Asparagus. See the roots.

Asarum, &c. Asarabacca: hot and dry; provokes vomiting and urine, and are good for dropsies. They are corrected with mace or cinnamon.

Atriplex, &c. Orach, or Arrach. It is cold in the first degree, and moist in the second, saith Galen, and makes the belly soluble. It is an admirable remedy for the fits of the mother, and other infirmities of the matrix, and therefore the Latins called it Vulvaria.

Aricula muris, major. Mouse-ear: hot and dry, of a binding quality, it is admirable to heal wounds, inward or outward, as also ruptures or burstness. Edge-tools quenched in the juice of it, will cut iron without turning the edge, as easy as they will lead. And, lastly, it helps the swelling of the spleen, coughs and consumptions, of the lungs.

Attractivis hirsuta. Wild Bastard-saffron, Distaff-thistle, or Spindle-thistle. Is dry and moderately digesting, helps the biting of venomous beasts. Mesue saith, It is hot in the first degree, and dry in the second, and cleanseth the breast and lungs of tough flegm.

Balsamita, &c. Costmary, Alecost. See Maudlin.

Barbajovis, sedum majus. Houseleek or Sengreen: cold in the third degree, profitable against the Shingles, and other hot creeping ulcers, inflammations, St. Anthony's fire, frenzies; it cools and takes away corns from the toes, being bathed with the juice of it, and a skin of the leaf laid over the place; stops fluxes, helps scalding and burning.

Bardana. Clot-bur, or Bur-dock: temperately dry and wasting, something cooling; it is held to be good against the shrinking of the sinews; eases pains in the bladder, and provokes urine. Also Mizaldus saith, That a leaf applied to the top of the head of a woman draws the matrix upwards, but applied to the soles of the feet draws it downwards, and is therefore an admirable remedy for suffocations, precipitations, and dislocations of the matrix, if a wise man have but the using of it.

Beta, alba, nigra, rubra. Beets, white, black, and red; black Beets I have no knowledge of. The white are something colder and moister than the red, both of them loosen the belly, but have little or no nourishment. The white provoke to stool, and are more cleansing, open stoppings of the liver and spleen, help the vertigo or swimming in the head. The red stay fluxes, help the immoderate flowing of the menses, and are good in the yellow jaundice.

Benedicta Cariphyllara. Avens: hot and dry, help the cholic and rawness of the stomach, stitches in the sides, and take away clotted blood in any part of the body.

Betonica vulgaris. Common Wood Betony: hot and dry in the second degree, helps the falling sickness and all head-aches coming of cold, cleanses the breast and lungs, opens stoppings of the liver and spleen, as the rickets, &c. procures appetite, helps sour belchings, provokes urine, breaks the stone, mitigates the pains of the

reins and bladder, helps cramps, and convulsions, resists poison, helps the gout, such as evacuate blood, madness and head-ache, kills worms, helps bruises, and cleanseth women after labour. You may take a dram of it at a time in white wine, or any other convenient liquor proper against the disease you are afflicted with.

Betonica Pauli, &c. Paul's Betony, or Male Lluellin, to which add Elative, or Female Lluellin, which comes afterwards; they are pretty temperate, stop defluxions of humours that fall from the head into the eyes, are profitable in wounds, help filthy foul eating cankers.

Betonica Coronaria, &c. Is Clove Gilliflowers. See the flowers.