The water distilled from the leaues, is effectuall to be applyed to fluent or running vlcers, to dry and binde the humours.
Some haue vsed the pouder of the catkins in white wine, for the suffocation or strangling of the mother.
The oyle of Wallnuts is vsed to varnish Ioyners workes. As also is accounted farre to excell Linseede oyle, to mixe a white colour withall, that the colour bee not dimmed. It is of excellent vse for the coldnesse, hardnesse and contracting of the sinewes and ioynts, to warme, supple, and to extend them.
Chap. XXIII.
Castanea Equina. The Horse Chesnut.
Although the ordinary Chesnut is not a tree planted in Orchards, but left to Woods, Parkes, and other such like places; yet wee haue another sort which wee haue noursed vp from the nuts sent vs from Turky, of a greater and more pleasant aspect for the faire leaues, and of as good vse for the fruit. It groweth in time to be a great tree, spreading with great armes and branches, whereon are set at seuerall distances goodly faire great greene leaues, diuided into six, seuen, or nine parts or leaues, euery one of them nicked about the edges, very like vnto the leaues of Ricinus, or Palma Christi, and almost as great: it beareth at the ends of the branches many flowers set together vpon a long stalke, consisting of foure white leaues a peece, with many threads in the middle, which afterwards turne into nuts, like vnto the ordinary Chesnuts, but set in rougher and more prickly huskes: the nuts themselues being rounder and blacker, with a white spot at the head of each, formed somewhat like an heart, and of a little sweeter taste.
The Vse of this Chesnut.
It serueth to binde and stop any maner of fluxe, be it of bloud or humours, either of the belly or stomacke; also the much spitting of bloud. They are roasted and eaten as the ordinary sort, to make them taste the better.
They are vsually in Turkie giuen to horses in their prouender, to cure them of coughes, and helpe them being broken winded.