Gromwell

The garden gromwel hath various upright, slender, woody hairy stalks, blown and tressed, very little branched, with leaves like the former, and white flowers; after which in rough brown husks, is contained a white hard round seed, shining like pearl, larger than both the former; the root is line the first.

The great and the small gromwell grow wild in barren or untilled places, and by the way-sides. The last is cultivated in gardens.

The greater gromwel grows up with slender and hard hairy stalks, trailing and taking root in the ground, and is parted into many other small branches, with hairy dark green leaves thereon. At the joints with the leaves come forth very small blue flowers, and after them hard stony roundish seed. The root is long and woody, and perennial. The smaller wild gromwel has several upright hard branched stalks, two or three feet high, full of joints, at every one of which grow small, long, hard, and rough leaves like the former, but less; with small white flowers, and after them greyish round seed like the former, the root is not large, but has many fibres.

The seed powdered and taken in barley water, is excellent to dissolve the stone, and to remove gravel from the kidneys. It must therefore be very diuretic, powerfully promoting urine. The herb itself (when the seed is not to be had) either boiled, or the juice thereof drank, is effectual, but not so powerful as the seed.