Bishop's-Weed

BESIDES the common name Bishop's-weed, it is usually known by the Greek name Ammi and Ammois; some call it Aethiopian Cummin-seed, and others Cummin-royal, as also Herb William, and Bull-wort.

Descript : Common Bishop's-weed rises up with a round straight stalk, sometimes as high as a man, but usually three or four feet, high, beset with divers small, long and somewhat broad leaves, cut in some places, and dented about the edges, growing one against another, of a dark green colour, having sundry branches on them, and at the top small umbels of white flowers, which turn into small round seeds little bigger than Parsley seeds, of a quick hot scent and taste; the root is white and stringy; perishing yearly, and usually rises again on its own sowing.

Place : It grows wild in many places in England and Wales, as between Greenhithe and Gravesend.

Government and virtues : It is hot and dry in the third degree, of a bitter taste, and somewhat sharp withal; it provokes lust to purpose; I suppose Venus owns it. It digests humours, provokes unine and women's courses, dissolves wind, and being taken in wine it eases pains and griping in the bowels, and is good against the biting of serpents; it is used to good effect in those medicines which are given to hinder the poisonous operation of Cantharides, upon the passage of the urine: being mixed with honey and applied to black and blue marks, coming of blows or bruises, it takes them away; and being drank or outwardly applied, it abates a high colour, and makes it pale; and the fumes thereof taken with rosin or raisins, cleanses the mother.