A new Herball/Part I/Of wormwode

by William Turner (1510-1568)

Of wormwode, bsinthium is named in greke Apsinthion, because no beast will touch it for bitternes, ⁊ in English wormwode, because it killeth wormes, I suppose that it was ones called wormecrout, for in some part of Fresland (from whence semeth a great part of our englysh tonge to haue come) it is so called euen vnto this daye: in duche wermut, in frenche aluine or absence.

VVormvuode Romane.	Absinthium Ponticum Romæ natum.

 

The kyndes and the places where they growe.

here are thre kyndes of Wormwode, ponticum, marinum, and santonicum. Ponticum absinthium, whych maye be named in english, wormwode gentle or wormwode Romane, Wormwod pontyke groweth in no place of Englande, that euer I coulde se, sauing only in my lordes gardyne at Syon, ⁊ that I brought out of Germany, for, those ii. kindes of wormwode which diuerse take for pontyke wormwode, are none of pōtike wormwod, Some take yͤ comō great leued wormwode which groweth almost in euery place, to be pōtyke wormwode. But they are far deceiued, for Galene in yͤ 11. boke of methodus medēdi sheweth plainly in these wordes that folowe, that this great leued and stynkynge wormwod is not yͤ true pōtyke wormwod. Whē as ther is in euery wormwode a duble poure, in pōtike wormode is there no smalle astringēt propertie, ther is in al other wormwodes a very vehemēt bitter qualite. But as for

Absinthium marinum	Sea VVormvuod.

astriction, which a man can perceiue by tast, is ether very euyll to be foūde, or els there is none to be founde at all. Wherfore Pontyke Wormwode ought to be chosen out, for yͤ inflāmatiōs of yͤ lyuer. But yͭ hath both a lesse floure ⁊ lese then the other Wormwodes haue. The sauour of this is not only not vnplesant, but also resembleth in sauour a certain kynd of swete spice. The other kindes haue a stinking sauour. Wherfore ye must fle these kyndes, and vse pontyke worwode. Thus farr hath Galene spokē. By whose wordes it is euidēnt yͭ this our cōmō ⁊ great leued wormwod is not pontike wormwod. As for this great cōmon wormwod it is called in latin Absinthiū rusticū, that is bouris or pesantes wormwode. Some take ⁊ vse yͤ wormwode yͭ groweth by yͤ seaside for wormwode pōtyke, But they are far deceiued for yͤ qualites of it answer nothing vnto the qualyties of wormwode pōtyke in Galene, ⁊ this same wormwod is yͤ right Absinthiū marinū or seryphū of Dioscorides ⁊ Plini, which may be called in Englysh sea wormwod, Plini writeth of the growyng place of this herbe thus lib. tricesimo secundo, capite nono. Nascitur & in mari ipso Absinthium, quod aliqui Seriphum uocant, circa Taposirim, & cæter. This groweth in the sea it selfe wormwod, which some call Seriphū, besyde Taposyris of Egipt. Dioscorides saith that it groweth in the mountayn Taurus. In oure tyme it is plenteouslye founde in England about Lynne and holly Ilond in Northumberland, and at Barrowe in Brabant, and at Norden in east Freslande. Fuchsius is to be excused, whyche toke Argentariam Herbariorum, wyth longe smalle coddes Comon VVormvuood.

to be Absynthium marinum, because he neuer sawe the sea in all hys lyfe where as thys herbe doth comonly growe. As concernyng Wormwoode Pontyke from whych we haue by occasyon geuē, some thyng dygressed: I will shortly shew you, what my minde is of it. I thynke verelye that Absinthium Romanum of Mesue is, Dioscorides: Absinthium Ponticum, that same haue I sene of late many tymes. I had it from Rome, and it groweth about templum pacis, and also about the walles in dyuerse places, a kynde of that, is much in Germany ⁊ in Brabant. about Colen it is called graue crowt, because they set it vpon their frendes graues, yͤ Freses call it wyld Rosmary, The Pothecaryes of Anwerpe Absinthium Romanum. How be it, there is some difference betwene it, that groweth in Rome, and it that groweth in Germanye. It that groweth in Germanye, hath lesse leaues, grener and thynner then it whyche groweth in Rome, and also a pleasanter sauour. It that groweth in Rome hath thycke, whyter and bygger leues, then it of Germanye, they are also hoter and of a stronger smell. As for it that groweth in Germany, I haue proued oft tymes that it hath perfytly done such thynges as pertayne vnto Wormwod Pontyke. Thys herbe is not founde in Germany of hys owen settinge or sowynge in the feldes, but is only in gardynes, where as it is planted or set by mannes handes, The thyrde kynde of Wormwood is called Absinthium Santonicum, I haue sene it in Englande ofter than ones, that euer I remembre, it maye be called well in Englysh, French wormwode, because it hath the name of a certaine regyon of France, whose inhabyters are called Santones. The degree, ontike Worrmwoode is hote in the first and drye in the thirde after Galene, Aetus, and Paulus agineta, but after Mesue it is drye, but in the second degree, but more credence is to be geuene vnto Galene then to mesue, Sea Wormwoode is, as Aegineta writeth hote in the first degree, and drye in the first. Frenche Wormwode is weker then sea Wormwode in breakyng of humours, in hete and drynes, The iuce of Pontyke Wormwode is rekened of all substancyall autores more hote a good dele then the leaues are. The properties of wormwode, Ormwode hath astringent or bindinge together, bytter and byting qualitees, hetinge and scouringe away, strengthning and dryeng. therfore it dryueth furth by the stoole and the vrine also cholerike and gallishe humoures out of the stomack. but it auoideth most chefely the gall or choler, that is in the vrines. Thus writeth Galene: Wormwood maketh one pisse well. dronken with syler mountayne and Frenche spycknarde. It is good for the winde and payne of the stomake, ⁊ the belly. It driueth away lothsummes. The broth that it is soden or steeped in, dronkenne euery date about v. vnces, heleth yͤ Iawndes or gulesoyht. It prouoketh womēs floures, ether taken in, or laid to without with hony. it remedyeth the stranglynge that cometh of eatyng of todestolles, if it be dronken with vinegre. It is good against the poyson of ixia with wyne. Also against homloke, and the bytinge of a shrewe, and the sea dragon. The quyncey maye be heyled with this herbe, if it be anointed with it, and hony and salt peter naturall put together. And so with water, It heleth the watering sores in the corner of the eyes. It is good for the brusynges and darcknes of yͤ eyes with hony. And so it is for the eares, if matter runne out of them. The brothe of Wermwood with his vapor that riseth vp from it, and smoketh vp, helyth the payne of the tethe and the eares. The broth with Maluasy is good to anoynte the akynge eyes with all. With the Ciprine ointment it is good for the long disease of the stomake. with figges, vynegre, and darnelle mele it is good for the dropsy, and the syckenes of milte. Out of Plini, ormwood helpeth digestion, with rue pepper and salt. It taketh awaye rawenes of the stomake. old men of old tyme gaue it to purge with a pynte and a halfe of olde sea water, six drammes of sede. iii. of salt with two vnces of hony and. ii. drammes In the Jawndes it is dronkene with rawe persly or Uenus heyr. It is good for the Clearnes of the syght, it heylyth freshe woundes beforere there come anye water in them. It helyth also the yche or yuke. It is not good for to be taken in an agew. Layd amonge clothes it dryueth the mothes away. The smoke of it, dryueth away gnates or mydges. If the ynke be tēpered with his Iuce it maketh the myse they wylle not eat the paper, that is written with that ynke. The ashes of it with rose oyntment maketh blacke heare. The quantyte out of Mesues, e maye take of the brothe or of the stepyng of Wormode from v. vnces. to viii. of the Iuce, from thre drammes to. iiii. of the powder from. ii. drammes to iii. and so will it make a purgation. But because it worketh but weykly, by it selfe ye maye take it with whay, with Rasynes, the stones taken out, or with roses or fumitory. Sea Wormode is not to be vsed for the ryght Wormwode, for it is noysume vnto the stomake, as Dioscorides and Galene do testyfye. Nether is the common Wormwode to be taken for the ryght, if it maye be had.