Of Balme apple, or apple of Hierusalem.

| | | |---|---| | 1 Balsamina mas. The male Balsam apple. | 2 Balsamina fœmina. The female Balsam apple. |

The description.

The male Balme apple hath long, small, and tender braunches, set with leaues like those of the vine; and the like final clasping tendrels wherewith it catcheth holde of such things as do growe neere vnto it, not able by reason of his weakenesse to stande vpright without some pole or other thing to support it. The flowers consist of fiue small leaues of a meane bignes, and are of a faint yellowe colour: which being past, there do come in place long apples, something sharpe toward the point almost like an egge, rough all ouer as it were with small harmlesse prickels, red both within and without when they be ripe, and cleaue in sunder of themselues: in the apple lieth great broade flat seede, like those of Pompion or Citrull; but something blacke when they be withered. The roote is threddie, and disperseth it selfe farre abroad in the ground. The female Balme apple doth not a little differ from the former: it bringeth foorth stalkes not running or clyming like the other, but a most thicke and fat truncke or stocke full of iuice, in substance like the stalkes of Purslane, of a reddish colour and somewhat shining. The leaues be long and narrowe, in shape like those of willowe or the peach tree, somewhat toothed or notched about the edges: among which grow the flowers of an incarnate colour tending to blewneffe, hauing a small spur or taile annexed therto as hath the Larkes heele, of a faire light crimson colour: in their places come vp the fruite or apples rough and hairie, but lesser then those of the former, yellow when they be ripe, which likewise cleaue a sunder of themselues and cast abroad their seedes much like vnto Lentils feedes saith mine author. But those which I haue from yeere to yeere in my garden, bring foorth seede like the Coleflorey or Mustarde seede; whether they bee of two kindes, or the climate do alter the shape, it resteth disputable.

The place.

These plants do prosper best in hot regions: They are straungers in England, and do with great labour and industrie growe in these colde countries.

The time.

They must be sowen in the beginning of Aprill in a bed of hot horse dung, euen as muske Melons, Cucumbers, and such like colde fruites are; and replanted abroad from the saide bed into the most hot and fertill place of the garden at such time, as they haue gotten three leaues a peece.

The names.

Diuerfly hath this plant beene named, some calling it by one name, and some by another, euerie one as it seemed good to his fancie. Baptista Sardus calleth it Balsamina Cucumerina: others Viticella, and Charantia, as also Pomum Hierosolymitanum, or apples of Hierusalem: in English Balme apple: in Italian Caranza: in the Germaine toong Balsam apffel: in French Merueille: some of the Latines haue called it Pomum mirabile, or maruelous apples. It is thought to be named Balsamina bicause the oile wherein the ripe apples be steeped or infused, is taken to be profitable for manie things, as is Carpobalsamum, or the liquor of the plant Balsamum. The female Balsam apple is likewise called Balsamina: and oftentimes in the Neuter gender Balsaminum: Gesner choseth rather to name it Balsamina amygdaloides: Valerius Cordus Balsamella: others Balsamina fœmina: in English the female Balme apples.

The temperature.

The fruite or apples heereof, as also the leaues, do notablie drie, hauing withall a certaine moderate coldnesse very neere to a meane temperature, that is, after some hot in the first, and drie in the second degree.

The vertues.

The leaues are reported to heale greene wounds if they be brused and laide thereon; and taken with wine they are saide to be a remedie for the collicke; and an effectuall medicine for burstings and conuulsions or crampes. The leaues of the male Balsamina dried in the shadowe, and beaten into powder and giuen in wine vnto those that are mortally wounded in the bodie, doth cure them inwardly, and helpeth also the collicke. The oile which is drawen foorth of the fruite doth cure all greene and fresh wounds as the true naturall Balsam: it helpeth the crampes and conuulsions and the shrinking of sinewes, being annointed therewith. It profiteth women that are in great extremitie of childbirth in taking away the paine of the matrix, causing easie deliuerance being applied to the place, and annointed vpon their bellies, or cast into the matrix with a syring, and easeth the dolour of the inward parts. It cureth the Hemorrhoides and all other paines of the fundament, being thereto applied with lint of old clouts. The leaues drunken in wine, heale ruptures. I find little or nothing written of the property or vertues of the female kind, but that it is thought to drawe neere vnto the first in temperament and vertue. Oyle oliue in which the fruite (the seede taken foorth) is either set in the sunne as we do when we make oile of roses, or boiled in a double glasse set in hot water, or else buried in hot horse dung; taketh away inflammations that are in wounds. It doth also easily and in short time consolidate or glew them togither, and perfectly cure them. It cureth the vlcers of the dugges or paps, the head of the yarde or matrix, as also the inflammation thereof being injected or conueied into the place with a syringe or mother pessarie. This apple is with good successe applied vnto wounds, prickes, and hurts of the sinewes. It hath great force to cure scaldings and burnings: it taketh away scarres and blemishes, if in the meane time the powder of the leaues be taken for certaine daies togither. It is reported that such as be barren are made fruitfull heerewith, if the woman first be bathed in a fit and conuenient bath for the purpose, & the parts about the share and matrix annointed herewith, and the woman presently haue the companie of hir husband.