Scrophularia. Figwort, so called of Scrophula, the King’s Evil, which it cures they say, by being only hung about the neck. If not, bruise it, and apply it to the place, it helps the piles or hemorrhoids.
Sedum. And all his sorts: see Barba Jovis.
Senna. It heats in the second degree and dries in the first, cleanses, purges and digests; it carries downward both choler, flegm, and melancholy, it cleanses the brain, heart, liver, spleen; it cheers the senses, opens obstructions, takes away dulness of sight, helps deafness, helps melancholy and madness, resists resolution of the nerves, pains of the head, scabs, itch, falling-sickness, the windiness of it is corrected with a little ginger. You may boil half an ounce of it at a time, in water or white wine, but boil it not too much; half an ounce is a moderate dose to be boiled for any reasonable body.
Serpillum. Mother-of-Time, with Time; it is hot and dry in the third degree, it provokes the menses, and helps the stranguary or stoppage of urine, gripings in the belly, ruptures, convulsions, inflammation of the liver, lethargy, and infirmities of the spleen, boil it in white wine. Ætius, Galen.
Sigillum Solomonis. Solomon’s seal. See the root.
Smyrnium. Alexander of Crete.
Solanum. Night-shade: very cold and dry, binding; it is somewhat dangerous given inwardly, unless by a skilful hand; outwardly it helps the Shingles, St. Anthony’s fire, and other hot inflammations.
Soldanella. Bindweed, hot and dry in the second degree, it opens obstructions of the liver, and purges watery humours, and is therefore very profitable in dropsies, it is very hurtful to the stomach, and therefore if taken inwardly it had need be well corrected with cinnamon, ginger, or annis-seed, &c.
Sonchus levis Asper. Sow-thistles smooth and rough, they are of a cold, watery, yet binding quality, good for frenzies, they increase milk in nurses, and cause the children which they nurse to have a good colour, help gnawings of the stomach coming of a hot cause; outwardly they help inflammations, and hot swellings, cool the heat of the fundament and privities.
Sophi Chirurgorum. Fluxweed: drying without any manifest heat or coldness; it is usually found about old ruinous buildings; it is so called because of its virtue in stopping fluxes.