Home › Contents › Of Lavander Spike

Of Lavander Spike

The Description. 1 LAvander Spike hath many stiffe branches of a wooddy substance, growing up in the manner of a shrub, set with many long hoarie leaves, by couples for the most part, of a strong smell, and yet pleasant enough to such as do love strong savors. The floures grow at the top of the branches, spike fashion, of a blew colour. The root is hard and wooddie. 2 The second differeth not from the precedent, but in the colour of the floures: For this plant bringeth milke white floures; and the other blew, wherein especially consisteth the difference.

The Time.

They floure and flourish in June and July.

The Names.

Lavander Spike is called in Latine Lavendula, and Spica: in Spanish, Spigo, and Languda. The first is the male, and the second the female. It is thought of some to bee that sweet herbe Casia, whereof Virgil maketh mention in the second Eclog of his Bucolicks:

And then shee'l Spike and such sweet hearbs infold And paint the Jacinth with the Marigold.

And likewise in the fourth of his Georgickes, where he intreateth of chusing of seats and places for Bees, and for the ordering thereof, he saith thus: About them let fresh Lavander and store Of wilde Time with strong Savorie to floure.

The Vertues.

The distilled water of Lavander smelt unto, or the temples and forehead bathed therewith, is a refreshing to them that have the Catalepsy, a light migram, and to them that have the falling sicknesse, and that use to swoune much. But when there is abundance of humours it is not then to be used safely, neither is the composition to be taken which is made of distilled wine: in which such kinds of herbes, floures, or seeds, and certain spices are infused or steeped, though most men do rashly and at adventure give them without making any difference at al. For by using such hot things that fill and stuffe the head, both the disease is made greater, and the sick man also brought into daunger. Thus much by way of admonition, because that every where some unlearned Physitians and divers rash & overbold Apothecaries, and other foolish women, do by and by give such compositions, and others of the like kind, not only to those that have the Apoplexy; but also to those that are taken, or have the Catuche or Catalepsis with a Fever; to whom they can give nothing worse, seeing those things do very much hurt, and oftentimes bring death it selfe. The floures of Lavander picked from the knaps, I meane the blew part and not the husk, mixed with Cinnamon, Nutmegs, & Cloves, made into pouder, and given to drinke in the distilled water thereof, doth helpe the panting and passion of the heart, prevaileth against giddinesse, turning, or swimming of the braine, and members subject to the palsie.

Conserve made of the floures with sugar, profiteth much against the diseases aforesaid, if the quantitie of a beane be taken thereof in the morning fasting.

It profiteth them much that have the palsie, if they be washed with the distilled water of the floures, or anointed with the oile made of the floures, and oile olive, in such maner as oile of Roses is, which shall be expressed in the treatise of Roses.