Of Adonis flower.
The description.
1 The first hath verie many slender weake stalkes, trailing or leaning to the grounde, set on euery part with fine iagged leaues very deeply cut like those of Camomill, or rather those of Maiweede: upon which stalkes do growe small redde flowers, in shape like the fielde Crowfoote, with a blackish greene pointell in the middle, which being growne to maturitie turneth into a small greenish bunch of seeds, in shape like a little bunch of grapes. The roote is small and threddie. 2 The second differeth not from the precedent in any one point, but in the colour of the flowers, which are of a perfect yellowe colour, wherein consisteth the difference. | 1 Lapathum acutum. | 2 Lapathum acutum minimum. | |-----------------------|------------------------------| | Sharpe pointed Docke. | Small sharpe Docke. | THat which among the Latines signifieth to soften, ease, or purge the bellie, the same signification hath λαπαθειν, among the Grecians: whereof Lapathum and λαπαθα, (as some do reade) tooke their names for herbes which are used in pottage and medicine, verie well knowne to haue the power of clensing: of these there be many kindes and differences, great store euery where growing, among whom is that which is now called sharpe pointed Docke, or sharpe leafed Docke. It groweth alwaies in moist medowes and by running streames, hauing long narrow leaues sharpe & hard pointed; among the which commeth up round hollow stalks of a browne colour, hauing ioints like knees, garnished with such like leaues, but smaller: at the ende whereof grow many flowers of a pale colour, one aboue another; and after them commeth a brownish three square seede, lapped in browne chaffie huskes like Patience. The roote is great, long, and yellowe within. The second kinde of sharpe pointed Docke is like the first, but much smaller, and doth beare his seede in rundles about his braunches in chaffie huskes, like Sorrell, not so much in use as the former; called also sharpe pointed Docke.
The place.
These kindes of Docks do grow, as is before saide, in medowes and by riuers sides.
The time.
They flower in Iune and Iulie.
The names.
They are called in Latin Lapathum acutum, Rumex, Lapatiū, & Lapathium, of some Oxylapathum: in English Docke and sharpe pointed Dock, the greater and the lesser: of the Grecians $\text{ὀ}\xi\upsilon\lambda\alpha\pi\alpha\theta\text{ον}$: in high Dutch Mengelwurtz, Streyffwurtz: in Italian Rombice: in Spanish Romaza, Paradella, in low Dutch Patich (which worde is deriued of Lapathum) and also Peerdick: in French Pareille.
The vertues.
These herbes are of a mixture betweene colde and heate, and almost drie in the thirde degree, Aespecially the seede which is verie astringent. The powder of any of the kindes of Dockes drunke in wine, stoppeth the laske and blouddie flixe, and easeth the paines of the stomacke. The rootes boiled till they be very soft, and stamped with barrows grease, and made into an ointment, helpeth the itch and all scuruie scabs and mangines. And for the same purpose it shall be necessarie to boile them in water, as aforesaid, and the partie to be bathed and rubbed therewith.
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.