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Winter-Green

Description. It shoots forth seven, eight, or nine leaves, from a small, brownish, creeping root, each standing upon a long footstalk; they are nearly as broad as they are long, round pointed, of a sad green colour, hard in handling, and somewhat like the leaf of a pear-tree. From among these riseth up a slender weak stalk, standing upright, bearing at the top many small, white, and sweet-smelling flowers, laid open like a star, consisting of five round-pointed leaves, with many yellow threads standing in the middle, surrounding a green head, having a longish tube with them, which in time proveth to be the seed-vessel; when ripe, it is of a five-square shape, with a small point, containing seed as small as dust.

Place. It groweth but seldom in fields, but frequently in woods in the northern counties in this kingdom, as Yorkshire, Lancashire, &c. Time. It flowereth in June and July, shedding its seed soon after. Government and virtues. Winter-green is under the dominion of Saturn, and is an excellent remedy for the speedy healing of green wounds, the leaves being bruised and applied, or the juice of them is equally effectual. A salve made of the bruised herb, or the juice boiled in hog's lard, or with sallad-oil and wax, adding a little turpentine thereto, is a sovereign medicine, and in high estimation among the Germans, who use it to heal all manner of wounds, ulcers, and sores. The herb boiled in wine and water, and drunk by those who are troubled with ulcers in the kidnies, or neck of the bladder, wonderfully helpeth them. It stayeth all fluxes, whether of blood or humours, as the lask, bloody flux, immoderate menstrua, and bleeding of wounds, and taketh away such inflammations as rise from the pains of the heart. It is no less available for foul ulcers that are hard to be cured, as also for cankers and fistulas. The distilled water of the herb will perform the same virtues, though not so speedily.