FLOWERS.
College.] Wormwood, Agnus Castus, Amaranthus, Dill, Rosemary, Columbines, Orrenges, Balaustins, or Pomegranate Flowers, Bettony, Borrage, Bugloss, Marigolds, Woodbine or Honeysuckles, Clove Gilliflowers, Centaury the less, Chamomel, Winter Gilliflowers, Succory, Comfry the greater, Saffron, Blue-bottle great and small, (Synosbatus, Tragus, and Dedonæus hold our white thorn to be it, Cordus and Marcelus think it to be Bryars, Lugdunensis takes it for the sweet Bryar, but what our College takes it for, I know not) Cytinus, (Dioscorides calls the flowers of the Manured Pomegranates, Cytinus, but Pliny calls the flowers of the wild kind by that name,) Fox-glove, Vipers Bugloss, Rocket, Eye-bright, Beans, Fumitory, Broom, Cowslips, St. John’s Wort, Hysop, Jessamine or Shrub, Trefoil, Archangel, or Dead Nettles white and red, Lavender, Wall-flowers, or Winter-Gilliflowers, Privet, Lilies white, and of the valley, Hops, Common and tree Mallows, Feather-few, Woodbine, or Honeysuckles, Melilot, Bawm, Walnuts, Water-Lilies white and yellow, Origanum, Poppies white and red, or Erraticks, Poppies, or corn Roses, so called because they grow amongst Corn, Peony, Honeysuckles, or Woodbine, Peach-flowers, Primroses, Self-heal, Sloe bush, Rosemary flowers, Roses, white, damask and red, Sage, Elder, white Saxifrage, Scabious, Siligo, (I think they mean wheat by it, Authors are not agreed about it) Steches, Tamarisk, Tansy, Mullen or Higtaper, Limetree, Clove Gilliflowers, Colt’s-foot, Violets, Agnus Castus, Dead Nettles white and red.
Culpeper.] That these may be a little explained for the public good: be pleased to take notice.
Some are hot in the first degree, as Borrage, Bugloss, Bettony, Ox-eye, Melilot, Chamomel, Stœchas.
Hot in the second degree. Amomus, Saffron, Clove-gilliflowers, Rocket, Bawm, Spikenard, Hops, Schenanth, Lavender, Jasmine, Rosemary.
In the third degree. Agnus Castus, Epithimum, Winter-gilliflowers, or Wallflowers, Woodbine, or Honey-suckles.
Cold in the first degree. Mallows, Roses, red, white, and damask Violets.
In the second. Anemom, or Wind-flower, Endive, Succory, Water-lilies, both white and yellow.
In the third. Balaustins, or Pomegranate flowers.
In the fourth. Henbane, and all the sorts of Poppies, only whereas authors say, field Poppies, which some call red, others erratick and corn Roses, are the coldest of all the others; yet my opinion is, that they are not cold in the fourth degree.
Moist in the first degree. Borrage, Bugloss, Mallows, Succory, Endive.
In the second. Water-lilies, Violets.
Dry in the first degree. Ox-eye, Saffron, Chamomel, Melilot, Roses.
In the second. Wind-flower, Amomus, Clove-gilliflowers, Rocket, Lavender, Hops, Peony, Rosemary, Spikenard.
In the third. Woodbine, or Honey-suckles, Balaustines, Epithimum, Germander, Chamepitis.
The temperature of any other flowers not here mentioned are of the same temperature with the herbs, you may gain skill by searching there for them, you can loose none.
For the parts of the body, they are appropriated to, some heat
The head; as, Rosemary flowers, Self-heal, Chamomel, Bettony, Cowslips, Lavender, Melilot, Peony, Sage, Stœchas.
The breast. Bettony, Bawm, Scabious, Schœnanth.
The heart. Bawm, Rosemary flowers, Borrage, Bugloss, Saffron, Spikenard.
The stomach. Rosemary-flowers, Spikenard, Schœnanth.
The liver. Centaury, Schænanth, Elder, Bettony, Chamomel, Spikenard.
The spleen. Bettony, Wall-flowers.
The reins and bladder. Bettony, Marsh-mallows, Melilot, Schœnanth, Spikenard.
The womb. Bettony, Squinanth or Schenanth, Sage, Orris or Flower-de-luce.
The joints. Rosemary-flowers, Cowslips, Chamomel, Melilot.
Flowers, as they are cooling, so they cool
The head. Violets, Roses, the three sorts of Poppies, and Water-lilies.
The breast and heart. Violets, Red Roses, Water-lilies.
The stomach. Red Roses, Violets.
The liver and spleen. Endive, and Succory.
Violets, Borrage, and Bugloss, moisten the heart, Rosemary-flowers, Bawm and Bettony, dry it.
According to property, so they bind.
Balaustins, Saffron, Succory, Endive, red-roses, Melilot, Bawm, Clove-gilliflowers, Agnus Castus.
Discuss. Dill, Chamomel, Marsh-mallows, Mallows, Melilot, Stœchas, &c.
Cleanse. Damask-roses, Elder flowers, Bean flowers, &c.
Extenuate. Orris, or Flower-de-luce, Chamomel, Melilot, Stœchas, &c.
Mollify. Saffron, white Lilies, Mallows, Marsh-mallows, &c.
Suppure. Saffron, white Lilies, &c.
Glutinate. Balaustines, Centaury, &c.
Provoke the terms. Bettony, Centaury, Chamomel, Schœnanth, Wall-flowers, Bawm Peony, Rosemary, Sage.
Stop the terms. Balaustines, or Pomegranate flowers, Water Lilies.
Expel wind. Dill, Chamomel, Schœnanth, Spikenard.
Help burnings. White Lilies, Mallows, Marsh-mallows.
Resist poison. Bettony, Centaury.
Ease pain. Dill, Chamomel, Centaury, Melilot, Rosemary.
Flowers purge choler. Peach flowers, Damask Roses, Violets.
Flegm. Broom flowers, Elder flowers.
If you compare but the quality of the flowers with the herbs, and with the explanation of these terms at the latter end, you may easily find the temperature and property of the rest.
The flowers of Ox-eye being boiled into a poultice with a little barley meal, take away swellings and hardness of the flesh, being applied warm to the place.
Chamomel flowers heat, discuss, loosen and rarify, boiled in Clysters, they are excellent in the wind cholic, boiled in wine, and the decoction drunk, purges the reins, break the stone, opens the pores, cast out choleric humours, succours the heart, and eases pains and aches, or stiffness coming by travelling.
The flowers of Rocket used outwardly, discuss swellings, and dissolve hard tumors, you may boil them into a poultice, but inwardly taken they send but unwholesome vapours up to the head.
Hops open obstructions of the bowels, liver, and spleen, they cleanse the body of choler and flegm, provoke urine.
Jasmine flowers boiled in oil, and the grieved place bathed with it, takes away cramps and stitches in the sides.
The flowers of Woodbine, or Honeysuckles, being dryed and beaten into powder, and a dram taken in white wine in the morning, helps the rickets, difficulty of breathing; provoke urine, and help the stranguary.
The flowers of Mallows being bruised and boiled in honey (two ounces of the flowers is sufficient for a pound of honey; and having first clarified the honey before you put them in) then strained out; this honey taken with a liquorice stick, is an excellent remedy for Coughs, Asthmas, and consumptions of the lungs.
