Of Knot grasse.
The kindes.
There be diuers herbes of sundrie formes and shapes, comprehended under this name Polygonum, or Knot grasse. But of the common or best knowen Knot grasse, we intend to intreate in this chapter: whereof there be two sorts, the greater and the lesser. 1 Polygonum mas vulgare. Common Knot grasse. 2 Polygonum mas minus. Small common Knot grasse.
The description.
The common male Knot grasse creepeth along upon the ground, with long slender weake branches, full of knots or ioints, whereof it tooke his name. The leaues growe upon the weake branches like those of small S. Iohns woort, but longer and narrower. The flowers are maruellous little, and growe out of the knots, of an herbie colour; in their places come up triangled seede. The roote is long, slender, and full of strings. The second differeth not from the former, but onely that it is altogither lesser, wherein especially consisteth the difference.
The place.
These Knot grasses do growe in barren and stonie places almost euery where.
The time.
They are in flower and seede all the sommer long.
The names.
Knot grasse is called in Greeke πολύγονον ἀῤῥέν, that is to say, Polygonum mas, or male Knot grasse: in Latine Seminalis, Sanguinaria: of Columell Sanguinalis: in shops Centumnodia, and Corrigiola: of Apuleius Proserpinaca: in high Dutch Voagdritt: in lowe Dutch Aerkens gras, and Duijsent knop: in Italian Polygono: in Spanish Corriola: in French Renouee: in Wallen Mariolaine de Cure: in English Knot grasse, and Swines grasse: in the North, Birdes toong.
The temperature.
Knot grasse, as Galen teacheth, is of a binding qualitie, yet is it colde in the second degree, or else in the beginning of the third.
The vertues.
The iuice of Knot grasse is good against the spitting of blood, the pissing of blood, and all other issues or fluxes of blood, as Brasavolus reporteth, and Camerarius saith he hath cured many with the iuice thereof, that haue vomited blood, giuen in a little stipticke wine. It greatly preuaileth against the Gonorrhæa, that is, the running of the reines, and the weaknes of the backe comming by meanes thereof, being shred and made in a tansie with egs and eaten. The decoction of it cureth the disease aforesaid, in as ample maner as the iuice: or giuen in powder in a reare egge, helpeth the backe very much. The herbe boiled in wine and honie, cureth the vlcers and inflammations of the secret partes of man or woman, adding thereto a little allume, and the parts washed therewith. Dioscorides saith that it prouoketh vrine, and helpeth such as do pisse drop after drop, when the vrine is hot and sharpe. It is giuen vnto swine with good successe, when they are sicke, and will not eate their meate: whereupon the countrie people do call it Swines grasse, and Swines skir.
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.