CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

WATER-CRESSES

Description. Our ordinary water-cresses spread forth with many weak, hollow, sappy stalks, shooting out fibres at the joints, and upwards long winged leaves, made of sundry broad, sappy, and almost round leaves, of a brownish green colour: the flowers are many and white, standing on long footstalks, after which come small yellow seed, contained in small long pods like horns: the whole plant abideth green in the winter, and tasteth somewhat hot and sharp.

Place. They grow for the most part in small standing waters, yet sometimes in small rivulets of running water.

Time. They flower and seed in the beginning of summer.

Government and virtues. It is an herb under the dominion of the Moon. It is more powerful against the scurvy, and to cleanse the blood and humours, than brooklime, and serves in all the other uses in which brooklime is available; as to break the stone, and provoke urine and women's courses. It is also good for them when troubled with the green sickness, and it is a certain restorative of their lost colour if they use it in the following manner: chop and boil them in the broth of meat, and eat them for a month together, morning, noon, and night. The decoction thereof cleanseth ulcers by washing therewith; the leaves bruised, or the juice, is good to be applied to the face or other parts troubled with freckles, pimples, spots, or the like, at night, and washed away in the morning. The juice mixed with vinegar, and the forepart of the head bathed therewith, is very good for those that are dull and drowsy, or have the lethargy.

Water-cress pottage is a good remedy to cleanse the blood in the spring, and help head-achs, and consume the gross humours winter has left behind; those who would live in health, may make use of this: if any fancy not pottage, they may eat the herb as a sallad.