Of Nightshade.
The kindes.
There be diuers Nightshades, whereof some are of the garden; and some that loue the fieldes, and yet euery of them found wilde; whereof some cause sleepinesse euen vnto death; others cause sleepinesse, and yet Phisicall; and others very profitable vnto the health of man, as shall be declared in their seueral vertues.
The description.
Garden Nightshade hath rounde stalks a foote high and full of braunches, whereon are set leaues of a blackish colour, soft & ful of iuice, in shape like to the leaues of Basill, but much greater: among which do growe small white flowers with yellowe pointels in the middle; which being past, there do succeede rounde berries, greene at the first, and black when they be ripe, like those of Iuie: the roote is white and full of hairie strings. 2 Sleeping Nightshade hath for his roote a great bundell of threddie rootes, from which riseth vp a fat stalke of a blackish greene colour as is the rest of the plant; whereon do growe sharpe pointed leaues like vnto those of the Docke. The flowers are white with a certaine yellowe aglet in the middle, after which come forth berries, greene at the first, and aftewards of a faint yellowish green. The whole plant perisheth at the first approch of winter. 1 Solanum Hortense. Garden Nightshade. <column-break/> 2 Solanum Pomiferum. Sleepie Nightshade.
The place.
This Nightshade commeth vp in many places, and not onely in gardens, of which notwithstanding it hath taken his surname, and in which it is often founde growing with other herbes: but also neere common high waies, the borders of fieldes, by olde wals and ruinous places.
The time.
It flowreth in sommer, and oftentimes till autumne be well spent; and then the fruite commeth to ripenesse.
The names.
It is called of the Græcians Στρύχνος: of the Latins Solanum, & Solanum hortense: in shops Solatrum: of some Morella, Vua Lupina, and Vua Vulpis: in Spanish likewise Morella & yerua Mora: Marcellus an olde Phisicke writer, & diuers others of his time called it Strumum: Plinie in his 27. book 8. chapter, sheweth that it is called Cucubalus: both these wordes are likewise extant in Apuleius among the confused names of Nightshade: who hath gathered together in one chapter so many, that he hath as it were confounded the name thereof: in English it is called Garden Nightshade; Morell, and petie Morell: in French Morelle, Gallobelgis: feu ardent: quia medetur igni sacro.
The temperature.
Nightshade as Galen saith in his booke of the faculties of simple medicines is vsed for those infirmities that haue neede of cooling and binding: for these two qualities it hath in the seconde degree: which thing also he affirmeth in his booke of the faculties of nourishments, where he saith that there is no potherbe which wee vse to eate that hath so great astriction or binding as Night-shade hath, and therefore phisitions do woorthely vse it, and that seldome as a nourishment, but alwaies as a medicine.
The vertues.
Dioscorides writeth, that Nightshade is good against Saint Anthonies fire, the shingles, paine of the head, the hart burning or heate of the stomacke, and other like accidents proceeding of sharpe and biting humours: notwithstanding that it hath these vertues, yet it is not alwaies good that it shoulde be applied vnto those infirmities, for that many times there hapneth more dangers by applying of these remedies, then of the disease it selfe. For as Hippocrates writeth in the 6. booke of his Aphorismes, the 25. particular, that it is not good, that Saint Anthonies fire should be driuen from the outward parts to the inward: and likewise in his prognostickes he saith, that it is necessarie that Saint Anthonies fire shoulde breake foorth, and that it is death to haue it driuen in; which is to be vnderstoode not onely of Saint Anthonies fire, but also of other like burstings out procured by nature. For by vsing of these kind of cooling & repelling medicines, the bad, corrupt and sharp humors are driuen back inwardly to the chiefe & principall parts, which cannot be done without great danger and hazarde of life. And therefore we must not vnaduisedly, lightly, or rashly minister such kinde of medicines vpon the comming out of Saint Anthonies fire, the shingles, or such hot pimples and blemishes of the skin. The iuice of the greene leaues of garden Nightshade mixed with barley meale, is very profitable applied vnto Saint Anthonies fire and to all hot inflammations. The iuice mixed with oile of roses, ceruse, and littarge of golde, and applied, is more proper and effectuall to the purposes before set downe. Neither the iuice heereof nor any other part is to be giuen inwardly. The leaues stamped are profitable put into the ointment of poplar buds, called Vnguentum populeon, good and all other ointments.
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.