Petacitæ. Of Butter-bur. The roots are hot and dry in the second degree, they are exceeding good in violent and pestilential fevers, they provoke the menses, expel poison, and kill worms.
Peucedani, Fœniculi porcini. Of Sulphur-wort, Hogs-fennel, or Hore-strange. It is very good applied to the navels of children that stick out, and ruptures: held in the mouth, it is a present remedy for the fits of the mother: being taken inwardly, it gives speedy deliverance to women in travail, and brings away the placenta.
Pœoniœ, maris, fœmellæ. Of Peony male and female. They are meanly hot, but more drying. The root helps women not sufficiently purged after travail, it provokes the menses, and helps pains in the belly, as also in the reins and bladder, falling sickness, and convulsions in children, being either taken inwardly, or hung about their necks. You may take half a dram at a time, and less for children.
Phu, Valerinæ, majoris, minoris. Valerian, or Setwal, greater and lesser. They are temperately hot, the greater provokes urine and the menses, helps the stranguary, stays rheums in the head, and takes away the pricking pains thereof. The lesser resist poison, assuages the swelling of the testicles, coming either through wind or cold, helps cold taken after sweating or labour, wind cholic: outwardly it draws out thorns, and cures both wounds and ulcers.
Pimpinellæ, &c. Of Burnet. It doth this good, to bring forth a gallant physical herb.
Plantaginis. Of Plantane. The root is something dryer than the leaf, but not so cold, it opens stoppages of the liver, helps the jaundice, and ulcers of the reins and bladder. A little bit of the root being eaten, instantly stays pains in the head, even to admiration.
Polypodij. Of Polypodium, or Fern of the Oak. It is a gallant though gentle purger of melancholy; Also in the opinion of Mesue (as famous a physician as ever I read for a Galenist,) it dries up superfluous humours, takes away swellings from the hands, feet, knees, and joints, stitches and pains in the sides, infirmities of the spleen, rickets; correct it with a few Annis seeds, or Fennel seeds, or a little ginger, and then the stomach will not loath it. Your best way of taking it, is to bruise it well, and boil it in white wine till half be consumed, you may put in much, or little, according to the strength of the diseased, it works very safely.
Poligonati, sigilli Solomonis, &c. Of Solomon’s Seal. Stamped and boiled in wine it speedily helps (being drank) all broken bones, and is of incredible virtue that way; as also being stamped and applied to the place, it soon heals all wounds, and quickly takes away the black and blue marks of blows, being bruised and applied to the place, and for these, I am persuaded there is not a better medicine under the sun.
Porri. Of Leeks. They say they are hot and dry in the fourth degree; they breed ill-favoured nourishment at the best, they spoil the eyes, heat the body, cause troublesome sleep, and are noisome to the stomach: yet are they good for something else, for the juice of them dropped into the ears takes away the noise of them, mixed with a little vinegar and snuffed up the nose, it stays the bleeding of it, they are better of the two boiled than raw, but both ways exceedingly hurtful for ulcers in the bladder: and so are onions and garlic.