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.
Of Madder
The Kindes.
THere is but one kinde of Madder only which is manured or set for use, but if all those that are like it in leaves and manner of growing were referred thereto, there should be many sorts, as Goose-grasse, soft Cliver, our Ladies Bedstraw, Woodroofe, and Crossewort; all which are like to Madder in leaves, and therefore thought to be wilde kindes thereof.
The Description.
THe garden Madder hath long stalkes or trailing branches dispiersed farre abroad upon the ground, square, rough, and full of joints, at every joint set round with greene rough leaves in manner of a starre, or like those of Woodroofe: the floures grow at the top of the branches, of a feint yellow colour.
The Vertues.
The decoction of the root of Madder is every where commended for those that are bursten, brused, wounded, and that are fallen from high places. It stencheth bleeding, mitigateth inflammations, and helpeth those parts that bee hurt and brused.
For these causes they be mixed with potions, which the later Physitians call wound drinkes.