The Kindes.
There be divers sorts of Wolfs-banes, whereof some bring forth flours of a yellow color, others of a blew or tending to purple: among the yellow ones there are some greater, others lesser; some with broader leaves, and others with narrower.
The Description.
THe first kinde of Aconite, of some called Thora, others adde thereto the place where it groweth in great aboundance, which is the Alps, and call it Thora Valdensium. This plant tooke his name of the Greeke word signifying corruption, poison, or death, which are the certaine effects of this pernitious plant: for this they use very much in poison, and when they mean to infect their arrow heads, the more speedily and deadly to dispatch the wilde beasts which greatly annoy those Mountaines of the Alpes. To which purpose also it is brought into the Mart townes neere those places, to be sold unto the hunters, the juyce thereof being prepared by pressing forth, and so kept in hornes and hoofes of beasts for the most speedy poyson of the Aconites: for an arrow touched therewith leaves the wound uncurable (if it but fetch bloud where it entred in) unlesse that round about the wound the flesh bee speedily cut away in great quantitie: this plant therefore may rightly be accounted as first and chiefe of those called Sagittaries or Aconites, by reason of the malignant qualities aforesaid. This that hath beene sayd, argueth also that Matthiolus hath unproperly called it Pseudoaconitum, that is, false or bastard Aconite; for without question there is no worse or more speedievenome in the world, nor no Aconite or toxible plant comparable hereunto. And yet let us consider the fatherly care and providence of God, who hath provided a conquerour and triumpher over this plant so venomous, namely his Antigonist, Antithora, or to speake in shorter and fewer syllables, Anthora, which is the very antidote or remedie against this kinde of Aconite.
The Place.
These venomous plants do grow on the Alpes, and the mountaines of Savoy and Switzerland: the first growes plentifully in the countrey of the Valdens, who inhabite part of those mountains towards Italy. The other is found on Baldus, a mountaine of Italy. They are strangers in England.
The Vertues.
The force of these Wolfes-banes, is most pernitious and poison-some, and (as it is reported) exceedeth the malice of Napellus, or any of the other Wolfes-banes, as we have said.
They say that it is of such force, that if a man especially, and then next any foure footed beast be wounded with an arrow or other instrument dipped in the juice hereof, they die within halfe an houre after remedilesse.