Bursa pastoris. Shepherd’s Purse, is manifestly cold and dry, though Lobel and Pena thought the contrary; it is binding and stops blood, the menses; and cools inflammations.
Buglossom. Buglosse. Its virtues are the same with Borrage.
Bugula. Bugle, or Middle Comfrey; is temperate for heat, but very drying, excellent for falls or inward bruises, for it dissolves congealed blood, profitable for inward wounds, helps the rickets and other stoppings of the liver; outwardly it is of wonderful force in curing wounds and ulcers, though festered, as also gangreens and fistulas, it helps broken bones, and dislocations. Inwardly you may take it in powder a dram at a time, or drink the decoction of it in white-wine: being made into an ointment with hog’s grease, you shall find it admirable in green wounds.
Buphthalmum, &c. Ox eye. Matthiolus saith they are commonly used for black Hellebore, to the virtues of which I refer.
Buxus. Boxtree: the leaves are hot, dry, and binding, they are profitable against the biting of mad dogs; both taken inwardly boiled and applied to the place: besides they are good to cure horses of the bots.
Calamintha, Montana, Palustris. Mountain and Water Calamint: For the Water Calamint: see mints, than which it is accounted stronger. Mountain Calamint, is hot and dry in the third degree, provokes urine and the menses, hastens the birth in women, brings away the placenta, helps cramps, convulsions, difficulty of breathing, kills worms, helps the dropsy: outwardly used, it helps such as hold their necks on one side: half a dram is enough at one time. Galen, Dioscorides, Apuleius.
Calendula, &c. Marigolds. The leaves are hot in the second degree, and something moist, loosen the belly: the juice held in the mouth, helps the toothache, and takes away any inflammation or hot swelling being bathed with it, mixed with a little vinegar.
Callitricum. Maiden-hair. See Adianthum.
Caprisolium. Honey-suckles: The leaves are hot, and therefore naught for inflammations of the mouth and throat, for which the ignorant people oftentime give them: and Galen was true in this, let modern writers write their pleasure. If you chew but a leaf of it in your mouth, experience will tell you that it is likelier to cause, than to cure a sore throat, they provoke urine, and purge by urine, bring speedy delivery to women in travail, yet procure barrenness and hinder conception, outwardly they dry up foul ulcers, and cleanse the face from morphew, sun-burning and freckles.
Carduncellus, &c. Groundsell. Cold and moist according to Tragus, helps the cholic, and gripings in the belly, helps such as cannot make water, cleanses the reins, purges choler and sharp humours: the usual way of taking it is to boil it in water with currants, and so eat it. I hold it to be a wholesome and harmless purge. Outwardly it easeth women’s breasts that are swollen and inflamed; as also inflammations of the joints, nerves, or sinews. Ægineta.