Of Mandrake.
The description.
The male Mandrake hath great, broad, long, smooth leaues, of a deepe greene colour, flat spred vpon the ground: among which come vp the flowers of a pale whitish colour, standing euery one vpon a single small & weak footstalk, of a whitish green colour: in their places grow round apples of a yellowish colour, smooth, soft & glittering, of a strong smel: in which are conteined flat and smooth seedes, in fashion of a little kidney like those of the Thorne apple. The roote is long, thick, whitish, diuided many times into two or three parts, resembling the legs of a man, with other parts of his bodie adioining thereto, as the priuie parts, as it hath beene reported; whereas in truth it is no otherwise then in the rootes of carrots, parsneps, and such like, forked or deuided into two or more parts, which nature taketh no account of. There haue been many ridiculous tales brought vp of this plant, whether of olde wiues or some runnagate surgeons or phisickmongers, I know not, (a title bad inough for them:) but sure some one or moe that sought to make themselues famous in skill skillfull aboue others were the first brochers of that errour I spake of. They adde further, that it is neuer or verie seldome to be founde growing naturally but vnder a gallows, where the matter that hath fallen from the dead bodie, hath giuen it the shape of a man: and the matter of a woman, the substance of a female plant; with many other such doltish dreames. They fable further and affirm, that he who woulde take vp a plant thereof must tie a dogge thereunto to pull it vp, which will giue a great shrike at the digging vp; otherwise if a man should do it, he should certainly die in short space after: besides many fables of louing matters, too full of scurrilitie to set foorth in print, which I forbeare to speake of: all which dreames and olde wiues tales, you shall from henceforth cast out of your bookes and memorie; knowing this that they are all and euery part of them false and most vntrue. For I my selfe and my seruaunts also haue digged vp, planted, and replanted verie many: & yet neuer could either perceiue shape of man or woman, but sometimes one straight roote, sometimes two, and often sixe or seauen braunches comming from the maine great roote; euen as nature list to bestowe vpon it as to other plants. But the idle drones that haue little or nothing to do but eate and drinke, haue bestowed some of their time in caruing the rootes of Brionie, forming them to the shape of men & women; which falsifying practise hath confirmed the errour amongst the simple and vnlearned people, who haue taken them vpon their report to be the true Mandrakes. The female Mandrake is like vnto the male, sauing that the leaues hereof be of a more swarte or darke greene colour; and the fruite is long like a peare, and the other is rounde like an apple. Mandragoras mas & femina. The male and female Mandrake.
The place.
Mandrake groweth in hot regions, in woodes and mountaines, as in mount Garganus in Apulia, and such like places; we haue them onely planted in gardens, and are not elsewhere to be found in England.
The time.
They spring vp with their leaues in March, and flower in the ende of Aprill: the fruite is ripe in August.
The names.
Mandrake is called of the Grecians μανδραγόρας , of diuers κιρκαία : and Circæa of Circe the Witch, who by Art could procure loue: for it hath beene thought that the roote hereof serueth to winne loue: of some ἀνθρωπόμορφος , Anthropomorphos, and Morion: some of the Latines haue called it Terræ malum, and Terrestre malum, and Canina malus: shoppes and other nations also do receiue the Greeke name. Dioscorides saith that the male is called of diuers νόριον : and describeth also another Mandrake by the name of Morion: which is generally holden to be Solanum Hortense, but of some Circea lutetiana, but not properly: in English we call it Mandrake, Mandrage, and Mandragon.
The temperature.
Mandrake hath a predominate colde facultie, as Galen saith, that is to saie colde in the thirde degree: but the roote is colde in the fourth degree.
The vertues.
Dioscorides doth particularly set downe many faculties hereof, of which notwithstanding there be none proper vnto it, sauing those that depende vpon the drowsie and sleeping power thereof, which which qualitie consisteth more in the roote then in any other part. The apples are milder, and are reported that they may be eaten, being boiled with Pepper and other hot spices. Galen saith, that the apples are something hot and moist, and that the barke of the roote is of greatest strength, and doth not onely coole, but also drie. The iuice of the leaues is very profitable put into the ointment called Populeon, and all cooling ointments. The iuice drawen foorth of the rootes, dried, and taken in small quantitie, purgeth the belly exceedingly from flegme and melancholicke humours. It is good to be put into medicines and colliries, that do mitigate the paine of the eies: and put vnder as a pessarie it draweth foorth the dead childe and secondine. The greene leaues stamped with barrowes grease and barley meale, coole all hot swellings and inflammations: and they haue vertue to consume apostemes and hot vlcers, being brused & applied thereon. A suppositorie made with the same iuice and put into the fundament causeth sleepe. The wine wherein the roote hath beene boiled or infused, prouoketh sleepe, and asswageth paine. The smell of the apples mooueth to sleepe likewise; but the iuice worketh more effectually if you take it in small quantitie. Great and strange effects are supposed to be in Mandrakes, to cause women to be fruitfull and beare children if they shall carie the same neer vnto their bodies. Some do from hence ground it, for that Rahel desired to haue hir sisters Mandrakes (as the text is translated) but if we looke well into the circumstances which there we shall finde, we may rather deeme otherwise. Yoong Ruben brought home amiable and sweete smelling flowers (for so signifieth the Hebrewe word, which is vsed Cantic. 7. 13. in the same sence:) and the lad brought them home rather for their beautie & smell, then for their vertue. Now in the flowers of Mandrake there is no such delectable or amiable smell, as was in these amiable flowers which Ruben brought home. Besides we read not that Rahel conceaued heereupon, for Leah Iacobs wife had fower children before God graunted that blessing of fruitfulnesse vnto Rahel. And last of all (which is my chiefest reason) Iacob was angrie with Rahel when she said, Giue me children else I die: and demaunded of hir whether he were in the steade of God or no, who had withhelde from hir the fruite of hir bodie. And we know that the prophet Dauid saith, Children and the fruite of the wombe are the inheritance, that commeth from the Lord, Psalm. 127. Serapio, Anicene, and Paulus AEgineta, do write, that the seede and fruite of Mandragoras taken in drinke, do clense the matrix or mother, and Dioscorides wrote the same long before them. He that woulde know more heereof may read that chapter of doctor Turner his booke concerning this matter, where he hath written largely and learnedly of this simple.
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.