The male Peony roote is farre aboue all the rest a most singular approued remedy for all Epilepticall diseases, in English, The falling sicknesse (and more especially the greene roote then the dry) if the disease be not too inueterate, to be boyled and drunke, as also to hang about the neckes of the younger sort that are troubled herewith, as I haue found it sufficiently experimented on many by diuers. The seede likewise is of especiall vse for women, for the rising of the mother. The seede of the female kinde, as well as the rootes, are most vsually sold, and may in want of the other be (and so are generally) vsed.
Chap. LXXXI.
Helleborus niger. Beares foote.
There are three sorts of blacke Hellebor or Beares foote, one that is the true and right kinde, whose flowers haue the most beautifull aspect, and the time of his flowring most rare, that is, in the deepe of Winter about Christmas, when no other can bee seene vpon the ground: and two other that are wilde or bastard kindes, brought into many Gardens for their Physicall properties; but I will only ioyne one of them with the true kinde in this worke, and leaue the other for another.
1. Helleborus niger verus. The true blacke Hellebor, or Christmas flower.
The true blacke Hellebor (or Beare foote as some would call it, but that name doth more fitly agree with the other two bastard kindes) hath many faire greene leaues rising from the roote, each of them standing on a thicke round fleshly stiffe greene stalke, about an hand breadth high from the ground, diuided into seuen, eight, or nine parts or leaues, and each of them nicked or dented, from the middle of the leafe to the pointward on both sides, abiding all the Winter, at which time the flowers rise vp on such short thicke stalkes as the leaues stand on, euery one by it selfe, without any leafe thereon for the most part, or very seldome hauing one small short leafe not much vnder the flower, and very little higher then the leaues themselues, consisting of fiue broad white leaues, like vnto a great white single Rose (which sometimes change to be either lesse or more purple about the edges, as the weather or time of continuance doth effect) with many pale yellow thrummes in the middle, standing about a greene head, which after groweth to haue diuers cods set together, pointed at the ends like hornes, somewhat like the seede vessels of the Aconitum hyemale, but greater & thicker, wherein is contained long, round, and blackish seede, like the seede of the bastard kindes: the rootes are a number of brownish strings running downe deepe into the ground, and fastened to a thicke head, of the bignesse of a finger at the toppe manie times, and smaller still downewards.
2. Helleboraster minor. The lesser bastard blacke Hellebor, or Beare foote.
The smaller Beare foote is in most things like vnto the former true blacke Hellebor; for it beareth also many leaues vpon short stalkes, diuided into many leaues also, but each of them are long and narrow, of a blacker greene colour, snipt or dented on both edges, which feele somewhat hard or sharpe like prickes, and perish euery yeare, but rise againe the next Spring: the flowers hereof stand on higher stalkes, with some leaues on them also, although but very few, and are of a pale, greene colour, like in forme vnto the flowers of the former, but smaller, hauing also many greenish yellow threads or thrums in the middle, and such like heads or seede vessels, and blackish seed: the rootes are stringie and blackish like the former.
The Place.
The first groweth onely in the Gardens of those that are curious, and delight in all sorts of beautifull flowers in our Countrey, but wilde in many places of Germany, Italy, Greece, &c.