TO give a Description of the Herb, its place, its growth, whether it beareth any flower, or Seed, is not in my power, having recei­ved no account along with it from my Bro­ther, Factor to the Honorable the East-Indy Company: Only thus much is most certain, it is a Plant esteemed even by Princes themselves, some part of what I have, being taken out of the King of Golcondaes Garden, one of the greatest, and wealthiest Princes in India, and the Priests, who are the Brackmannes, of the Py­thagorean Sect of Philosophers, do many and great Cures with it, for which they are so much esteemed not only by the Natives, but also forreign Merchants [Page 2] that reside there, the English themselves preferring them before their own Country men, when they labour under those diseases that reign in the East-Indys. They are very excellent Botanists, admirably skilled in the nature, and use of Plants, and having an extra-ordinary variety of them have improved Galenical Physick to a very great height. I do not understand that they are acquainted with any of the Chymical waies of separating the pure, from the impure parts: or understand the use of Minerals: but as they are nourished by the produce of the Earth, so they are cu­red by the off-spring thereof, not feeding upon any ani­mal killed for their use, fearing they should eat some of their Ancestors; because they hold a transmigration of souls. This root though it might serve to aromatize their diet, and is certainly a good stomachical, yet they use it only medicinally, and that in so homely a way as is becoming such plain, and simple men, unacquain­ted with the Confectioners or Apothecarys Art; they cut the Root transverse, or cross-waies, and having so done, they dry it in the Sun with great care, and when they have ocasion to use it, grind it betwixt two stones, adding water to it, after the manner of Painters grind­ing their Colours: being reduced hereby into the consistency of an Electuary they administer two or three drams of it at a time to their patients.

As to its qualities it is moderately hot, and very astringent, it consisteth of very fine parts, wrapped up in, and tied to an earthy matter; and may be reckon­ed amongst your Aromata or Spices. It exceedingly recruiteth the animal and vital Spirits, and may well be imagined by its taste, colour, and smell, to be an aperitive medicine. But by the experience I have had of it, I find it admirably to agree with the animal spirits, [Page 3] and a proper remedy against theit irregularities With Spirit of wine I have drawn a good Spirit from it, and with the remaining faeces made a very good extract, and conceive its extract made with fountain-water, might be better than the powder in the bloody flux, for which it is an excellent remedy. The Spirit is good to mix with cordials, and is a very good me­dicine outwardly used: and will lay scents better than any thing yet sound out.

It is matter of no small grief and trouble to any person endowed with pitty or compassion, to see how many persons labour under Apoplexies, Falling-siknes­ses, Convulsions, and convulsive-motions, Fits of the Mother, which diseases have such stupendious symp­tomes, that they do astonish the beholders, Nature seeming to be in an earth-quake, and in its last agony: and by the frequent aggress of so dreadful a Distemper, those endowments which distinguish us from irrational creatures are in a great measure lost; our understand­ing, that great Light very much darkned our memory, that excellent Repository, broken, and like a Sieve lets through most, if not all the species presented to it, so that our fitness to serve either God or Man is very much im­paired. And yet notwithstanding all the Boasts of Chy­mists, and the singular and prudent management of Gale­nists, with the help of what medicines Nature or Art hath yet presented, scarce one of a hundred hath proved a trophy of their Victory over so obstinate a distem­per; I mean not those whose disease doth arise from any fault in the first waies, as children which have, wormes, or the nerves disseminated in the stomach, being affected with ill matter therein conteined, of which an easy way of cure doth effect the desired end viz. By evacuating and discharging nature by Vomit [Page 4] or Purges: but when the distemper hath its rise from the head, and is of long continuance and duration; The way of cure Iuse is first generals as Bleeding, Vo­mits, or Purges ordinarily used in this case. After­wards where the distemper is in the head originally; I use to cut off the hair, and use a fomentation of the spirit night and morning. As for internal remedies: ℞ Cassummuniar. pulv. ℥ii conserv flor. Betonic. ℥i cum syrupo Pae [...]: q. s. fiat electuar. s. a. Capiat q. N. M. ter in die horis medicis supbibend. ℥iiii sequentis. Julapii ℞ aq. florum [...]iliae, cerasor. nigr: an lb. Spirit. Lavendul. Composit. Math. ℥iii. syrup. Paeon. q. s. Misce. I shall not give Instances of those many who have had their Fits hereby lessened and abated, and very many cured. I could instance in a Gentlewoman, who had a concussion of her head, which she laboured under for half a year in the Country, after a fall down stairs with her head foremost, coming up to London was cured by a decoction, and electuary made of this root, to mine, as well as her admiration, and liveth now free from any ill effects of that ill ac­cident. I was called to a Gentlewoman that had hysterick. Fits with unusual symptoms, accompanied with as great oppressions, and debility in her Spirits when her Fits went off, as when upon her, as she appre­hended. The Medicines used I find upon the file to have been only these: ℞ Cassummuniar. pulv. ℥s Conserv. flor. boragin. ℥i cum syrup Paeon, q. S. M. fiat electuarium, capiat. q. N. M. superbibend cockl. viii se­quent. Julapii. ℞ aq. atriplic. ℥vi puleg. spirit Lavend. composit. Mat. an ℥i M. The common plaster to the navil, and a nodul of Galbanum; in two hours her Fits ceased, and with the use of the same Remedies some few daies, she was so far cured, that they have not re­turned [Page 5] these twelve months, the occasion of the di­stemper not proceeding from any passions of the mind.

The Spirit of it drunk with black-cherry water every new, and full of the Moon, I conceive may be a soveraign preservative for them, who have had the common symptoms that are forerunners of that mor­tal disease the Apoplexy, or been once attacqued by it, and escaped it, for prevention of the second Fit, com­monly mortal. To conclude this head; the greateful­ness, as well as the usefulness of it, to prevent con­vulsions, looseness, and gripings in children, maketh me commend this medicine to Country Gentelwomen, to Midwives, and Nurses, and the rather because of its safety, and but one incovenience can attend the use of it, which is its binding quality, which is rarely a prejudice, where the Medicine discusseth wind, as this doth. They may boil it in their water-pap, their milk, or what else they think fit to give the child. I prefer it before any other Galenical or Chymical Me­dicine, for that I have observed, that by the nauseous­ness of spirit of Amber, and ill contexture, and con­sistency of Diascordium, Methridate, and Venice-treacle, they have oftentimes brought Fits instead of hindering them. The decoction of it in a little Ale, or Wine, and Water, is very useful for the Mother when layd, or boyl­ed in her caudle to prevent Fevers, and after-pains, be­cause it will promote sweat, and discuss wind.

The Griping of the guts, a disease no less torturing, than mortal, hath reigned excedingly in London for these many years last past: and notwithstanding the endeavours of our learned Doctors, and ingenious Chy­mists, our bills of mortality inform us, that a great num­ber of persons die of it every week, though more in [Page 6] July and August than at other seasons of the year. This desease is many times Epidemical in the East indies, and this Root was sent me with high commendations of the succesful use of it by the Brammenees in this malady, and indeed this remedy hath convinced me of the truth of Doctor Willis's assertion, that the nervous part is principally affected in this distemper. By the excre­ments it is distinguished into the bloody and unbloody Flux, in the latter, the matter is sometimes waterish, and sometimes mucous, to which may be added that which is called the dry Gripes. The method I pro­ceed in all is alike: only where there is a Fever con­joyned with, or consequent to the disease, I use Fountain-water for the vehicle. When called to a patient, bleed­ing being premised, if the age, temper of the patient, and season of the year require it, I use Doctor Syden­hams purge. ℞ Tamarind ℥s sol. sennae. mundat. ℥ii Rhei ℥iss coquantur in aq fontanae q.s. Colatur. adde Man­nae, syrup. rosar. solutivi an. ℥i M. fiat potio. At night when the purge hath done working. ℞ rad. Rhysagon. pulver. ℥ss cum syrup. corallior. q. s. fiat bolus hora som­mi sumendus. Repetatur sexta qua (que) hora. After it I give a large draught of the decoction of the same Root sweet­ned with syrup of Couslips, and sometimes fifteen drops of the Laudanum Liquidum described by Doctor Sy­denham in his excellent book of Observa­tions upon acute Distempers. Syden. Pag. 255. This Me­thod I use till its declination to the better, and then the case is so easy, I need not inculcate any thing further a­bout it.

I use this Root as a corrector of the inconveniences that attend the peruvian bark, and commonly pre­scribe three parts of the bark, and one of the Root Cas­summuniar. And though I have alwaies after generals, [Page 7] as the bitter potions, vomits, or bleeding as the case requireth, proceeded to the use of that bark, and that as frequently, as most have, having had the honour of many persons of greatest eminency in the University of Oxford one year under my care, together with many others ill of quartans, yet never can charge, that bark in any one of my patients with any damage, which was the result of its administration, being thus corrected.

A very Eminent East-india Chyrurgion assured me, he had used this Root in Melancholy Hypocondriack, and the Scurvy, with great success, of which I can speak nothing from my own experience. I conceive that a deco­ction of this Root in Fountain-water, (seeing it strength­eneth the animal spirits, helpeth separation of what is inconvenient from them, promoteth Sweat, and a good circulation of the blood) may be of great use in Fevers, to prevent Deliriums, which hath frequently a fatal ill event attending it. I look upon it as a thing very probable, that this Root may be serviceable in many other diseases, and do not doubt, but its own harmless, as well as useful nature will excite ingenious and learned Physitians (of which this Nation and City aboundeth in as many as any in the world,) to make a higher and greater improvement of it, than I have, or can. If what I have written may tend to the publick advantage, I have my end: and could wish, that all Physitians would so far consult the good of mankind, as to communicate what they have singular to the world, that so noble a Science might be completed, and health be the better preserved and restored: for that of Se­neca is most true in Physick: Multa egerunt, qui ante nos fuerunt sed non peregerunt, multum adhuc restat, multumque restabit, neque ulli nato post mille secula praecidetur occasio aliquid adhuc adjiciendi.

[Page 8] This root may be had at Mr. Bartletts Druggist in Bishopgate-Street, or at my Apothecaries on Rhederiff wall. Mr. Bartlett hath as I suppose a sufficient quan­tity for present use. And if it hath the desired success (of which do not doubt) I presume more will be import­ed in a year or two.