Of Garden Cresses.
The description (la descripción).
Garden Cresses or Towne Cresses, hath small narrow jagged leaues, sharpe and burning in taste. The stalks be round, a cubite high, which bring foorth many small white flowers, and after little flat huskes or seede vessels, like to those of shepherds purse, wherein are conteined seeds of a brown reddish colour. The roote dieth when the seede is ripe. There is another kinde in taste like the former, but in leaues farre different, which I recouered of seedes, sent me from Robinus dwelling in Paris. The stalkes rise vp to the height of a foote, garnished with many broade leaues, deeply cut or indented about the edges: the middle of the leafe is deckt and garnished with many little small leaues or rather shreddes of leaues, which make the same like a curlde fanne of feathers. The seede is like the former in shape. 2 Spanish Cresses riseth foorth of the grounde like vnto Basill, afterwarde the leaues growe larger and broader, like those of Marigoldes, among the which riseth vp a crooked lymmer stalke, whereupon doe growe small tuftes or spokie rundels of white flowers. The seede followeth, browne of colour, and bitter in taste. The whole plant is of a lothsome smell & fauor. 3 Stone Cresses groweth flat vpon the grounde, with leaues iagged and cut about the edges like the oken leafe, resembling well the leaues of shepheardes purse. I haue not seene the flowers, and therefore they be not exprest in the figure; notwithstanding it is reported vnto me, that they bee small and white of colour, as are those of the garden Cresses. The seed is conteined in small pouches or seede vessels, like those of Treacle mustard or Thlaspi.
The place (el lugar).
Cresses is sowen in gardens, it skils not what soile it be; for that it liketh any ground, especially if it be well watered.
The time (la época).
It may be sowen at any time of the yeere, vnlesse it be in winter; it groweth vp quickly, & bringeth foorth betimes both stalke and seede: it dieth euery yeere, and recouereth it selfe of the fallen or shaken seede.
The names (los nombres).
Cresses is called in Greeke κάρδαμον: in Latine Nasturtium: in English Cresses, being a name borrowed of the Germaines, who call it Kersse: and in French Cresson: the Italians Nasturtio and Agretto: of some towne Cresses and garden Karsse. It is called Nasturtium, as Varro and Plinie thinke à naribus torquendis, that is to say of writhing the nosethrils, which also by the lothsome smell and sharpenes of the seede doth cause Sternutamenta, or sneezings.
The temperature (el temperamento).
The herbe of garden Cresses, is sharpe and biting the toong; and therefore it is very hot and drie, but lesse hot whilest it is greene and tender, by reason of the watery moisture mixed therewith, by which the sharpnes is somewhat alaied. The seed is much more biting then the herbe, and is hot and drie almost in the fourth degree.
The vertues (las virtudes).
Galen saith that Cresses may bee eaten with bread Veluti obsonium, as the lowe Countrie men many times do, who commonly vse to feede of Cresses with bread and butter. It is eaten with other sallade herbes, as Tarragon and Rocket: and for this cause it is chiefly sowen. It is good against the disease which the Germaines call Scorbuck and Scorbuyt: in Latine Scorbutus: which we in England call the Scuruie, and Scurby, and vpon the seas the Skyrby: it is as good and as effectuall as the Scuruie grasse, or water Cresses. Dioscorides saith, if the seede be stamped and mixed with honie, it cureth the hardnesse of the milte: with vineger and barly meale parched, it is a remedie against the Sciatica, and taketh awaie hard swellings, and inflammations. It scoureth away tetters, mixed with brine: it ripeneth felons called in Greeke δοθιῆνες: it forceablie cutteth vp thicke and tough humours of the chest, if it be mixed with things proper against the stuffing of the lunges. Dioscorides saith it is hurtfull to the stomacke, and troubleth the belly. It driueth foorth woormes, bringeth downe the flowers, killeth the childe in the mothers womb, and prouoketh bodily lust. Being inwardly taken, it is good for such as haue fallen from high places: it dissolueth cluttered bloud, and preuenteth the same that it do not congeale and thicken in any part of the body: it procureth sweate, as the later Physitions haue found and tried by experience.
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.