CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

TREFOIL

Name. Called also Honey-Suckle.

Description. Common white Trefoil grows with a long slender root, hung with many fibres. The first leaves are supported on long slender foot-stalks, of a pale green; three leaves grow on each foot-stalk; and they are of a deep green, broad, short, and marked with a white spot, usually in the form of a crescent, in the middle. The stalks are numerous, short, and procumbent; they divide into branches as they run upon the ground, and send out, in an irregular manner, a great many leaves of the same form and structure with the first, and the stalks for the flowers among them; these are slender, like those of the leaves, and of the same pale green. The flowers are small and white; and they stand a great many together, in a round thick head, each cell containing four small seeds.

Place. They grow in almost every place in this country.

Time. They flower in June.

Government and virtues. Mercury has dominion over the common sort. Dodoneus saith, The leaves and flowers are good to ease the griping pains of the gout, the herb being boiled and used in a clyster. If the herb be made into a poultice, and applied to inflammations, it will ease them. The juice dropped in the eyes, is a familiar medicine, with many country people, to take away the pin and web (as they call it) in the eyes; it also allays the heat and blood shooting of them. Country people do also in many places drink the juice thereof against the biting of an adder; and having boiled the herb in water, they first wash the place with the decoction, and then lay some of the herb also to the hurt place. The herb also boiled in swine's grease, and so made into an ointment, is good to apply to the biting of any venomous creature. The herb also bruised and heated between tiles, and applied hot to the share, causes them to make water who had it stopt before. It is held likewise to be good for wounds, and to take away seed. The decoction of the herb and flowers, with the seed and root, taken for some time, helps women that are troubled with the whites. The seed and flowers boiled in water, and afterwards made into a poultice with some oil, and applied, helps hard swellings and imposthumes.