lusty trunchions; much like the willow, and (as I have
seen them maintain'd) laid with great curiosity, and far excelling those
extravagant plantations of them about London, where the lops are
permitted to grow without due and skilful laying. There is a sort of
elder which has hardly any pith; this makes exceeding stout fences, and
the timber very useful for cogs of mills, butchers skewers, and such
tough employments. Old trees do in time become firm, and close up the
hollowness to an almost invisible pith. But if the medicinal properties
of the leaves, bark, berries, &c. were throughly known, I cannot tell
what our countrey-man could ail, for which he might not fetch a remedy
from every hedge, either for sickness or wound: The inner bark of elder,
apply'd to any burning, takes out the fire immediately; that, or, in
season, the buds, boil'd in water-grewel for a break-fast, has effected
wonders in a fever; and the decoction is admirable to asswage
inflammations and tetrous humours, and especially the scorbut: But an
extract, or _theriaca_ may be compos'd of the berries, which is not only
efficacious to eradicate this epidemical inconvenience, and greatly to
assist longaevity; (so famous is the story of Neander) but is a kind of
_catholicon_ against all infirmities whatever; and of the same berries
is made an incomparable spirit, which drunk by it self, or mingled with
wine, is not only an excellent drink, but admirable in the dropsie: In a
word, the water of the leaves and berries is approved in the dropsie,
every part of the tree being useful, as may be seen at large in
Blockwitzius's _anatomy_ thereof. The ointment made with the young buds,
and leaves in May with butter, is most sovereign for aches, shrunk
sinews, haemorrhoids, &c. and the flowers macerated in vinegar, not only
are of a grateful relish, but good to attenuate and cut raw and gross
humours. Lastly, the _fungus_ (which we call Jews-ears) decocted in
milk, or macerated in vinegar, is of known effect in the angina and
sores of the throat. And less than this could I not say (with the leave
of the charitable physician) to gratifie our poor wood-man; and yet when
I have said all this, I do by no means commend the scent of it, which is
very noxious to the air, and therefore, though I do not undertake that
all things which sweeten the air, are salubrious, nor all ill savours
pernicious; yet, as not for its beauty, so neither for its smell, would
I plant elder, n