Important: Safety Warning
This page prescribes plants as medicine according to pre-modern medical theory. Several of the plants named are toxic, correct identification is difficult, and the doses given have no scientific basis. Do not ingest or apply any preparation described here.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Of Groundsell
The Description 1 THe stalke of Groundsell is round, chamfered and divided into many branches. The leaves be green, long, and cut in the edges almost like those of Succorie, but lesse, like in a manner to the leaves of Rocket. The floures be yellow, and turn to down, which is caried away with the wind. The root is full of strings and threds.
The Place.
These herbs are very common throughout England, and do grow almost every where.
The Time.
They flourish almost every moneth of the yeare.
The Names.
Groundsel is called in Latine, Senecio, because it waxeth old quickly. The Vertues.
The leaves of Groundsel boiled in wine or water, and drunke, heale the paine and ach of the stomacke that proceeds of Choler.
The leaves stamped and strained into milke and drunke, helpe the red gums and frets in Children.
Dioscorides saith, That with the fine pouder of Frankincense it healeth wounds in the sinues. The like operation hath the downe of the floures mixed with vineger.
Boiled in ale with a little hony and vineger, it provoketh vomit, especially if you adde thereto a few roots of Asarabacca.