The Description.

            1. The first or common kind of Coriander is a very stinking herb, smelling like the stinking worm called in Latin Cimex: it hath a round stalk full of branches, two foot long. The leaves are of a faint green colour, very much cut or jagged: the leaves that grow lowest, and spring first, are almost like the leaves of Chervil or Parsley, but those which come forth afterward, and grow upon the stalks, are more jagged, almost like the leaves of Fumitory, though a great deal smaller, tenderer, and more jagged. The flowers are white, and do grow in round tassels like unto Dill. The seed is round, hollow within, and of a pleasant scent and savour when it is dry. The root is hard, and of a woody substance, which dieth when the fruit is ripe, and soweth itself from year to year, whereby it mightily increaseth.

            2. There is a second kind of Coriander very like unto the former, saving that the bottom leaves and stalks are smaller: the fruit thereof is greater, and growing together by couples, it is not so pleasant of savour nor taste, being a wild kind thereof, unfit either for meat or medicine.

The Place.

            Coriander is sown in fertile fields and gardens, and the first doth come of itself from time to time in my garden, though I never sowed the same but once.

The Time.

            They flower in June and July, and deliver their seed in the end of August.

The Names.

            The first is called in Latin Coriandrum: in English, Corianders. The second, Coriandrum alterum, wild Corianders.

The Temperature.

            The green and stinking leaves of Corianders are of complexion cold and dry, and very naught, unwholesome and hurtful to the body.

            The dry and pleasant well savouring seed is warm, and very convenient to sundry purposes.

The Virtues.

            A. Coriander seed prepared and covered with sugar, as comfits, taken after meat closeth up the mouth of the stomach, stayeth vomiting, and helpeth digestion.

            B. The same parched or roasted, or dried in an oven, and drunk with wine, killeth and bringeth forth worms, stoppeth the lask, and bloody flux, and all other extraordinary issues of blood.

The manner how to prepare Coriander, both for meat and medicine.

            C. Take the seed well and sufficiently dried, whereupon pour some wine and vinegar, and so leave them to infuse or steep four and twenty hours, then take them forth and dry them, and keep them for your use.

            D. The green leaves of Coriander boiled with the crumbs of bread or barley meal, consumeth all hot swellings and inflammations: and with bean meal dissolveth the King's Evil, wens, and hard lumps.

            E. The juice of the leaves mixed and laboured in a leaden mortar with ceruse, litharge of silver, and oil of roses, cureth St. Anthony's fire, and taketh away all inflammations whatsoever.

            F. The juice of the green Coriander leaves, taken in the quantity of four drams, killeth and poisoneth the body.

            G. The seeds of Coriander prepared with sugar, prevail much against the gout, taken in some small quantity before dinner upon a fasting stomach, and after dinner the like without drinking immediately after the same, or in three or four hours. Also if the same be taken after supper it prevaileth the more, and hath more superiority over the disease.

            H. Also, if it be taken with meat fasting, it causeth good digestion, and shutteth up the stomach, keepeth away fumes from rising up out of the same: it taketh away the sounding in the ears, drieth up the rheum, and cureth the squinancy.