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

LEECH BOOK. I, 23
shall one first in the early disease let blood from a
vein ;
after that shall be administered a wort drink,
and the sore places shall be cm-ed. If the disease be
caused by mickle heat, then shall one cure it with
cold leechdoms ; if it cometh of cold causes, then shall
one cure it with hot leechdoms, of either shall advantage
be taken, and they shall be mixed, into a imAxturc
that may heal the body and have an austere efficacy
in it. It is well for him that one should drip for him
in his ear oil made lukewarm with " other " good
worts.
14. For broken head, take betony,' bruise it and lay
it on the head above, then it unites the wound and
healeth it. Again for the same, take garden cress,^
that which waxeth of itself and is not sown,'^ introduce
it into the nose^ that the smell and the juice
may get to the head.
15. For the same again, take wallflower'^ and
attorlothe'' and pellitory and wood marche^ and
brownwort^ and betony, form all the worts into a
wort drink, and mix therewith the small cleaver^ and
centaury^'' and waybroad,^^ of all most especially
betony, and if the brain be exposed, take the yolk
of an egg and mix a little with honey and fill the
wound and swathe up with tow, and so let it alone ;
and again after about three days syringe the wound,
and if the hale sound part^~ will have a red ringabout
the wound, know thou then that thou mayest
not heal it. For the same, take woodrofie and wood-
Book I.
Ch. i.
'
Betonica officinalis.
- Lepidium sativum.
^ Self sown ; but a garden cress
still.
' "Eppivov, therefore ; but these
were used like cephalic snuff ; and
never for broken head. See Nicolaos
Myreps. xv.
* Cheiranthus cheiri.
" See Herbarium, xlv., to which
assent is not easily given.
' Apium graveolena.
* Scrophularia aquatica: see Herb.
Ivii.
" Galium aparine.
'" Erythrma centaureum.
" Plantago maior.
'- The sense of )e]i|je is doubtful ;
but see glossary.