Disetamnus Cretensis. Dictamny, or Dittany of Creet, hot and dry, brings away dead children, hastens delivery, brings away the placenta, the very smell of it drives away venomous beasts, so deadly an enemy it is to poison; it is an admirable remedy against wounds and gunshot, wounds made with poisoned weapons, it draws out splinters, broken bones, &c. The dose from half a dram to a dram.
Dipsacus, sativ. sylv. Teazles, garden and wild, the leaves bruised and applied to the temples, allay the heat in fevers, qualify the rage in frenzies; the juice dropped into the ears, kills worms in them, dropped into the eyes, clears the sight, helps redness and pimples in the face, being anointed with it.
Ebulus. Dwarf Elder, or Walwort. Hot and dry in the third degree; waste hard swellings, being applied in form of a poultice; the hair of the head anointed with the juice of it turns it black; the leaves being applied to the place, help inflammations, burnings, scaldings, the bitings of mad dogs; mingled with bulls suet is a present remedy for the gout; inwardly taken, is a singular purge for the dropsy and gout.
Echium. Viper’s-bugloss, Viper’s-herb, Snake bugloss, Wal-bugloss, Wild-bugloss, several counties give it these several names: It is a singular remedy being eaten, for the biting of venomous beasts: continually eating of it makes the body invincible against the poison of serpents, toads, spiders, &c. however it be administered; it comforts the heart, expels sadness and melancholy. The rich may make the flowers into a conserve, and the herb into a syrup, the poor may keep it dry, both may keep it as a jewel.
Empetron, Calcifragra, Herniaria, &c. Rupture-wort, or Burst-wort. The English name tells you it is good against ruptures, and so such as are bursten shall find it, if they please to make trial of it, either inwardly taken, or outwardly applied to the place, or both. Also the Latin names hold it forth to be good against the stone, which whoso tries shall find true.
Enula Campana. Elicampane. Provokes urine. See the root.
Epithimum. Dodder of Time, to which add common Dodder, which is usually that which grows upon flax: indeed every Dodder retains a virtue of that herb or plant it grows upon, as Dodder that grows upon Broom, provokes urine forcibly, and loosens the belly, and is moister than that which grows upon flax: that which grows upon time, is hotter and dryer than that which grows upon flax, even in the third degree, opens obstructions, helps infirmities of the spleen, purgeth melancholy, relieves drooping spirits, helps the rickets: That which grows on flax, is excellent for agues in young children, strengthens weak stomachs, purgeth choler, provokes urine, opens stoppings in the reins and bladder. That which grows upon nettles, provokes urine exceedingly. The way of using it is to boil it in white wine, or other convenient decoction, and boil it very little. Ætias, Mesue, Actuarius, Serapio, Avincena.
Eruch. Rocket, hot and dry in the third degree, being eaten alone, causeth head-ache, by its heat procures urine. Galen.
Eupatorium. See Ageratum.
Euphragia. Eyebright is something hot and dry, the very sight of it refresheth the eyes; inwardly taken, it restores the sight, and makes old men’s eyes young, a dram of it taken in the morning is worth a pair of spectacles, it comforts and strengthens the memory, outwardly applied to the place, it helps the eyes.