5Adam in Eden : Or >

and greener, with dents about the Edges? It beareth small and sliort CAtkins,somewhat like to those of the Hafel Nut tree, which abide on the branches a longtime, wherein the feed is contained, bat at length falls to the ground.

The Places andTime.

Though the BirchTree grow frequently in some Countries, yet in others it isvery rare, as is in some parts of Oxford and Northampton-Jhirts , where they arc feein Gardens, as rarities, as in the Garden of my much honoured Friend John Cart-wright Esquire, at his house in Aim. I remember once as I rid through little Brick-hiNm Bttcki r, gham-Jh re , which is a Town Handing upon London Road , between*Dunstab!e and Stony Stratford , every Signs-post in the town al most,was bedeckedwith green Birch , so that in that Countrey it seems to be very plentiful. TheCatkins come forth in prill, and the Leaves soon after, but the Seed is not ripeuntill September.

TheTemp erasure .

'The Leave t of the Birch Tree are thought to be cooling, but the Barks andCatkins are hot.

The Signature and Vertues.

The inner barkeof the Bvch-tree, faith the said Crod'm , whom I quoted inthe Chapter immediately going before,hath the Signature of the Matrix with thebloudy vcines thereof, and therefore the decoction thereof provoketh WomtntCourses, espclleth the After birth, and carrietb away all manner of superfluityfrom the Wombs. The juyce of the Leaves while they are young, or the distilledWater of them, or the Water thai cometh out of the Tree being bored with anAuger, taken cither before, or after it is distilled againe, is held to be veryavailable to break the Stone in the Kidney es, or Bladder , and is also ghod cowash fore momhet , for which purposes a Lye made of the inner barke of theBirch-tree is likewise eSLctuall. 1 he civiB uses wherennco the Birch tree fcrvetbare many, as for the punishment of Children both at home »..a «*School for ichath an admirable influence upon them, to quiet them when they are duc’of Or-der, and therefore some call ic Make-peace : The old Roman Magistrates had icborn in bundles before them, as an Snstgne, and Instrument of Justice to be exe-cuted a^oa petty Offenders it is used also to Hoop Casket, binds Fagots , makeBefomts, &c.

Having thus dilfatched these Simples which are appropriated to the TVembe, Ipaffe on now to those that are available for Ruptures, which Disease is caused,by the breaking or loosening of the Rim, or Filme of the Belly, so that theGuts fad into the Cods.. It happeneth most commonly to young Children, andthose of the CM ale kinde, yet sometimes Females , and elder persons art troubledtherewith, so that it wid be very requisite to Ifcak. of some particular Tlants, thatare very tffettuall for this purpose.

CHAP. CCCXXI.

(^Rupturewort.

The Tfjmes.

I T is uncertain? whether any of the ancient Greek Writers knew this herbs, be-cause we have no Greek name left for itpthat we cap affirm to be the true, andtherefore 1 {hall waveit.lt is called in Latine Poljgonum minus by Mat thiolus,andCastor Durantes, Herba Cancri minor by ffordus in his Scholiastes , and MidegranaIn his History of Plants, Epipactit by Anguidara, Herba Turca by Lobe I, andcAAtinuosti utthe naftie which is best known,and most used by the Writers of this

present