CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

BLIGHTS

Description. Of these there are two sorts commonly known, viz. white and red. The white hath leaves somewhat like unto beets, but smaller, rounder, and of a whitish green colour, every one standing upon a small long footstalk: the stalk riseth up two or three feet high, with such like leaves thereon; the flowers grow at the top in long round tufts or clusters, wherein are contained small and round seeds; the root is very full of threads or strings.

The red blight is in all things like the white, but that its leaves and tufted heads are exceeding red at first, and afterwards turn more purple.

There are other kinds of blights which grow wild, differing from the two former sorts but little, only the wild are smaller in every part.

Place. They grow in gardens, and wild in many places in this land.

Time. They seed in August and September.

Government and virtues. They are all of them cooling, drying, and binding, serving to restrain the fluxes of blood in either man or woman, especially the red; which also stayeth the overflowing of women's reds, as the white blight stayeth the whites, in women. It is an excellent secret, you cannot well fail in the use: they are all under the dominion of Venus.

There is another sort of wild blight, somewhat like the other wild kinds, but have long and spiked heads of greenish seed, seeming by the thick setting together to be all seed. This sort the fishes are delighted with, and it is a good and useful bait.