Leechdoms, wortcunning, and starcraft of early England. Being a ...

LEECH HOOK. If. 179
Naught is better for Lini than that he take those ^^°^ ^}-
which digest late, and are notwithstanding not purgative
; let him eat at undern, or nine o^cloek, loaf bread
broken into hot water, or apples peeled. There is also
good support in good wort drinks, as leeches work
them, of vinegar, and of fennels roots, and of its rind,
and of aloes, and of dumbledores^ honey; mix that up
and administer a spoonful of it or two, then that
maketh the wamb nesh and firm ; and it is efiicacious
against breast wark, and heart disease,
and epilepsy, and
in case that a man be filled with inflainmatory humour
in the maw, and that is valid against many disorders
which come of surfeit and of various evil
humours. If they are come of surfeit with spewing, by
that remedy shall they be lessened. If however they
come of other bitter and evil humours, which work
inflammations, then are the latter to be stilled till that
they become less strong ; chiefly if the humours be
thick
and rather slippery.^
2. Of wamb disease, or if the evil humours come
from the wamb alone and do not overrun the whole
body, that case shall be treated with healing meats
alone. If moreover the evil humour from the wamb
overrunneth the whole body, this shall be dealt with
by means of the stronger remedies :
at whiles one shall
let him blood from a vein, if there seems to be too
much of the blood and of the evil humour, and also
give a wort drink ; but he shall first be let blood
and after that have the wort drink given him.
11.
1. For a sore and swollen maw ; take oil, and put
mastic, and dill, and southern wormwood into the oil,
'
Attic.
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