Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay ColonyDow, George Francis
History
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Dow, George Francis
Massachusetts -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
_Chamomel_ is as gallant a medicine against the stone in the bladder
as grows upon the earth. It expels wind, belchings, used in bathes
it helps pains in the sides, gripings and gnawings in the belly.
_Chick-weed_ is cold and moist without any binding, aswages swelling
and comforts the sinews much, and therfore is good for such as are
shrunk up, it helps mangy hands and legs, outwardly applyed in a
pultis.
_Cinkfoyl or Five-fingered grass._ The root boyled in vinegar is
good against the Shingles, and appeaseth the rage of any fretting
sores.
_Colts-foot._ Admirable for coughs. It is often used taken in a
Tobacco-pipe, being cut and mixed with a little oyl of annis seeds.
_Columbines_ help sore throats and are of a drying, binding quality.
_Comfry_ is excellent for all wounds both internal and externall,
for spitting of blood, Ruptures or Burstness, pains in the Back and
helpeth Hemorrhoyds. The way to use them is to boyle them in water
and drink the decoction.
_Cottonweed._ Boyled in Ly, it keeps the head from Nits and Lice;
being laid among Cloaths, it Keeps them safe from Moths; taken in a
Tobacco-pipe it helps Coughs of the Lungues, and vehement headaches.
_Dill._ It breeds milk in Nurses, staies vomiting, easeth hiccoughs,
aswageth swellings, provoks urin, helps such as are troubled with
the fits of the mother, and digests raw humors.
_Dittany_, brings away dead children, hastens womens travail, the
very smell of it drives away venemous beasts; it's an admirable
remedy against wounds made with poysoned weapons; it draws out
splinters, broken bones, etc.
_Fennel._ Encreaseth milk in Nurses, provokes urine, easeth pains in
the Reins, breaks wind, provokes the Terms.
_Fleabane._ Helps the bitings of venemous beasts. It being burnt,
the smoke of it kills all Gnats and Fleas in the chamber. It is
dangerous for women with child.
_Flower-de-luce_ or _water flag_, binds, strengthens, stops fluxes
of the belly, a drachm being taken in red wine every morning.
_Fumitory_ helps such as are itchy and scabbed, helps Rickets,
madness, and quartain agues.
_Gentian_, some call Bald-money, is a notable counter-poyson, it
opens obstructions, helps the bitings of venemous beasts, and mad
dogs, helps digestion, and cleanseth the body of raw humors.
_Golden Rod_ clenseth the Reins, brings away the Gravel; an
admirable herb for wounded people to take inwardly, stops Blood, etc.
_Groundsel_ helps the Cholick, and pains and gripings in the belly.
I hold it to be a wholsom and harmless purge. Outwardly it easeth
womens breasts that are swollen & inflamed, (or as themselves say)
have gotten an ague in their breasts.
_Hellebore._ The root of white Hellebore, or sneezwort, being grated
& snuffed up the nose, causeth sneezing, Kills Rats and Mice, being
mixed with their meat. Doctor Bright commends it for such as are mad
through melancholly. If you use it for sneezing, let your head and
neck be wrapped hot for fear of catching cold.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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