The Description.

The Almond tree is like to the Peach tree, yet is it higher, bigger, of longer continuance: the leaves be very long, sharp pointed, snipped about the edges like those of the Peach tree: the flowers be alike: the fruit is also like a peach, having on one side a cleft, with a soft skin without, and covered with a thin cotton; but under this there is none, or very little pulp, which is hard like a gristle not eaten: the nut or stone within is longer than that of the peach, not so rugged, but smooth; in which is contained the kernel, in taste sweet, and many times bitter: the root of the tree groweth deep: the gum which soaketh out hereof is like that of the Peach tree.

There are divers sorts of Almonds, differing in largeness and taste: we commonly have three or four sorts brought to us, a large sweet Almond, vulgarly termed a Jordan almond and a lesser, called a Valence almond: a bitter almond of the bigness of the Valence almond, and sometimes, another bitter one less than it.

The Place.

The natural place of the Almond is in the hot regions, yet we have them in our London gardens and orchards in great plenty.

The Time

The Almond flowereth betimes with the Peach: the fruit is ripe in August.

The Names.

 The tree is called in Latin, Amygdalus: in French, Amandier: in English, Almond tree.

The fruit is called in Latin, Amygdalum: in shops, Amygdala: in High Dutch, Mandel: in Low Dutch, Amandelen: in Italian, Mandole: in Spanish, Almendras, Amelles, and Amendoas: in French, Amandes: in English, Almond.

The Temperature and Virtues.

A. Sweet almonds when they be dry be moderately hot; but the bitter ones are hot and dry in the second degree. There is in both of them a certain fat and oily substance, which is drawn out by pressing.

B. Sweet almonds being new gathered are pleasant to the taste, they yield some kind of nourishment, but the same gross and earthy, and grosser than those that be dry, and not as yet withered. These do likewise slowly descend, especially being eaten without their skins; for even as the husks or branny parts of corn do serve to drive down the gross excrements of the belly, so do likewise the skins or husks of the almonds: therefore those that be blanched do so slowly descend, as that they do withal bind the belly; whereupon they are given with good success to those that have the lask or the bloody flux.

C. There is drawn out of sweet almonds, with liquor added, a white juice like milk, which over and besides that it nourisheth, and is good for those that are troubled with the lask and bloody flux, it is profitable for those that have the pleurisy and spit up filthy matter, as Alexander Trallianus witnesseth: for there is likewise in the almonds an opening and concocting quality, with a certain cleansing faculty, by which they are medicinable to the chest and lungs, or lights, and serve for the raising up of phlegm and rotten humours.

D. Almonds taken before meat do stop the belly, and nourish but little; notwithstanding many excellent meats and medicines are therewith made for sundry griefs, yea very delicate and wholesome meats, as almond butter, cream of almonds, marchpane, and such like, which dry and stay the belly more than the extracted juice or milk; and they are also as good for the chest and lungs.

E. They do serve also to make the physical barley water, and barley cream, which are given in hot fevers, as also for other sick and feeble persons, for their further refreshing and nourishments.

F. The oil which is newly pressed out of the sweet almonds is a mitigator of pain and all manner of aches. It is given to those that have the pleurisy, being first let blood; but especially to those that are troubled with the stone of the kidneys; it slackens the passages of the urine, and maketh them glib or slippery, and more ready to suffer the stone to have free passage: it maketh the belly soluble, and therefore it is likewise used for the colic.

G. It is good for women that are newly delivered; for it quickly removeth the throes which remain after their delivery.

H. The oil of almonds makes smooth the hands and face of delicate persons, and cleanseth the skin from all spots, pimples, and lentils.

I. Bitter Almonds do make thin and open, they remove stoppings out of the liver and spleen, therefore they be good against pain in the sides: they make the body soluble, provoke urine, bring down the menses, help the strangury, and cleanse forth of the chest and lungs clammy humours: if they be mixed with some kind of lohoch or medicine to lick on: with starch they stay the spitting of blood.

L. And it is reported that five or six being taken fasting do keep a man from being drunk.

M. These also cleanse and take away spots and blemishes in the face, and in other parts of the body; they mundify and make clean foul eating ulcers.

N. With honey they are laid upon the biting of mad dogs; being applied to the temples with vinegar or oil of roses, they take away the headache, as Dioscorides writeth.

O. They are also good against the cough and shortness of wind.

P. They are likewise good for those that spit blood, if they be taken with the fine flour of Amylum.

Q. There is also pressed out of these an oil which provoketh urine, but especially if a few scorpions be drowned, and steeped therein.

R. With oil it it singular good for those that have the stone, and cannot easily make water: but with extremity of pain, if the share and place between the cods and fundament be anointed therewith.

S. Dioscorides saith, that the gum doth heat and bind, which qualities notwithstanding are not perceived in it.

T. It helpeth them that spit blood, not by a binding faculty, but through the clamminess of his substance, and that is by closing up of the passages and pores, and so may it also cure old coughs, and mitigate extreme pains that proceed of the stone, and especially take away the sharpness of urine, if it be drunk with bastard, or with any other sweet potion, as with the decoction of Liquorice, or of raisins of the sun. The same doth likewise kill tetters in the outward parts of the body (as Dioscorides addeth) if it be dissolved in vinegar.