Chap. 024. Of Yellow Archangel.

I. The Names. It is called in Greek, Λαμιον Χλωοζν: In Latin, Lamium Luteum, Urtica iners lutea, Urtica mortua lutea; and in English, Yellow Archangel, or Dead Nettle.

II. The Kinds. It is the third and last Kind of the Archangels or Dead Nettles. (Lamiastrum galeobdolon. -Henriette.)

III. The Description. The Roots hereof are much like to those of the White, but are not observed to creep so much under ground as they: from whence rises up square hoary Stalks, and large green dented Leaves, very much like the White Archangel, but that the Stalks are more straight and upright, not bending downwards; and the Joints, with their Leaves, are further asunder; and the Leaves are something longer than the former. The flowers also are larger, and more gaping, growing in Rundles about the Stalk, of a fair Yellow or Golden Colour in most, and in some more faint, exactly of the shape of those of the White Archangel, but gaping wider. After the flowers follow the Seed in the same Husk, little or nothing differing from that of the White.

IV. The Places. It grows usually in Woods, and wet Grounds in Woods, and sometimes in dryer places, in divers Countries of our Land: Gerard found it under the Hedge on the Left Hand, as you go from Hamstead near London, to the Church, and in the Wood thereby, as also in many other Copses about Lee in Essex; near Watford and Bushy in Middlesex, and in the Woods belonging to the then Lord Cobham in Kent.

V. The Times. It Flowers from the beginning of May, and all June and July, and the Seed ripens gradually in the mean season.

VI. The Qualities. It is hot and dry in the second Degree: Attenuating, or making thin, Discussive, Resolutive, Vulnerary, and Alterative: and is appropriate to the Head, Stomach, Liver, Spleen, Womb and Joints.

VII. The Specification. It is observed to be a more peculiar Vulnerary than any of the other kinds.

VIII. The Preparations. You may prepare from it:
1. A Pouder from the Seed.
2. A Conserve of the Flowers.
3. A Distilled Water of the whole Plant.
4. A Decoction in Wine, or Wine and Water.
5. A Juice from the Plant.
6. An Essence of the whole Plant.
7. A Spirituous Tincture,
8. A Saline Tincture.
9. An Oily Tincture.
10. An Oil for External Uses.
11. An Ointment.
12. A Cerote or Emplaster.
13. A Cataplasm.
14. A Balsam.

The Virtues.

IX. This has all the Virtues both of the Red and White aforegoing, and much of the same strength and goodness; and therefore as to the Uses of the various Preparations thereof, we shall wholly refer you to what we have said of the like Preparations of the Red, in Chap. 22. from Sect. 14. to Sect. 26. Yet this we have to say in relation to the Flowers, that as they strengthen the Womb very much, so they have a peculiar property against both Reds, and Whites, which yet may be made more powerful by compounding the Conserve of it, according to the following Prescript.

X. The Conserve. ℞ Take of the simple Conserve 20 ounces: Turpentine boiled in Water, till it will Pouder, v. ounces: fine Pouder of Catechu ij. ounces and half; mix them. Dose from iij. drams to vj. drams, Morning, Noon and Night, for some time, taking the Essence also inwardly: A Spirituous Tincture of the dried Flowers, taken from j. dram to ij. drams, does also the same thing.

XI. The Balsam. It heals green Wounds, cleanses old Ulcers and Fistula's, obtunds their Malignity, and stops their fretting, corroding, and spreading, especially where they are Inveterate, very Filthy, and Corrupt, and where Fistula's are Cavernous, with many crooked Windings in them: First wash them with the Essence, by injecting it in Blood-warm; then inject into the hollowness, some of this Balsam melted, and lay a Pledgit dipt in the same over the Mouth thereof, and over all the Cerote or Emplaster; letting the Patient also, in the mean time, take the said Essence inwardly twice or thrice a day, as the manner is in wounded Persons, so you will find a wonderful and sudden Cure. This for a Vulnerary use is much more powerful than any of the other Archangels.

Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
This chapter has been proofread by Peppercat.