CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

TUTSAN

Name. Called also Park Leaves.

Description. The stalks of Tutsan grow to be three feet high, smooth, reddish, and not much branched, having two large oval brownish green leaves set opposite at every joint, on very short foot-stalks, those next the ground being usually smallest. On the top of the stalks grow the flowers, several together, on pretty long footstalks, of five small yellow roundish leaves a-piece, with stamina in the middle of the same colour, yielding a reddish juice upon being rubbed between the fingers, and are succeeded by berry-like seed vessels, green at first, and afterwards of a deep shining purple, almost black, containing small seed in a purplish juice. The root is somewhat thick, of a reddish colour, with many fibres.

Place. It grows in many woods, groves, and woody grounds, as parks and forests, and by hedge-sides in many places in this land, as in Hampstead wood, by Ratley in Essex, in the wilds of Kent, and in many other places needless to recite.

Time. It flowers later than St. John's or St. Peter's-wort.

Government and virtues. It is an herb of Saturn, and a most noble anti-venerean. Tustan purges choleric humours, as St. Peter's-wort is said to do, for therein it works the same effects, both to help the sciatica and gout, and to heal burning by fire; it stays all the bleedings of wounds, if either the green herb be bruised, or the powder of the dry be applied thereto. It hath been accounted, and certainly it is, a sovereign herb to heal either wound or sore, either outwardly or inwardly, and therefore always used in drinks, lotions, green wounds, ulcers, or old sores, in all balms, oils, ointments, or any other sorts of which the continual experience of former ages hath confirmed the use thereof to be admirably good, though it be not so much in use now, as when physicians and surgeons were so wise as to use herbs more than they do now. The leaves and flowers are counted much of the nature of St. John's wort, being a good wound-herb used both inwardly and outwardly; and is called in French Toutsain, signifying All-heal, and from thence by us corruptly called Tutsan.