The Kinds.

            There be divers sorts of Wolf's-Bane: whereof some bring forth flowers of a yellow colour; others of a blue, or tending to purple: among the yellow ones there are some greater, others lesser; some with broader leaves, and others with narrower.

The Description.

            1. The first kind of Aconite, of some called Thora, others add the the place where it growth in great abundance, which is the Alps, and call it Thora valdensium. This plant took his name of the Greek word Phthora, signifying corruption, poison, or death, which are the certain effects of this pernicious plant: for this they use very much in poisons, and when they mean to infect their arrow heads, the more speedily and deadly to dispatch the wild beasts, which greatly annoy those mountains of the Alps: to which purpose also it is brought into the mart towns near unto those places to be sold unto the hunters, the juice thereof being prepared by pressing forth, and so kept in horns and hoofs of beasts, for the most speedy poison of all the Aconites; for an arrow touched therewith, leaveth the wound uncureable (if it but only fetch blood where it entereth in) except that round about the wound the flesh be speedily cut away in great quantity: this plant therefore may rightly be accounted as first and chief of those that be called Sagittary or Aconites, by reason of the malignant qualities aforesaid. This that hath been said argueth also that Matthiolus hath unproperly called it Pseudoaconitum, that is, false or bastard Aconite; for without question there is no worse or more speedy venom in the world, nor no Aconite or toxical plant comparable hereunto. And yet let us consider the fatherly care and providence of God, who hath provided a conqueror and triumpher over this plant so venomous, namely his Antigonist, Antithora or to speak in shorter and fewer syllables, Anthora; which is the very antidote or remedy against this kind of Aconite. The stalk of plant is small and rushy, very smooth, two or three handfuls high: whereupon do grow two, three, or four leaves, seldom more, which be something hard, round, smooth, of a light green colour tending to blueness, like the colour of the leaves of Woad, nicked in the edges. The flowers grow at the top of the stalks, of a yellow colour, lesser than those of the Field Crowfoot, otherwise alike: in the place therof groweth a knop or round head, wherein is the seed: the root consisteth of nine or ten slender clogs, with some small fibres also, and they are fastened together with little things unto one head, like those of the white Asphodel.

            2. Wolf's-Bane of the Mount Baldus hath one stalk, smooth and plain, in the middle whereof come forth two leaves and no more, wherein it differeth from the other of the Valdens, having likewise three or four sharp pointed leaves, narrow and somewhat jagged at the place where the stalk divideth itself into smaller branches; whereon do grow small yellow flowers like the precedent, but much lesser.

The Place.

            These venomous plants do grow on the Alps, and the mountains of Savoy and Switzerland: the first grow plentifully in the country of the Valdens, who inhabit part of those mountains towards Italy. The other is found on Baldus, a mountain of Italy. They are strangers in England.

The Time.

            They flower in March and April, their seed is ripe in June.

The Names.

            This kind of Aconite or Wolf's-Bane is called Thora, Taura, and Tura, it is surnamed valdensis, that it may differ from Napellus, or Monk's Hood, which is likewise named Thora.

            Avicenna maketh mention of a certain deadly herb in his fourth book, sixth Fen. called Farsium; it is hard to affirm this same to be Thora valdensis.

            Gesner judges this to be the Aconitum pardalianches of Dioscorides, and herein is followed by Bauhin.

The Temperature and Virtues.

            A. The force of these Wolf's-Banes, is most pernicious and poisonsome, and (as it is reported) exceedeth the malice of Napellus, or any of the other Wolf's-Banes, as we have said.

            B They say that it is of such force, that if a man especially, and then next any four footed beast be wounded with an arrow or other instrument dipped in the juice hereof, they die within half an hour after remediless.