Home › Contents › Of Stinging Nettle

Of Stinging Nettle

The Description.

THe stalks of the first be now and then halfe a yard high, round and hollow within: the leaves are broad, sharp pointed, cut round about like a saw, rough on both sides, and covered with a stinging down, which with a light touch only causeth a great burning, and raiseth hard knots in the skin like blisters, somtimes making it red. 2. The second Nettle being our common Nettle is like to the former in leaves and stalks, but yet now and then higher and more full of branches; it is also covered with a downe that stingeth and burneth as well as the other. The Place.

Nettles grow in untilled places, & the first in thicke woods, and is a stranger in England, notwithstanding it groweth in my garden. The second is more common, and groweth of it selfe neere hedges, bushes, brambles, and old walls almost every where.

The Time.

They all flourish in Summer: the second suffereth the winters cold: the seed is ripe & may be gathered in July and August.

The Names.

It is called in Latine, Urtica, ab urendo, of his burning and stinging qualitie; whereupon Macer saith, Neither without desert his name he seemes to git, As that which quickly burnes the fingers touching it.

The Temperature.

Nettle is of temperature dry, a little hot, scarse in the first degree: it is of thin and subtil parts; for it doth not therefore burne and sting by reason it is extreme hot, but because the downe of it is stiffe and hard, piercing like fine little prickles or stings, and entring into the skin: for if it be withered or boiled it stingeth not at all, by reason that the stiffenesse of the down is fallen away.

The Vertues.

Nicander affirmeth, that it is a remedie against the venomous qualitie of Hemlocke, Mushroms, and Quicksilver.

And Apollodorus saith that it is a counterpoison for Henbane, Serpents, and Scorpions.

Pliny saith, the same Author writeth, that the oile of it takes away the sting that the Nettle it selfe maketh. CHAPTER 106 OF BETONY.

The Description.

BEtony groweth up with long leaves and broad, of a darke greene colour, slightly indented about the edges like a saw. The stalke is slender, foure square, somewhat rough, a foot high more or lesse. It beareth eared floures, of a purplish colour, and sometimes reddish; after the floures, commeth in place long cornered seed. The root consisteth of many strings. 2 Betony with white floures is like the precedent in each respect, saving that the flours of this plant are white, and of greater beautie, and the others purple or red as aforesaid.

The Place.

Betony loves shadowie woods, hedge-rowes, and copses, the borders of pastures, and such like places.

Betony with white floures is seldome seene. I found it in a wood by a Village called Hampstead, neere unto a Worshipfull Gentlemans house, one of the Clerkes of the Queenes counsell called Mr. Wade, from whence I brought plants for my Garden, where they flourish as in their naturall place of growing. The Vertues.

Betony is good for them that be subject to the falling sickenesse, and for those also that have ill heads upon a cold cause.

It maketh a man to have a good stomacke and appetite to his meate. It is also good for ruptures, cramps, and convulsions: it is a remedy against the biting of mad dogs and venomous serpents, being drunk, and also applied to the hurts, and is most singular against poyson.

It is commended against the paine of the Sciatica, or ache of the huckle bone. There is a conserve made of the floures and sugar good for many things, and especially for the head-ache.