Of wilde Garlicke.
The description (la descripción).
1 The wilde Garlicke or crow Garlicke hath small tough leaues like vnto rushes, smooth and hollow within: among which groweth vp a naked stalke, round, slipperie, hard and sound: on the top whereof after the flowers be gone, growe little seedes, made vp in a rounde cluster like small kernels, hauing the smell and taste of Garlicke. In steede of a roote there is a bulbe or rounde heade without any cloues at all. 2 Ramfons sendeth foorth two or three broade leaues sharpe pointed, smooth and of a light greene colour. The stalke is a span high, smooth and slender, bearing at the top a cluster of white flowers. In steed of a roote it hath a long slender bulbe, which sendeth down a multitude of strings, and is couered with skins or thin coates. 1 Allium syluestre. Crowe Garlicke. 2 Allium vrsinum. Ramsons. 3 The great mountaine Garlicke hath long and brode leaues like those of Leekes, but much greater and longer, embracing or clasping about a great thicke stalke, soft and full of iuice, bigger then a mans finger, and bare toward the top: vpon which is set a great head, bigger then a tennise ball, couered with a skin after the maner of an Onion. The skin when it commeth to perfection breaketh, and discloseth a great multitude of whitish flowers, which being past, blacke seedes follow inclosed in a three cornered huske. The roote is bulbus of the bignes of a great Onion. The whole plant smelleth very strong like Garlicke, and is in shew a Leeke, whereupon it was called Scorodoprasum, as if we should saie, Garlicke Leeke, participating of the Leeke and Garlicke, or rather a degenerate Garlicke growen monstrous. 4 The brode leaued mountaine Garlicke, or rather the mountaine Ramfons, riseth vp with a stalke of a cubite high, a finger thicke, yet very weake, full of spungious substance, neere to the bottom of a purplish colour, and greene aboue, bearing at the top a multitude of small whitish flowers, somwhat gaping, star fashion. The leaues are three or fower, brode ribbed like the leaues of great Gentian, resembling those of Ramfons, but greater. The roote is great and long, couered with many scaley, cotes, and hairie strings.
The place (el lugar).
The Crow Garlicke groweth in fertill pastures in all parts of England. I founde it in great plentie in the field called the Mantels, on the backside of Islington by London. Ramsons doe grow in the woods and borders of fields vnder hedges among the bushes. I found it in the next field vnto Boobies barne, vnder that hedge that bordereth vpon the lane, and also vpon the left hand vnder a hedge adioining to a lane that leadeth to Hampsteede, both places neere London. The great mountain Garlicke groweth about Constantinople as saith Clusius. I receiued a plant of it from M. Tho Edwards apothecarie in Excester, who found it growing in the west parts of England. Victorialis groweth in the mountaines of Germanie, as saith Carolus Clusius, and is yet a stranger in England for any thing that I do know.
The time (la época).
They spring vp in Aprill and May. Their seede is ripe in August.
The names (los nombres).
Both of them be wilde Garlicks, and are called in Latin Allia syluestria: in Greeke σκοροδοπρασον: but the Crow Garlick is called of Dioscorides ὀφιοσκοροδον, that is to saie Anguinum allium, or Snakes Garlick, and of some Ceruinum allium, Harts Garlick, or Stags Garlick. Ramsons are named of the later practitioners Allium Vrsinum, or Beares Garlick: Allium Latifolium, and Moly Hippocraticum: in English Ramsons, Ramsies, and Buckrams.
The temperature (el temperamento).
The temperatures of these wilde Garlicks are referred vnto those of the garden.
The vertues (las virtudes).
A Wilde Garlick or Crow Garlick as Galen saith, is stronger and of more force then the garden Garlicke. B The leaues of Ramsons be stamped and eaten of diuers in the low countries with fish for a sauce, euen as we do eate greene sauce made with sorrell. C The same leaues may very well be eaten in April and Maie with butter, of such as are of a strong constitution, and laboring men. D The distilled water drunke breaketh the stone, and driueth it foorth and prouoketh vrine. | 3 Scorodoprasum. | 4 Allium Alpinum latifolium seu victorialis. | | :--- | :--- | | Great mountaine Garlick. | Brode leaued mountaine Garlick. |
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.