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Bishop's-Weed

Names. Besides the common name bishop's-weed, it is usually known by the Greek name Ammi and Ammoi; some call it Ethiopian cummin-seed, and others cummin-royal, as also herb-william, and bull-wort.

Description. Common bishop's-weed riseth up with a round straight stalk, sometimes as high as a man, but usually three or four feet high, beset with divers small, long, and somewhat broad leaves, cut in some places, and dented about the edges, growing one against another, of a dark green colour, having sundry branches on them, and at the top small umbels of white flowers, which turn into small round seeds, little bigger than parsley seeds, of a quick hot scent and taste; the root is white and stringy; perishing yearly, and usually riseth again on its own sowing.

Place. It groweth wild in many places of England and Wales, as between Greenhithe and Gravesend.

Government and virtues. It is hot and dry in the third degree, of a bitter taste, and somewhat sharp withal; it provokes lust to purpose; I suppose Venus owns it. It digesteth humours, provoketh urine and women's courses, dissolveth wind, and being taken in wine it easeth pain and griping in the bowels, and is good against the biting of serpents; it is used to good effect in those medicines which are given to hinder the poisonous operation of Cantharides upon the passage of the urine; being mixed with honey and applied to black and blue marks coming of blows or bruises, it takes them away; and being drank or outwardly applied, it abateth an high colour, and makes it pale; and the fumes thereof taken with rosin or raisins, cleanseth the mother.