The Description.
1 Of this plant Doronicum, there be sundry kindes. Dodonaeus unproperly calleth it Aconitum Pardalianches, which hath hapned through the negligence of Dioscorides and Theophrastus, who in describing Doronicum, have not onely omitted the floures thereof, but have committed that negligence in many and divers other plants, leaving out in many plants which they have described, the speciall accidents; which hath not a little troubled the study and determination of the best Herbarists of late yeares, not knowing certainly what to determine and set downe in so ambiguous a matter, some taking it one way, and some another, and some esteeming it to be Aconitum. But for the better understanding hereof, know that this word Aconitum, as it is a name attributed to divers plants, so it is to be considered, that all plants called by this name are malignant and venomous, as with the juyce and root where-of such as hunted after wilde and noysome beasts, were woont to embrue and dip their arrowes, the sooner and more surely to dispatch and slay the beast in chase. But for the proofe of the goodnesse of this Doronicum, and the rest of his kinde, know also, That Lobel writeth of one called John de Vroede, who ate very many of the roots at sundry times, and found them very pleasant in tast, and very comfortable. But to leave controversies, circumstances, and objections which here might be brought in and alledged, assure your selves that this plant Doronicum minus Officinarum (whose roots Pena reporteth he found plentifully growing upon the Pede-mountaine hills and certaine high places in France) hath many leaves spred upon the ground, somwhat like Plantaine: among which rise up many tender hairy stalks some handfull and an halfe high, bearing at the top certaine single yellow floures, which when they fade change into downe, and are carried away with the wind. The roots are thick and many, very crookedly crossing and tangling one within another, resembling a Scorpion, and in some yeares do grow in our English gardens into infinite numbers.
The Time.
They floure in the months of June and July.
The Nature and Vertues.
I have sufficiently spoken of that for which I have warrant to write, both touching their natures and vertues; for the matter hath continued so ambiguous and so doubtfull, yea, and so full of controversies, that I dare not commit that to the world which I have read: these few lines therefore shall suffice for this present; the rest which might be said I refer to the great and learned Doctors, and to your owne consideration.
These herbes are mixed with compound medicines that mitigate the paine of the eies, and by reason of his cold quality, being fresh and greene, it helpeth the inflammation or fiery heate of the eyes.
It is reported and affirmed, that it killeth Panthers, Swine, Wolves, and all kinds of wilde beasts, being giving them with flesh, Theophrastus saith, That it killeth Cattell, Sheep, Oxen, and all foure-footed beasts, within the compasse of one day. Yet hee writeth further, That the root being drunke is a remedy against the stinging of Scorpions; which sheweth, that this herbe or the root thereof is not deadly to man, but to divers beasts only: which thing also is found out by triall and manifest experience; for Conrade Gesner (a man in our time singularly learned, and a most diligent searcher of many things) in a certaine Epistle written two Adolphus Occo, sheweth, That he himselfe hath oftentimes inwardly taken the root hereof greene, dry, whole, preserved with hony, and also beaten to pouder; and that even the very same day in which he wrote these things, he had drunke with warme water two drams of the roots made into fine pouder, neither felt he any hurt thereby: and that he oftentimes also had given the same to his sicke Patients, both by it selfe, and also mixed with other things, and that very luckily. Moreover, the Apothecaries in stead of Doronicum doe use (though amisse) the roots thereof without any manifest danger.
That this Aconite killeth dogs, it is very certaine, and found out by triall: which thing Matthiolus could hardly beleeve, but that at length he found it out to be true by a manifest example, as he confesseth in his Commentaries.