The Description.

The drunken Date tree, which Carolus Clusius calleth Faufel, is an Indian tree of a great bigness, the timber whereof is very soft and spongeous, exceeding smooth and plain unto a great height, not possible to be climbed up; and therefore the Indians for their easier ascending up, at some distances do tie round about the tree certain withes or ropes made of the barks of trees, as may be perceived by the figure, whereby very easily they go up and down to gather the fruit at their pleasure. The top of the tree is divided into sundry branches, in substance like to the great cane; whereupon do grow fair flaggy leaves like those of the Palm or Date tree, whereof doubtless this is a wild kind: from the bottom of which branches cometh forth fruit in long bunches like traces of Onions, covered with a soft pulp like unto the walnut, rough, and very full of hair of a yellowish colour, and like the dried Date when it is ripe: within which husk is contained fruit like unto the nutmeg, but greater, very hard, and striped over with red and white veins, or sinews.

The Place, Time, and Names.

This Date tree, which the Arabians call Faufel, that is by interpretation, Avellana indica, the Indian nut or filbert, Avicenna and Serapio call Filfel, and Fufel. It groweth in the East Indies in divers and sundry places, as in Malabar, where vulgarly it is called Pac and of the nobles and gentlemen, Areca: which name is used amongst the Portugals which dwell in those Indies: in Gujerat and Deccan it is called Cupare: in Ceylon, Poaz: in Malacca, Pinan: in Cochin, Chacani: in English, the drunken Date tree, which name we have coined from his quality, because the fruit maketh those drunk that eat thereof.

The Temperature.

It is cold and dry in the second degree.

The Virtues.

A. The fruit of Areca before it be ripe is reckoned amongst the stupefactive or astonishing medicines; for whosoever eateth thereof waxeth drunk, because it doth exceedingly amaze and astonish the senses.

B. When the Indians are vexed with some intolerable ache or pain, or must of necessity endure some great torment or torture, then do they take of this fruit, whereby the rigor of that pain which otherwise they should feel, is very much mitigated.

C. The juice of the fruit of Areca doth strengthen the gums, fasten the teeth, comfort the stomach, stay vomiting and looseness of the belly: it doth also purge the body from congealed or clotted blood gathered within the same.