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White Saxifrage

Description. This has a few small reddish kernels of roots, covered with some skins, lying among divers small blackish fibres, which send forth divers round, faint, or yellow green leaves, and greyish underneath, lying above the ground, unevenly dented about the edges, and somewhat hairy, every one upon a little footstalk, from whence rise up round, brownish, hairy green stalks, two or three feet high, with a few such-like round leaves as grow below, but smaller, and somewhat branched at the top, whereon stand pretty large white flowers of five leaves a piece, with some yellow threads in the middle, standing in a long, crested, brownish, green husk. After the flowers are past, there rises sometimes a round hard head, forked at the top, wherein is contained small black seed, but usually they fall away without any seed, and it is the kernels or grains of the root-which are usually called the white saxifrage seed, and so used.

Place. It grows in many places of this country, as well in the lowermost, as in the upper dry corners of meadows, and grassy sandy places. Time. It flowers in May, and then gathered, as well for that which is called the seed, as to distil, for it quickly perishes down to the ground when any hot weather comes.

Government and virtues. This is governed by the Moon. It is very effectual to cleanse the reins and bladder, and to dissolve the stone engendered in them, and to expel it and the gravel by urine; to help the stranguary; for which purpose the decoction of the herb or roots, in white wine, is most usual, or the powder of the small kernelly root, which is called the seed, taken in white wine, is more usual. The distilled water of the whole herb, root, and flowers, is most familiar to be taken. It provokes also women's courses, and frees and cleanses the stomach and lungs from thick and tough phlegm that trouble them. There are not many better medicines to break the stone than this.