The Description.

            1. The first kind being our common and best known Wormwood, hath leaves of a greyish colour very much cut or jagged, and very bitter: the stalks are of woody substance, two cubits high, and full of branches; alongst which do grow little yellowish buttons, wherein is found small seed like the seed of Tansy, but smaller: the root is likewise of a woody substance, and full of fibres.

            2. The second kind of Wormwood bringeth forth slender stalks about a foot high or somewhat more, garnished with leaves like the former, but whiter, much lesser, and cut or jagged into most fine and small cuts or divisions: the flowers are like the former, hanging upon small stems with their heads downward: the roots are whitish, small and many, crawling and crambling one over another, and thereby infinitely do increase, of savour less pleasant than the common Wormwood. Some have termed this plant Absinthium santonicum, but thy had slender reason so to do: for if it was so called because it was imagined to grow in the province of Saintonge, it may very well appear to the contrary: for in the Alps of Galatia, a country in Asia Minor, it groweth in great plenty, and therefore may rather be called Galatium sardonicum and not santonicum: but leaving controversies impertinent to the History, it is the Pontic Wormwood of Galen's description, and so holden of the learned Paludane (who for his singular knewledge in plants is worthy triple honour) and likewise many others.

The Place.

            This Broad-Leaved Wormwood delighteth to grow on rocks and mountains, and in untilled places; it groweth much upon dry banks, it is common everywhere in all countries: the best, saith Dioscorides, is found in Pontus, Cappadocia, and on Mount Taurus: Pliny writeth, that Pontic Wormwood is better than that of Italy: and in these words doth declare that Pontic Wormwood is extreme bitter:

Turpia deformes gignunt Absinthia campi,
Terraque de fructu, quam sit amara docet.
Untilled barren ground the loathsome Wormwood yields,
And known it's by the fruit how bitter are the fields.

            And Bellonius in his first book Of Singularities, chap. 76. doth show, that there is also a broad-leaved Wormwood like unto ours, growing in the Provinces of Pontus, and is used in Constantinople by the physicians there; it is likewise found in certain cold places of Switzerland, which by reason of the chillness of the air riseth not up, but creepeth upon the ground, whereupon divers call it Creeping Wormwood.

The Time.

            The little flowers and seeds are perfected in July and August, then may Wormwood be gathered and laid up for profitable uses.

The Names.

            It is named of Apuleius, Absinthium rusticum, Country Wormwood, or Peasant's Wormwood: we have named it Absinthium latifolium, broad leaved Wormwood, that it may differ from the rest: the interpreters of the Arabians call the better sort, which Dioscordides nameth Pontic Wormwood, Romanum Absinthum, Roman Wormwood: and after these, the barbarous physicians of the later age: the Italians name Wormwood Assenso: the Spaniards, Axenxios, Assensios, most of them Donzell: the Portugals, Alosna: in High Dutch, Weronmut, Wermut: in French, Aluyne: English, Common Wormwood. Victor Trincavilla, a singular physician, in his practise took it for Absinthum ponticum.

            2. This is commonly called Absinthium romanum: and in low Dutch, Roomische Alsene; by which name it is known to very many, physicians and apothecaries, who use this instead of Pontic Wormwood: furthermore it hath a leaf and flower far less than the other wormwoods: likewise the smell of this is not only pleasant, but it yieldeth also a spicy scent, whereas all the rest have a strong and loathsome smell: and this Pontic Wormwood doth differ from that which Dioscorides commendeth: for Dioscorides his Pontic Wormwood is accounted among them of the first kind, or of Broad-leaved Wormwood; which thing also Galen affirmeth in his sixth book Of the Faculties of Medicines, in the chapter of Southernwood. There be three kinds of Wormwood (saith he) whereof they use to call one by the general name, and that is especially Pontic: whereby it is manifest that Galen in this place hath referred Pontic to no other than to the first wormwood; and therefore many not without cause marvel, that Galen hath written in his book Of the Method of Curing, how Pontic Wormwood is less in flower and leaf: many excuse him, and lay the fault upon the corruption of the book, and in his 9th book Of Method, the lesser they would have the longer: therefore this wormwood with the lesser leaf is not the right Pontic Wormwood, neither again the Arabians Roman Wormwood, who have no other Roman than Pontic of the Grecians. Also many believe that this is called Santonicum, but this is not to be sought for in Mysia, Thracia, or other countries eastward, but in France beyond the Alps, if we may believe Dioscorides: his copies there be that would have it grow not beyond the Alps of Italy, but in Galatia a country in Asia, & in the region of the Sardines, which is in the lesser Asia; whereupon it was: called in Greek Sardonion, which was changed into the name Santonicum through the errour of the translators: Dioscorides his copies keep the word Sardonium, & Galen's copies Santonicum, which came to posterity as it seemeth. It is called in English, Roman Wormwood, Garden or Cyprus Wormwood, and French Wormwood.

The Temperature.

            Wormwood is of temperature hot and dry, hot in the second degree, and dry in the third: it is bitter and cleansing, and likewise hath power to bind or strengthen.

The Virtues.

            A. It is very profitable to a weak stomach that is troubled with choler, for it cleanseth it through his bitterness, purgeth by siege and urine: by reason of the binding quality, it strengtheneth and comorteth the stomach, but helpeth nothing at all to remove phlegm contained in the stomach, as Galen addeth.

            B. If it be taken before a surfeit it keepeth it off, and removeth loathsomeness, saith Dioscorides, and it helpeth not only before a surfeit, but also it quickly refresheth the stomach and belly after large eating and drinking.

            C. It is oftentimes a good remedy against long and lingering agues, especially tertians: for it doth not only strengthen the stomach and make an appetite to meat, but it yieldeth strength to the liver also, and riddeth it of obstrutions or stoppings, cleansing by urine naughty humours.

            D. Furthermore, Wormwood is excellent good for them that vomit blood from the spleen, the which happeneth when the spleen being overcharged and filled up with gross blood doth unburden itself, and then great plenty of blood is oftentimes cast up by vomit. It happeneth likewise that store of black and corrupt blood mixed with excrements passeth downwards by the stool, and it oftentimes happeneth that with violent and large vomiting the sick man fainteth or swooneth, or when he is revived doth fall into a difficult and almost incurable tympany, especially when the disease doth often happen; but from these dangers Wormwood can deliver him, if when he is refreshed after vomit and his strength any way recovered, he shall a good while use it in what manner soever he himself shall think good.

            E. Again, Wormwood voideth away the worms of the guts, not only taken inwardly, but applied outwardly: it withstandeth all putrefactions; it is good against a stinking breath; it keepeth garments also from the moths, it driveth away gnats, the body being anointed with the oil thereof.

            F. Likewise it is singuiar good in poultices and fomentations to bind and to dry.

            G. Besides all this Dioscorides declareth, that it is good also against windiness and griping pains of the stomach and belly, with Seseli and French Spikenard: the decoction cureth the yellow jaundice or the infusion, if it be drunk thrice a day some ten or twelve spoonfuls at a time.

            H. It helpeth them that are strangled with eating of mushrooms or toadstools if it be drunk with vinegar.

            I. And being taken with wine, it is good against the poison of Ixia (being a viscous matter proceeding from the thistle Chamælion) and of Hemlock, and against the biting of the shrew mouse, and of the Sea Dragon: it is applied to the quinsy or inflammations of the throat with honey and nitre, and with water to night wheals, and with honey to swartish marks that come upon bruises.

            K. It is applied after the same manner to dim eyes, and to mattering ears.

            L. Ioachimius Camerarius of Nuremberg commendeth it greatly against the jaundice, giving of the flowers of Wormwood, Rosemary, Sloes, of each a small quantity, and a little saffron, boiled in wine, the body first being purged and prepared by the learned physician.