Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries
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              <pb o="105" file="0139" n="139" rhead="Century V."/>
            there are Theriacel Herbs; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4586" xml:space="preserve">and that without vertue, from thoſe that fed in
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            the Valleys, where no ſuch Herbs are. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4587" xml:space="preserve">Thus far I am of opinion, that as
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            ſteeped Wines and Beers are very Medici@al, and likewiſe Bread tempered
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            with divers powders; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4588" xml:space="preserve">ſo of Meat alſo, (as Flesh, Fish, Milk, and Eggs) that
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            they may be made of great uſe for Medicine and Diet, if the Beaſt, Fowl,
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            or Fish, be fed with a ſpecial kinde of food, fit for the diſeaſe. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4589" xml:space="preserve">It were a dan-
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            gerous thing alſo for ſecret empoyſonments. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4590" xml:space="preserve">But whether it may be ap-
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            plied unto Plants, and Herbs, I doubt more, becauſe the nouriſhment of
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            them is a more common Juyce; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4591" xml:space="preserve">which is hardly capable of any ſpecial
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            quality until the Plant do aſſimilate it.</s>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s4593" xml:space="preserve">But leſt our incredulity may prejudice any profitable operations in
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0139-01" xlink:href="note-0139-01a" xml:space="preserve">500.</note>
            this kinde (eſpecially ſince many of the Ancients have ſet them down) we
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            think good briefly to p@opound the four Means, which they have deviſed of
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            making Plants Medicinable. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4594" xml:space="preserve">The firſt is by ſlitting of the Root, and infuſing
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            into it the Medicine, as Hellebore, Opium, Scammomy, Triacle &</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4595" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4596" xml:space="preserve">and then
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            binding it up again. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4597" xml:space="preserve">This ſeemeth to me the leaſt probable, becauſe the Root
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            draweth immediately from the Earth, and ſo the nouriſhment is the more
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            common and leſs qualified; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4598" xml:space="preserve">and beſides, it is a long time in going up, ere
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            it come to the Fruit. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4599" xml:space="preserve">The ſecond way is, to perforate the Body of the Tree,
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            and there to infuſe the Medicine, it hath the leſs way, and the leſs time to go
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            up. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4600" xml:space="preserve">The third is, the ſteeping of the Seed or Kernel in ſome Liquor
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            wherein the Medicine is infuſed; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4601" xml:space="preserve">which I have little opinion of, becauſe
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            the Seed (I doubt) will not draw the parts of the matter which have the
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            propriety; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4602" xml:space="preserve">but it will be far the more likely, if you mingle the Medicine
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            with Dung, for that the Seed, naturally drawing the moiſture of the Dung,
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            may call in withal ſome of the propriety. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4603" xml:space="preserve">The fourth is, the Watering of
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            the Plant oft, with an infuſion of the Medicine. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4604" xml:space="preserve">This, in one reſpect may
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            have more force than the reſt, becauſe the Medication is oft renewed,
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            whereas the reſt are applied, but at one time; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4605" xml:space="preserve">and therefore the vertue may
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            the ſooner vaniſh. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4606" xml:space="preserve">But ſtill I doubt, that the Root is ſomewhat too ſtubborn
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            to receive thoſe fine Impreſſions; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4607" xml:space="preserve">and beſides (as I have ſaid before) they
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            have a great Hill to go up. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4608" xml:space="preserve">I judge therefore the likelieſt way to be the
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            perforation of the Body of the Tree, in ſeveral places, one above the other,
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            and the filling of the Holes with Dung mingled with the Medicine. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4609" xml:space="preserve">And
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            the Watring of thoſe Lumps of Dung, with Squirts of an Infuſion of the
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            Medicine in dunged Water, once in three or four days.</s>
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