The Description.
1 Garden Teasell is also of the number of the Thistles; it bringeth forth a stalke that is straight, very long, jointed, and ful of prickles: the leaves grow forth of the joynts by couples, not onely opposite or set one right against another, but also compassing the stalke about, and fastened together; and so fastened, that they hold dew and raine water in manner of a little bason: these be long, of a light greene colour, and like to those of Lettice, but full of prickles in the edges, and have on the outside all alongst the ridge stiffer prickles: on the tops of the stalkes stand heads with sharpe prickles like those of the Hedge-hog, and crooking backward at the point like hookes: out of which heads grow little floures: The seed is like Fennell-seed, and in taste bitter: the heads wax white when they grow old, and there are found in the midst of them when they are cut, certaine little magots: the root is white, and of a meane length.
The Place.
The first called the tame Teasell is sowne in this country in gardens, to serve the use of Fullers and Clothworkers.
The Time.
These floure for the most part in June and July.
The Names.
Teasell is called in Latine, Dipsacus, and Laver Lavacrum, of the forme of the leaves made up in fashion of a bason, which is never without water: in English, Teasell, Carde Teasell, and Venus bason.
The Vertues.
There is small use of Teasell in medicines: the heads (as we have said) are used to dresse woollen cloth with.
It is needlesse here to alledge those things that are added touching the little wormes or magots found in the heads of the Teasell, and which are to be hanged about the necke, or to mention the like thing that Pliny reporteth of Galedragon: for they are nothing else but most vaine and trifling toies, as my selfe have proved a little before the impression hereof, having a most grievous ague, and of long continuance: notwithstanding Physicke charmes, these worms hanged about my neck, spiders put into a walnut shell, and divers such foolish toies that I was constrained to take by fantasticke peoples procurement; notwithstanding, I say, my helpe came from God himselfe, for these medicines and all other such things did me no good at all.