the bitings of venomous beasts, also being hung about women in labour, it causes speedy deliverance. See the Herb.

Arundinis, Vallanoriœ, and Saccharinœ. Of common reeds and sugar reeds. The roots of common reeds applied to the place draw out thorns, and ease sprains; the ashes of them mixed with vinegar, take scurf, or dandrif off from the head, and prevent the falling off of the hair, they are hot and dry in the second degree, according to Galen. I never read any virtue of the root of sugar cane.

Ari, &c. Of Cuckow-points, or Wake-Robin, hot and dry in the third degree, I know no great good they do inwardly taken, unless to play the rogue withal, or make sport: outwardly applied, they take off scurf, morphew, or freckles from the face, clear the skin, and ease the pains of the gout.

Asclepiadis, vincetoxici. Of Swallow-wort, hot and dry, good against poison, and gripings of the belly, as also against the bitings of mad dogs, taken inwardly.

Asari. Of Asarabacca: the roots are a safer purge than the leaves, and not so violent, they purge by vomit, stool, and urine; they are profitable for such as have agues, dropsies, stoppings of the liver, or spleen, green sickness.