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The Ordinary Small Centaury

Description. This groweth up most usually but with one round and somewhat crusted stalk, about a foot high or better, branching forth at the top into many springs, and some also from the joints of the stalks below: the flowers thus stand at the tops as it were in one umbel or tuft, are of a pale red, tending to carnation colour, consisting of five, sometimes six small leaves, very like those of St. John's wort, opening themselves in the day time, and closing at night, after which come seeds in little short hasks, in form like unto wheat corn. The leaves are small and somewhat round; the root small and hard, perishing every year. The whole plant has an exceeding bitter taste. There is another sort in all things like the former, save only it beareth white flowers.

Place. They grow ordinarily in fields, pastures and woods, but that with the white flowers not so frequently as the other.

Time. They flower in July or thereabouts, and seed within a month after. Government and virtues. They are under the dominion of the Sun, as appears in that their flowers open or shut as the Sun either sheweth or hideth its face. This herb, boiled and drank, purgeth choleric and gross humours, and helpeth the sciatica: it openeth obstructions of the liver, gall, and spleen, helpeth the jaundice, and easeth pains in the sides and hardness of the spleen, used outwardly, and is given with very good effect in agues. It helpeth those that have the dropsy, or the green sickness, being much used by the Italians in powder for that purpose. It killeth the worms in the belly, as is found by experience. The decoction thereof, viz, the tops of the stalks, with the leaves and flowers, is good against the cholic, and to bring down womens' courses, helpeth to void the dead birth, and easeth pains of the mother, and is very effectual in all old pains of the joints, as the gout, cramps, or convulsions. A drachm of the powder thereof taken in wine, is a wonderful good help against the biting and poison of an adder. The juice of the herb, with a little honey put to it, is good to clear the eyes from dimness, mists, and clouds, that offend or hinder sight. It is singularly good both for green and fresh wounds, as also for old ulcers and sores, to close up the one, and cleanse the other, and perfectly to cure them both, although they are hollow or fistulous; the green herb especially being bruised and laid thereto. The decoction thereof dropped into the ears, cleanseth them from worms, cleanseth the foul ulcers and spreading scabs of the head, and taketh away all freckles, spots, and marks in the skin, being washed with it: the herb is so safe, you cannot fail in the using of it, only giving it inwardly for inward diseases. 'Tis very wholesome, but not very toothsome.

There is, besides these, another small centaury, which beareth a yellow flower; in all other respects it is like the former, save that the leaves are bigger, and of a darker green, and the stalk passeth through the midst of them, as it doth the herb Thorowan. They are all of them, as I told you, under the government of the Sun; yet this if you observe it, you shall find as excellent truth, in diseases of the blood, use the red centaury; if of choler, use the yellow; but if phlegm or water, you will find the white best. CHICKWEED.--See WATER-WORT page 145