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Mallows and Marshmallows

Common mallows are generally so well known that they need no description. Our common marshmallows have divers soft hairy white stalks, rising to be three or four feet high, spreading forth many branches, the leaves whereof are soft and hairy, somewhat lesser than the other mallow leaves, but longer pointed, cut (for the most part) into some few divisions, but deep. The flowers are many, but smaller also than the other mallows, and white, or tending to a blueish colour. After which come such long, round cases and seeds, as in the other mallows. The roots are many and long, shooting from one head, of the bigness of a thumb or finger, very pliant, tough, and being like liquorice, of a whitish yellow colour on the outside, and more white within, full of a slimy juice, which being laid in water, will thicken, as if it were a jelly.

Place. The common mallows grow in every county of this land. The common marshmallows in most of the salt marshes, from Woolwich down to the sea, both on the Kentish and Essex shores, and in divers other places of this land. Time. They flower all the summer months, even until the winter do pull them down.

Government and virtues. Venus owns them both The leaves of either of the sorts before specified, and roots also boiled in wine or water, or in broth with parsley or fennel roots, do help to open the body, and are very convenientin hot agues, or other distempers of the body, to apply the leaves so boiled warm to the belly. It not only voideth hot, choleric, and other offensive humours, but easeth the pains and torments of the belly coming thereby; and are therefore used in all clysters conducing to those purposes. The same used by nurses procureth them store of milk. The decoction of the seed of any of the common mallows made in milk or wine, doth marvellously help excoriations, the phthsic, pleurisy, and other diseases of the chest and lungs, that proceed of hot-causes, if it be continued taking for some time together. The leaves and roots work with the same effects. They help much also in the excoriations of the guts and bowels, and hardness of the mother, and in all hot and sharp diseases thereof. The juice drank in wine, or the decoction of them therein, do help women to a speedy and easy delivery. Pliny saith, that whosoever shall take a spoonful of any of the mallows shall that day be free from all diseases that may come unto him, and that it is special good for the falling sickness. The syrup also and conserve made of the flowers, are very effectual for the same diseases, and to open the body, being costive. The leaves bruised, and laid to the eyes with a little honey, taketh away the imposthumations of them. The leaves bruised or rubbed upon any place stung with bees, wasps or the like, presently take away the pains, redness, and swelling that rise thereupon. And Dioscorides saith, the decoction of the roots and leaves helpeth all sorts of poison, so as the poison may be presently voided by vomit. A poultice made of the leaves boiled and bruised, with some bean or barley flour, and oil of roses added, is an especial remedy against all hard tumours and inflammations, or imposthumes, or swellings of the cods, and other parts, and easeth the pains of them; as also against the hardness of the liver or spleen, being applied to the places. The juice of mallows boiled in oil and applied, taketh away all roughness of the skin, as also the scurf, dandriff, or dry scabs in the head, or other parts, if they be anointed therewith, or washed with the decoction, and preserveth the air from falling off. It is also effectual against scaldings and burnings, St. Anthony's fire, and all other hot, red and painful swellings in any part of the body. The flowers boiled in oil or water (as every one is disposed) whereunto a little honey and alum is put, is an excellent gargle to wash, clease or heal any sore mouth or throat in a short time. If the feet be bathed or washed with the decoction of the leaves, roots and flowers, it helpeth much the defluction of rheum from the head; if the head be washed therewith it stayeth the falling and shedding of the hair. The green leaves (saith Pliny) beaten with nitre, and applied, draw out thorns or prickles in the flesh.

The marshmallows are more effectual in all the diseases before mentioned: The leaves are likewise used to loosen the belly gently, and in decoctions for clysters to ease all pains of the body, opening the strait passages, and making them slippery, whereby the stone may descend the more easily, and without pain, out of the reins, kidneys, and bladder, and to ease the torturing pains thereof. But the roots are of more special use for those purposes, as well for coughs, hoarseness, shortnes of breath and wheezings, being boiled in wine, or honeyed water, and drank. The roots and seeds hereof boiled in wine or water, are with good success used by them that have excoriations in the guts, or the bloody flux, by qualifying the violence of sharp, fretting humours, easing the pains, and healing the soreness. It is profitably taken of them that are troubled with ruptures, cramps, or convulsions of the sinews; and boiled in white wine, for the imposthumes of the throat, commonly called the king's evil, and of those kernels that rise behind the ears, and inflammations or swellings in women's breasts. The dried roots boiled in milk and drank, is special good for the chin cough. Hippocrates used to give the decoction of the roots, or the juice there of, to drink, to those that are wounded, and ready to faint through loss of blood, and applied the same mixed with honey and rosin to the wounds. As also, the roots boiled in wine to those that have received any hurt by bruises, falls or blows, or had any bone or member out of joint, or any swelling pain, or ach in the muscles sinews, or arteries. The mucilage of the roots, and of linseed and fenugreek put together, is much used in poultices, ointments and plaisters, to molify and digest all hard swellings, and the inflammation of them, and to ease pains in any part of the body. The seed, either green or dry, mixed with vinegar, cleanseth the skin of morphew, and all other discolourings, being boiled therewith in the sun.

You may remember, that not long since, there was a raging disease called the bloody-flux; the college of physicians not knowing what to make of it, called it the plague of the guts, for their wits were at Ne plus ultra about it: My son was taken with the same disease, and the excoriation of his bowels was exceeding great; myself being in the country, was sent for up; the only thing I gave him, was mallows bruised and boiled both in milk and drink, in two days (the blessing of God being upon it) cured him. And I here, to shew my thankfulness to God, in communicating it to his creatures, leave it to posterity.