An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

[To heal an Impostume.] For an Impostume in the Throat, we take the rind of the Tree Amaranga and bruise it and rub it with green Turmeric, and wrap it up in a Plantane leaf, and bury it in hot ashes, and there let it lye an hour or two till the fire hath well qualified it.  Then the Patient takes it, and keeps chewing it for a day or two swallowing the spittle.  The Virtue of this I my self can testifie being exceedingly ill with a sore Throat, and could not swallow.  By the use of this I was well within a day and a night.

[For a hurt in the Eye.] For a sore or hurt in the eye, they take Oulcande-cole, Goderacole, two herbs, the juyce of each, and womans milk and having mingled them, drop them into the eye.  I had a Thorn of a considerable length run into the gray of my eye, and put me to great pain, the Chingulays advised me to use this means, assuring me how successful it was wont to be; but I was loath to tamper with so tender a place; and thanks be to God, after some days the Thorn fell out of it self.

[To cure the Itch.] It is a speedy Cure of the Itch, to take Coudouro giddi, a fruit of a Tree in form somewhat like a Mussel but bigger.  This fruit they cut in slices and fry it in Coker-nut oyl.  And with this oyl they anoint the body.

[The Caudle for Lying in women.] The ordinary Caudle for Women in Child-bed, is Goraca boyled in water with Pepper and Ginger.  Women in that condition use nothing else.  This [Goraca.] Goraca is a fruit round like an Apple marked with divers creases along the sides of it.  Being ripe it is within and without red like blood, but sower, they use this fruit as we do Lemons and Oranges.  The core is sweet and pleasant, but They regarding it not sling it away.  If you bite this fruit, it sticks to the Teeth like wax or pitch.  But their chief use of it, is to boyl it with other things to make them tast sower.  They gather them at the time of year, and break the cloves assunder by their fingers, for they, if they be pulled, will part at the creases.  And then they lay them in the Sun and dry them, being dryed they look like mens ears.  And so they keep them for their use.  Two or three of these will give a pleasant sower relish unto a large vessel of any liquid thing.  This Goraca is in great use among them.

[Excellent at the cure of Poyson.] As there are in this Countrey very many Poysonous Plants, and Creatures, so the People have excellent skill in the healing thereof.  There is one plant among the rest so strong a venom, that no creature will eat or touch it; and this is the leaf, that the People sometimes carry with them when they go to demand their debts, and threaten their debtors, they will poyson themselves before them, unless they will pay them.  It is called Neiingala, a sprig that springs out of the ground almost like an Hony-suckle, but not so big:  and bears a curious Flower much like an Hony-suckle.

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An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.