Part 22

Knot Berry, or Clowde Berry, seldom ripe.

Sumach, differing from all that I did ever see in the Herbalists; our English Cattle devour it most abominably, leaving neither Leaf nor Branch, yet it sprouts again next Spring.

For Colds.

The English use to boyl it in Beer, and drink it for Colds; and so do the Indians, from whom the English had the Medicine.

Wild Cherry, they grow in clusters like {61} Grapes, of the same bigness, blackish, red when ripe, and of a harsh taste.

For Fluxes.

They are also good for Fluxes.

Transplanted and manured, they grow exceeding fair.

Board Pine, is a very large Tree two or three Fathom about.

For Wounds.

It yields a very soveraign Turpentine for the Curing of desperate Wounds.

For Stabbs.

The Indians make use of the Moss boiled in Spring Water, for Stabbs, pouring in the Liquor, and applying the boiled Moss well stamp’d or beaten betwixt two stones.

For Burning and Scalding.

And for Burning and Scalding, they first take out the fire with a strong decoction of Alder Bark, then they lay upon it a Playster of the bark of Board Pine first boyled tender, and beat to a Playster betwixt two stones.

To take Fire out of a Burn.

One Christopher Luxe, a Fisher-man, having burnt his Knee Pan, was healed {62} again by an Indian Webb, or Wife, (for so they call those Women that have Husbands;) She first made a strong decoction of Alder bark, with which she took out the Fire by Imbrocation, or letting of it drop upon the Sore, which would smoak notably with it; then she Playstered it with the Bark of Board Pine, or Hemlock Tree, boyled soft and stampt betwixt two stones, till it was as thin as brown Paper, and of the same Colour, she annointed the Playster with Soyles Oyl, and the Sore likewise, then she laid it on warm, and sometimes she made use of the bark of the Larch Tree.

To eat out proud Flesh in a Sore.

And to eat out the proud Flesh, they take a kind of Earth Nut boyled and stamped, and last of all, they apply to the Sore the Roots of Water Lillies boiled and stamped betwixt two stones, to a Playster.

For Stitches.

The Firr Tree, or Pitch Tree, the Tar that is made of all sorts of Pitch Wood is an excellent thing to take away those desperate Stitches of the Sides, which perpetually afflicteth those poor People that are {63} stricken with the Plague of the Back.

Note, You must make a large Toast, or Cake slit and dip it in the Tar, and bind it warm to the Side.

The most common Diseases in New England.

The Black Pox, the Spotted Feaver, the Griping of the Guts, the Dropsie, and the Sciatica, are the killing Diseases in New-England.

The Larch Tree, which is the only Tree of all the Pines, that sheds his Leaves before Winter; The other remaining Green all the Year: This is the Tree from which we gather that useful purging excrense, Agarick.

For Wounds and Cuts.

The Leaves and Gum are both very good to heal Wounds and Cuts.

For Wounds with Bruises.