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Of Alkanet or Wilde Buglosse

The Description.

THese herbes comprehended under the name of Anchusa, were so called of the Greeke word that is, to colour or paint any thing: Whereupon those plants were called Anchusa, of that flourishing and bright red colour which is in the root, even as red as pure and cleare bloud. 1 The first kinde of Alkanet hath many leaves like Echium or small Buglosse, covered over with a pricky hoarinesse, having commonly but one stalke, which is round, rough, and a cubit high. The cups of the floures are of a sky colour tending to purple, not unlike the floures of Echium: the seed is small, somwhat long, and of a pale colour: the root is a finger thicke, the pith or inner part thereof is of a wooddy substance, dying the hands or whatsoever toucheth the same, of a bloudy colour, or of the colour of Sanders. 2 The second kinde of Anchusa or Alkanet is of greater beauty and estimation than the first, the branches are lesse and more bushy in the top; it hath also greater plenty of leaves, and those more woolly or hairy: the stalk groweth to the height of two cubits: at the top grow floures of a yellow colour, far different from the other: the root is more shining, of an excellent delicate purple colour, and more ful of juice than the first. The Place.

These plants do grow in the fields of Narbone, and about Montpellier, and many other parts of France: I found these plants growing in the Isle of Thanet neere unto the sea, betwixt the house sometime belonging to Sir Henry Crispe, and Margate; where I found some in their naturall ripenes, yet scarcely any that were come to that beautiful color of Alkanet: but such as is sold for very good in our Apothecaries shops I found there in great plenty. Dagger I doubt whether our Author found any of these in the place here set down, for I have sought it but failed of finding; yet if he found any it was only the first described, for I thinke the other three are strangers. Dagger The Time.

The Alkanets floure and flourish in the Summer moneths: the roots doe yeeld their bloudy juyce in harvest time, as Dioscorides writeth. The Vertues.

Divers of the later Physitions do boile with the root of Alkanet and wine, sweet butter, such as hath in it no salt at all, untill such time as it becommeth red, which they call red butter, and give it not only to those that have falne from some high place, but also report it to be good to drive forth the measels and small pox, if it be drunke in the beginning with hot beere. The roots of these are used to color sirrups, waters, gellies, & such like infections as Turnsole is.

John of Ardern hath set down a composition called Sanguis Veneris, which is most singular in deep punctures or wounds made with thrusts, as follows: take of oile olive a pint, the root of Alkanet two ounces, earth worms purged, in number twenty, boile them together & keep it to the use aforesaid. The Gentlewomen of France do paint their faces with these roots, as it is said.