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Of Other Wolfes-Banes and Monkes Hoods

The Description. 1 HElmet-floure, or the great Monkes-hood, beareth very faire and goodly blew floures in shape like an Helmet; which are so beautifull, that a man would thinke they were of some excellent vertue, but non est semper fides habenda fronti. This plant is universally knowne in our London gardens and else-where; but naturally it groweth in the mountaines of Rhetia, and in sundry places of the Alps, where you shall find the grasse that groweth round it eaten up with cattell, but no part of the herbe it selfe touched, except by certaine flies, who in such abundant measure swarme about the same that they cover the whole plant: and (which is very straunge) although these flies do with great delight feed hereupon, yet of them there is confected an Antidot or most availeable medicine against the deadly bite of the spider called Tarantala, or any other venomous beast whatsoever; yea, an excellent remedy not only against the Aconites, but all other poisons whatsoever. The medicine of the foresaid flies is thus made: Take of the flies which have fed themselves as is above mentioned, in number twentie, of Aristolochia rotunda, and bole Armoniack, of each a dram.

The Place.

Divers of these Wolfs-banes grow in some gardens.

The Nature and Vertues.

The force and facultie of Wolfs-bane is deadly to man and all kindes of beasts: the same was tried of late in Antwerpe, and is as yet fresh in memorie, by an evident experiment, but most lamentable; for when the leaves hereof were by certaine ignorant persons served up in sallads, all that did eat thereof were presently taken with most cruell symptomes, and so died. The symptomes that follow those that doe eat of these deadly Herbs are these; their lipps and tongue swell forthwith, their eyes hang out, their thighes are stiffe, and their wits are taken from them, as Avicen writes, lib. 4. The force of this poison is such, that if the points of darts or arrowes be touched therewith, it brings deadly hurt to those that are wounded with the same.

Against so deadly a poison Avicen reckoneth up certain remedies, which help after the poyson is vomited up: and among these he maketh mention of the Mouse (as the copies every where have it) nourished and fed up with Napellus, which is altogether an enemie to the poisonsome nature of it, and delivereth him that hath taken it from all perill and danger.

Antonius Guanerius of Pavia, a famous physition in his age, in his treaty of poisons is of opinion, that it is not a mouse which Avicen speaketh of, but a fly: for he telleth of a certaine Philosopher who did very carefully and diligently make search after this mouse, and neither could find at any time any mouse, nor the roots of Wolfs-bane gnawn or bitten, as he had read: but in searching he found many flies feeding on the leaves, which the said Philosopher tooke, and made of them an antidote or counterpoison, which hee found to be good and effectuall against other poisons, but especially against the poison of Wolfs-bane.

The composition consisteth of two ounces of Terra lemnia, as many of the berries of the Bay tree, and the like weight of Mithridate, 24 of the flies that have taken their repast upon Wolfes-bane, of hony and oile Olive a sufficient quantitie.

The same opinion that Guanerius is of, Pena and Lobel do also hold; who affirme, that there was never seene at any time any mouse feeding thereon, but that there bee flies which resort unto it by swarmes, and feed not only upon the floures, but on the herb also.

The Danger.

There hath bin little heretofore set down concerning the Vertues of Aconites, but much might be said of the hurts that have come hereby, as the wofull experience of the lamentable example at Antwerp yet fresh in memorie, doth declare, as we have said.