CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

SOUTHERNWOOD

Name. Called also Old Man Tree.

Description. This has a perennial root, divided into several parts, which are furnished with many fibres. The stems are numerous, of a hard woody substance, covered with a greyish bark, divided into numerous branches, and two or three feet high. The leaves are numerous, and divided into many fine bristly segments, and are of a fine pale gren colour, and of a pleasantsmell. The flowers are small and yellow.

Place. It is common in our gardens.

Time. It flowers for the most part in July and August.

Government and virtues. It is a gallant mercurial plant, worthy of more esteem than it hath. Dioscorides saith, That the seed bruised, heated in warm water, and drank, helps those that are bursten, or troubled with cramps or convulsions of the sinews, the sciatica, or difficulty in making water, and bringing down women's courses. The same taken in wine is an antidote, or counter-poison against all deadly poison, and drives away serpents and other venomous creatures; as also the smell of the herb, being burnt, doth the same. The oil thereof anointed on the back-bone before the fits of agues come, takes them away. It takes away inflammations in the eyes, if it be put with some part of a roasted quince, and boiled with a few crumbs of bread, and applied. Boiled with barley-meal it takes away pimples, pushes or wheals that arise in the face, or other parts of the body. The seed as well as the dried herb, is often given to kill the worms in children. The herb bruised and laid to, helps to draw forth splinters and thorns out of the flesh. The ashes thereof dries up and heals old ulcers, that are without inflammation, although by the sharpness thereof it bites sore, and puts them to sore pains; as also the sores in the privy parts of man or woman. The ashes mingled with old sallad oil, helps those that have hair fallen, and are bald, causing the hair to grow again either on the head or beard. It is a powerful diuretic, and good in hysteric complaints; for this purpose, the best way of taking it is in a conserve, made with the young tops, and twice their weight of sugar. A strong decoction of the leaves is a good worm medicine, but it is a very disagreeable and nauseous one. The leaves are likewise a good ingredient in fomentations for easing pain, dispersing swellings, or stopping the progress of gangrene.