Of Onions.
The kindes.
There be, saith Theophrastus, diuers sorts of Onions, which haue their surnames of the places where they grow. Some also lesser, others greater: some be round, and diuers other long: but none wilde as Pliny writeth. | 1 Cepa alba. | 2 Cepa rubra. | | :--- | :--- | | White Onions. | Red Onions. |
The description.
The Onion hath narrow leaues and hollow within: the stalke is single, round, biggest in the middle. On the top whereof groweth a round head couered with a thin skin or filme, which being broken, there appeere little white flowers, made vp in forme of a ball, and afterward blacke seede three cornered, wrapped in thin white skins. In steede of the roote there is a bulbe or round head compact of many coates, which oftentimes becommeth great in maner of a Turnep, many times long like an egge. To be briefe, it is couered with very fine skins, for the most part of a whitish colour. The red Onion differeth not from the former, but in sowrenes and rednes of the roote; in other respects there is no difference at all.
The place.
The Onion requireth a fat ground well digged and dunged, as Palladius saith. It is cherished euerie where in kitchen gardens. It is now and then in beds sowen alone, and manie times mixed with other herbs, as with Lettuce, Parsneps, & Carrets. Palladius liketh well that it should be sowen with Sauorey, bicause saith Pliny, it prospereth the better and is more holsome.
The time.
It is sowen in March or Aprill, and somtimes in September.
The names.
The Onion is called in Greek κρόμμυον: in Latine Cepa, & many times Cepe in the neuter gender: the shops keep that name. The old writers haue giuen vnto this many surnames of the places where they grow for some are named Cypriæ, Sardiæ, Creticæ, Samothraciæ, Ascaloniæ, of a towne in Iudea, otherwise called Pompeiana: in English Onions. Moreouer, there is one named Marisca, which the country men call Vnio, saith Columella: and thereupon it commeth that the French men call it Oignon, as Ruellius thinketh: and peraduenture the lowe Dutch men name it Aiuun of the French word corrupted: they be called Setaniæ if they be very little and sweete, and be thought to be those which Palladius nameth Cepullæ, as though he called them parua Cepa, or little Onions. There is an Onion which is without an head or bulbe, and hath as it were a long necke, as hath the vnset leeke, which is cropped or cut for the pot like a leeke: this Theophrastus nameth γήθυον: of this Pliny also writeth in his 19. booke and 6. chapter. There be with vs two principall sorts, (that is to say of Onions) the one seruing for a sauce, or to season meate with, which some call Gethyon, and another Pallacana: which in English we call hollowe Leekes: the Germaines Onion zwibel: the Italians Cipolla: the Spaniards Cebolla, Ceba, and Cebola.
The temperature.
All Onions be sharpe, and mooue teares by the smell. They be hot and drie as Galen saith, in the fourth degree, but not so extreme hot as garlicke. The iuice is of a thin waterie and airie substance: the rest is of thicke parts.
The vertues.
The Onions do fret, attenuate or make thin, and cause drines: being boiled they do lose their sharpnes, especially if the water be twise or thrise changed, and yet for all that they do not lose their attenuating qualitie. They also breake and consume winde, prouoke vrine, and be more soluble boiled than rawe, and being rawe they nourish not at all, and but a little though they be boiled. They be naught for those that are cholericke: but good for such as are replete with rawe and flegmatike humours: and for women that haue their termes staied vpon a cold cause, by reason they open the conduits that are stopped. Galen writeth that they prouoke the Hemorrhoides to bleede if they be laid vnto them, either by themselues or stamped with vineger. The iuice of Onions sniffed vp into the nose, purgeth the head and draweth foorth rawe flegmatike humours. Being stamped with salt, rewe and honie, and applied, is good against the biting of a mad dogge. Being rosted in the embers and applied, ripeneth and breaketh colde apostumes, biles and such like. The iuice of Onions mixed with the decoction of Penniriall and annointed vpon the goutie member with a feather, or a cloth wet therein and applied, easeth the same very much. The iuice annointed vpon a pilde or balde head in the sunne, bringeth againe the haire very speedily. The iuice taketh away the heate of scalding with water or oile, as also burning with fire and gunpowder, as is set foorth by a very skilfull Chirurgion named master VVilliam Clowes, one of the Queenes Chirurgions. Onions sliced and dipped in the iuice of sorell, and giuen vnto the sicke of a tertian ague to eate, doth take away the fit in once or twice so taking it. The hurts. The Onion being eaten, yea though it be boiled causeth headach; hurteth the eies, and maketh a man dim sighted, dulleth the sences, engendreth windines, and prouoketh ouermuch sleepe, especially being eaten rawe.
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.