as a thing that Fernelius much laboured in his French
practice, to reduce all his cure to our proper and domestic physic; so did
[4117]Janus Cornarius, and Martin Rulandus in Germany. T. B. with us, as
appeareth by a treatise of his divulged in our tongue 1615, to prove the
sufficiency of English medicines, to the cure of all manner of diseases. If
our simples be not altogether of such force, or so apposite, it may be, if
like industry were used, those far fetched drugs would prosper as well with
us, as in those countries whence now we have them, as well as cherries,
artichokes, tobacco, and many such. There have been diverse worthy
physicians, which have tried excellent conclusions in this kind, and many
diligent, painful apothecaries, as Gesner, Besler, Gerard, &c., but amongst
the rest those famous public gardens of Padua in Italy, Nuremberg in
Germany, Leyden in Holland, Montpelier in France, (and ours in Oxford now
in _fieri_, at the cost and charges for the Right Honourable the Lord
Danvers Earl of Danby) are much to be commended, wherein all exotic plants
almost are to be seen, and liberal allowance yearly made for their better
maintenance, that young students may be the sooner informed in the
knowledge of them: which as [4118]Fuchsius holds, "is most necessary for
that exquisite manner of curing," and as great a shame for a physician not
to observe them, as for a workman not to know his axe, saw, square, or any
other tool which he must of necessity use.

SUBSECT. III.--_Alteratives, Herbs, other Vegetables, &c._

Amongst these 800 simples, which Galeottus reckons up, _lib. 3. de promise,
doctor, cap. 3_, and many exquisite herbalists have written of, these few
following alone I find appropriated to this humour: of which some be
alteratives; [4119]"which by a secret force," saith Renodeus, "and special
quality expel future diseases, perfectly cure those which are, and many
such incurable effects." This is as well observed in other plants, stones,
minerals, and creatures, as in herbs, in other maladies as in this. How
many things are related of a man's skull? What several virtues of corns in
a horse-leg, [4120]of a wolf's liver, &c. Of [4121]diverse excrements of
beasts, all good against several diseases? What extraordinary virtues are
ascribed unto plants? [4122]_Satyrium et eruca penem erigunt, vitex et
nymphea semen extinguunt_, [4123]some herbs provoke lust, some again, as
agnus castus, water-lily, quite exti