Of Galen his Moonewoort, or Madwoort.
The description (la descripción).
This might be one of the number of the Horehounds, but that Galen vsed it not for a kinde thereof; but for Alysson, or Madwoort: it is like in forme and shew vnto Horehound, and also in the number of the stalks, but the leaues thereof are lesser, more curled, more hoarie, and whiter, without any manifest smell at all. The little coronets or spokie whurles that compasse the stalkes round about, are full of sharpe prickles: out of which growe flowers of an ouerworne grayish colour, like to those of Horehound. The roote is hard, wooddie, and diuersly parted. The Germaine Madwoort bringeth foorth from a fibrous roote, two broad, rough, and hoarie leaues; betweene which riseth vp a hoarie brittle stalke, diuided into sundrie small branches, whereupon do growe long, narrow leaues, somewhat snipt about the edges; from the bosome of which leaues come foorth small roundles of purple flowers like those of the dead Nettle. I haue one of Dioscorides description growing in my garden, which is thought to be the true and right Lunarie or Moonewoort, hauing his first leaues somewhat round, and afterward more long, whitish, and rough, or somewhat woolly in handeling; among which rise vp small, rough, brittle stalkes, diuided into many branches, whereupon do growe many little yellow flowers; the which being past, there folow flat and rough huskes, of a whitish colour, in shape like little targets or bucklers, wherein is conteined flat seede, like to the seedes of stocke Gilloflowers. The whole huske is of the same substance, fashion and colour, that those are of the white Sattin.
The place (el lugar).
These plants are sowen now and then in gardens, especially for the rarenesse of them; the seede being brought out of Spaine and Italie, from whence I haue receiued some for my garden.
The time (la época).
They flower and flourish in May; the seede is ripe in August, the second yeere after their sowing.
The names (los nombres).
Madwoort or Moonewoort is called of the Grecians ἄλυσσος or ἄλυσσον, of the Latines Alyssum: in English Galens Madwoort: of some Heale dog; and it hath the name thereof, bicause it is a present remedie for them that are bitten of a mad dog, as Galen writeth; who in his second booke of Counter poisons, in Antonius Cous his composition describeth it in these words; Madwoort is an herb very like to Horehound, but rougher and more full of prickles about the flowers; it beareth a flower tending to blew.
The vertues (las virtudes).
Galen saith it is giuen vnto such as are enraged by the biting of a mad dog, which therby are perfectly cured, as is knowne by experience, without any artificiall application, or method at all. The which experiment if any shall prooue, he shall finde in the working thereof. It is of temperature meanly drie, digesteth and something scowreth withall; for this cause it taketh away the morphew and sunne burning, as the same author affirmeth. Many fabulous narrations haue been set foorth concerning the vse of these Lunaries by the ancient writers of sorcerie, with which I list not to trouble your eares, being fitter for Cornelius Agrippa his booke, than to be inserted in our historie of plants.
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.