Of Paper Reede.
The description (la descripción).
Paper Reede hath many large flaggie leaues, rough in handling, and likewise tough, rising immediately from a tuft of rootes compact of many strings, among the which shooteth vp naked stalkes, square and rough: at the top whereof doth stand a tuft or bundle of chaffie threds set in comly order, resembling a tuft of flowers, but barren and void of seede.
The place (el lugar).
This kinde of reede doth growe in the borders of riuers about Babylon, neere the citie Alcaire, in the borders of the riuer Nilus, and such other places of those countries.
The time (la época).
The time of springing and flourishing, answereth that of the common reede.
The names (los nombres).
This kinde of reede, which I haue englished Paper reede, or Paper plant, is the same, (as I do reade,) that paper was made of in Egypt, before the inuention of paper made of linnen clouts, was found out. It is thought by men of great learning and vnderstanding in the Scriptures, and set downe by them for truth, that this plant is the same reede mentioned in the second chapter of Exodus: whereof was made that basket or cradle, which was dawbed within and without with slime of that country, called Bitumen Iudaicum, wherein Moses was put being committed to the water, when Pharaoh gaue commandement that all the male children of the Hebrues should be drowned. * The nature, vertues and vse. The rootes of Paper reede doth nourish: as may appeere by the people of Egypt, which do vse to chew them in their mouthes, and swallow down the iuice: finding therein great delight and comfort. The ashes burned, asswage and consume hard apostumes, tumors and corrasiue vlcers in any part of the bodie, but chiefly in the mouth. The burnt paper made heerof doth performe those effects more forcibly. The stalks heerof haue a singular vse and priuilege in opening the chanell or hollow passages of the Fistula, being put therein: for they do swel, as doth the pith of Elder, or a tent made of a sponge. The people about Nilus do vse to burne the leaues and stalks, but especially the rootes. The frailes wherein they put raisons and figs, are somtimes made heerof: but generally with the herbe Spartum, described in the next chapter.
Texto en la ortografía original de Gerard, en inglés de 1597 (la s larga se imprime como s), transcrito por la Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Un capítulo puede continuar en páginas aún no transcritas. Gerard escribía dentro de la medicina galénica; nada de esto es un consejo.