SAlsaparilla is the long Filaments, or fibrous Parts of a Root, the Plant whereof runs upon Walls, Hedges, Trees, &c. with long, strait, pointed Leaves, of a green Colour, fill'd with cross Strings or Fibres: At the Bottom of the Leaves grow little Filaments, like Hands to catch hold of Trees, just as the Virgin Vine does: On the Tops of the Branches arise little white Flowers like Stars, from whence comes a small red Fruit, of a sharpish Taste. This Plant grows plentifully in New Spain, and in Peru, the East-Indies as well as the West, and delights exceedingly in wet and marshy Grounds.
Some will needs have it, that this Salsaparilla, is the same Plant which is very common in France, and call'd Smilax aspera major, the large prickly Bindweed, or Smilax, as it is called sometimes, from the Name of a Child, which Ovid, in his Metamorphoses, says was chang'd into this Plant. There are two Sorts of Salsaparilla sold, viz. the Indian Salsaparilla of Spain, and the bigger Salsaparilla of Marignan, or Marahan. The finest and best of the two, is that of Spain, which has long stringy Roots, the Thickness of a Goose-Quill, greyish without, and white within, attended with two Streaks, reddish within, easy to break in two, and when it is broke, is free from being worm-eaten; and being boil'd, tinges the Water of a reddish Colour. Reject such as is moist, extremely small, full of Fibres; and likewise a Sort of Salsaparilla, from Holland, in little Bunches, cut at both Ends. Some will have it that the Salsaparilla, reddish on the Outside, and ty'd up in long Bunches, which comes by the Way of Marseilles, is not so good as the other; but, for my Part, I can affirm, I never could find any Difference betwixt that and the true Spanish Salsaparilla: Yet the large Bastard Salsaparilla, or that of Marignan, ought absolutely to be rejected, which some call falsely Muscovy Salsaparilla, which is fitter for lighting of Fires than to be us'd in Physick. The Use of this Root is much for Ptisans, or Diet-drinks, for curing the Venereal Disease, and making such lean as are too fat.
Sarsaparilla, or Salsaparilla, is a very long Root, like a small Cord, which is brought from new Spain in Collars, or long Bundles of fibrous Branches, the Thickness of a writing Quill. This is the Smilax, or Bindweed, call'd Smilax Aspera Peruana, five Salsaparilla. The Stalk is long, serpentine, woody, prickly, yielding, and climbing like the Vine upon every Shrub or Tree. The Flowers, which are of a white Colour, at last produce Berries, which are round and fleshy like small Cherries, green at first, a little reddish, and at last black, which contain in them one or two stony Nuts, of a whitish yellow, in which is a Seed, or white hard Almond. The best Salsaparilla, is that which is round, full, apt to break, when beat together, mealy, and white within; that which is shrivell'd, lean, tough, and not mealy, being nothing near so good. There is some which comes from Jamaica, and other Parts, but that is tough, not mealy, and so not of equal Value with the Spanish. Our Merchants bring another Sort, which they call Marignan Salsaparilla, which is larger and grosser than that of Peru, and nothing nigh so good. It is called Salsaparilla, which is as much as to say, in the Indian Tongue, a Plant made up of the Vine and Bramble. This Root is sudorifick, alexipharmick, and a great Alcali. Its chief Use is against the French Pox and its Symptoms, the King's-Evil, Rheumatisms, Catarrhs, Gouts, and all Diseases proceeding from them, taken in a Powder from a Dram to two Drams.