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 Land Plantaine
The Description. 1 AS the Greeks have called some kinds of herbs Serpents tongue, Dogs tongue, and Ox tongue; so have they termed a kinde of Plantain Arnoglosson, which is as if you should say Lambs tongue, well known to all, by reason of the great commoditie and plenty of it growing every where; and there-fore it is needlesse to spend time about them. The greatnes and fashion of the leaves hath been the cause of the varieties and diversities of their names. 2 The second is like the first, and differeth in that, that this Plantaine hath greater but shorter spikes or knaps; and the leaves are of an hoary or overworne green colour: the stalks are likewise hoary and hairy. The Vertues.
The juice dropped in the eies cooles the heate and inflammation thereof. I find in antient writers many good-morrowes, which I thinke not meet to bring into your memorie againe; as, That three roots will cure one griefe, foure another disease, six hanged about the necke are good for another malady, &c. all which are but ridiculous toyes.