Of garden Time.
The kindes.
There be two sorts of garden Time among the old writers, the latter Herbarists haue found more. | 1 Thymum durius. | 2 Thymum latifolium. | | :--- | :--- | | Hard Time. | Great or broade leafed Time. |
The description.
1 THe first kinde of Time is so well knowen, that it needeth no description, bicause there is not any which are ignorant what Thymum durius is, I meane our common Garden Time. 2 The seconde kinde of Time with broade leaues, hath many wooddie braunches rising from a threddie roote, beset with leaues like Myrtus. The flowers are set in rundels about the stalke like Horehounde. The whole plant is like the common Time in taste and smell. 3 Time of Candie is in all respects like vnto common Time, but differeth in that, that this kinde hath certaine knoppie tufts like vnto the small eares of Phalaris, and not much vnlike the spikes or knops of Stœcades, but much lesser, beset with slender flowers of a purple colour. The whole plant is of a more pontick and gratious smell then any of the Times, and of another kinde of taste, as it were sauoring like spice. The roote is brittle, and of a woodie substance. 4 Doublesse that kinde of Time whereon Epithymum doth growe, (and is called for that cause Epithymum, and vsed in shoppes,) is nothing else then Dodder that groweth vppon Time; and is all one with ours, though Mathiolus makes a controuersie & difference therof: for Pena trauelling ouer the hils in Narbone neere the sea, hath seene not onely the garden Time, but the wilde Time Time likewise, loden and garnished with this Epithymum. So that by his sight and mine owne knowledge, I am assured that it is not another kinde of Time that beareth Epithymum, but is common Time: for I haue often founde the same in Englande, not onely vpon our Time, but vpon Sauorie, and other herbes also: notwithstanding, thus much I may coniecture, that the clymate of those countries doth yeelde the fame foorth in greater abundance then ours, by reason of the intemperance of colde, whereunto our countrey is subiect. | | | |---|---| | 3 Thymum Creticum. | 4 Epithymum Graecorum. | | Time of Candie. | Laced Time. |
The place.
These kindes of Time growe plentifully in England euery where, except that with broad leaues, and Time of Candie, which I haue in my garden.
The time.
They flourish from Maie vnto September.
The names.
The first may be called harde Time, or common garden Time: the seconde broade leafed Time: the thirde Time of Candie; our English women call it Muske Time: the last may be called Dodder Time.
The temperature.
These kindes of Time are hot and drie in the thirde degree.
The vertues.
Time boiled in water and honie and drunken, is good against the cough and shortnesse of the breath; it prouoketh vrine, expelleth the secondine or afterbirth, and the dead childe; and dissolueth clotted or congealed bloud in the bodie. The same drunke with vineger and salt, purgeth flegme: and boiled in Meade or Metheglin, clenseth the brest, lungs, reines, and matrix, and killeth wormes. Made into powder and taken in the waight of three drams with Meade or honied vineger, called Oximell, Oximell, and a little salt, purgeth by stoole tough and clammie flegme, sharpe cholericke humours, and all corruption of blood. The same taken in like sort, is good against the Ischiatica, the paine in the side and brest, against the winde in the side and bellie, and is profitable also for such as are fearefull, melancholike, and troubled in minde. It is good to be giuen unto those that haue the falling sicknesse to smell unto. Epithymum, after Galen, is of more effectuall operation in Phisicke then Time, being hot & dry in the third degree, more mightily clensing, heating, drying, and opening then Cuscuta, hauing right good effect to eradicate melancholie, or any other humour in the spleene, or other disease, sprong by occasion of the spleene. It helpeth the long continued paines of the head, and besides his singular effects about spleneticall matters; it helpeth the lepry, or any disease of melancholie, or hypochondriacs; all quartaine agues, and such like griefes proceeding from the spleene. Dioscorides saith, Epithymum drunke with honied water, pulleth downe by siege flegme, called Pituita, and melancholie. Of his natiue propertie it releeueth them which be melancholike, or houen up, swollen in the face and other parts, if you pound Epithymum and take the fine powder thereof in the quantitie of fower scruples in the liquor which the apothecaries call Passum, or with Oximell and salt, which taketh away all flatuous humours and ventosities.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.