THE Oak is a Tree known to all the World, as well because of its durableness, as for the different Uses made of it. This Tree was for its Virtue, Strength, Firmness and Duration, by the Ancients dedicated to Jupiter. Some pretend that this Tree is a mortal Enemy to the Olive and the Walnut Tree; so that neither of them can live near it.
The first Thing and the most considerable we have from the Oak is the Misseltoe, which is an excrescence that is found clinging to the Top of the said Tree. This Production appears extraordinary, in that the Oaks do not produce the Misseltoe in all places: There is little that I know like that, which is met with betwixt Rome and Loretto; especially near a little Village nam'd Foligni, which is about the Mid-way. This Excrescence resembles the Branches of Trees, and is of a solid, heavy Substance, of a reddish brown outwardly, and of a yellowish white within, where is found a Sort of Turnsol.
The Branches that are so hard and compact, bear several little Sprigs which intermingle with each other, and from whence arise a great many longish, thick leaves, that are semi-circular, of a pale green, and bear little whitish Berries, altogether resembling our little white Currans, and these Berries contain a viscous Humour which the Antients us'd to make Glue of. The Misseltoe furnish'd with its Leaves continues always green during the Time it remains upon the Tree. Chuse the largest, heaviest, and best fed: You may know if it be true by the deep Colour, and the Turnsol that is within, but the surest Way is to see that some Part of the Oak hangs to it. They attribute a great many Virtues to the Misseltoe of the Oak, and the Antients revered it, and held it sacred as well as the Tree itself. Julius Caesar and Pliny say, that the Druids assembled themselves under these Trees to perform their Devotion: There being a Country we call at this Day the Druids Town near Chartres where it may be seen that the Oak bears the Misseltoe in France.
This Misseltoe taken inwardly, is esteem'd an excellent Remedy against the Palsy, Apoplexy and falling Sickness. Because of its extraordinary fine Virtues, which wou'd be too many to enumerate; the Italians treat of it very largely under the Name of the Wood of the Holy Cross.
The second Thing we have from the Oak, is a little Plant we call Polypody of the Oak, which is like what we have from Walls. This Sort of Plant grows from Places where the Branches of the Oak are forked, by means of some small Earth that lights there, and the Water which drops upon it: It grows likewise upon the Stump of the said Tree. We rarely use this Polypody, because it is not so proper, since that is much better which grows upon old Walls, which is the Sort that is brought to us about Paris. Chuse such as is new, plump, dry, brittle, of a reddish, tawny Colour on the outside, and greenish within; the Taste being sweet and Sugar-like, inclining something to a Liquorice Taste.
Quercus vulgaris, the common Oak, is a thick, strait, durable Tree, spreading its Branches wide. The Trunk is cover'd with a thick rugged Bark; the Leaves are large, longish, and broad, deep slash'd or indented, hanging upon short Stalks: The Flowers are in long Shells or Husks, compos'd of little Threads hanging upon one another by a fine Fibre or String; These Husks leave no Fruit behind them, the Fruit growing in different Parts, which are the Acorns; that are about the Size of the Olive, of an Oval or cylindrical Figure, tied at that End that is towards the Tree; each being contain'd in a hard grey Cup, call'd in Latin, Cupula seu Calyx. This Acorn is cover'd with a hard Rind, that is smooth and shining; green at first, but yellowish as it grows riper: Within this Rind we meet with a Sort of a Kernel, or hard fleshy Seed, compos'd of two Lobes. The Acorns hang upon the Tree by long or short slender Stalks, and their Taste is astringent.
All the Parts of the Oak contain in them a good deal of Oil and essential Salt. The Leaves and Bark of the Oak are astringent, resolving, proper in the Sciatica, Gout and Rheumatisms, being us'd in hot Fomentations; they stop Fluxes of the Belly and Hemorrhages, being taken in Decoction. The Acorn, call'd in Latin Glans Quercina, is likewise imploy'd in Medicine; chuse such as are large and plump, separated from the Rind, and dry'd gently; but take care of Worms, to which they are subject, let 'em be reduc'd to Powder before using; they are astringent, and proper to appease Wind-Colicks, and the Fluxes of Women newly delivered.
Polypodium, or common Polypody, hath a Root taking a very slight and superficial Hold of the Earth. It is pithy and brittle, about the third Part of an Inch thick. Within it is of a pale green Colour, but outwardly a little reddish, and cover'd over with fine thin Scales when it is fresh and green; but being dry, it becomes of a more red Colour. It is knotty, or full of round Knobs, and adorn'd with several small Filaments like Hairs. Its Pith is sweetish, with somewhat of a sharp, austere, or styptick Taste. The Leaves spring out of the Knots or hollow Knobs of the Roots. They are single, about nine Inches in Length, and parted into several Jags or Scollops, cut close into the Ribs. They are sharp-pointed, of a light green Colour, and growing alternately opposite to one another. It bears no Flowers, but there arise several small Knobs like Blisters, upon the lower or under Part of the uppermost Jags of the Leaves, rank'd in a double Order. They are round, and about the sixth Part of an Inch thick, consisting of a fine Dust, that is first a little yellowish, and turns of a bright golden Colour. Every Grain of this Dust is a Sort of small Coffin, or Seed-Vessel, being of a round Figure, and membranous, which, when ripe, breaks into two equal Parts, and pours forth several Seeds so small, that they can scarcely be discerned by the naked Eye.
Polypody grows upon Rocks, old Walls, and antient decay'd Trees; but that which grows upon old Oaks is reckon'd the best; upon which account Polypody of the Oak is commonly prescribed, and is rank'd among the purging Medicines. Yet Dodonaeus denies its cathartick Quality; neither ought we to dissemble the Matter, for the Decoction of it scarcely moves the Belly, but the Powder of it does something, being given from one Dram to two Drams.
This Root contains a great deal of Oil, and no small Quantity of an acid Flegm; but this is, as it were, suffocated by the Oil, which is the Cause that it produces no Alteration of Colour on the blue Paper, when it is dipp'd in the Infusion of it. There is likewise a large Quantity of Earth extracted from Polypody by a chymical Resolution. 'Tis from this Earth that its styptick and brackish Taste proceeds. The Roots are very properly administer'd in all Distempers proceeding from a saltish Disposition of the Blood; such as the Scurvy, Rickets, and Hypochondriack Passions. They also help to abate an inveterate Cough, when it is attended with a saltish Spittle. They are prescrib'd in Potions and Apozems, from one Ounce to two.
Take of Polypody of the Oak two Ounces, Salt of Prunella one Dram; infuse them in a Quart of warm Water; strain it: To be taken by Cupfuls or Spoonfuls, as an Apozem. Or take Polypody of the Oak one Ounce and half; Elecampane-Roots three Ounces; infuse them all Night in a Quart of warm Water; in the strain'd Liquor add two Ounces of Calabrian Manna; mix and make a Ptisan to be drank. Take of the Decoction of Polypody Roots six Ounces; in which infuse two Drams of Sena Leaves; in the strain'd Liquor dissolve the Electuary of Diacarthamum three Drams; mix and make a purging Potion. Polypody Roots are us'd in the catholick Electuary, the lenitive Electuary, the Confection of Hamech, the Panchymagog Extract of Hartman; Quercetan's Pills of Tartar, and in the Hiera of Coloquintida.