Mastick (Askham)

This is the entry for mastick from Askham's Herbal.

Mastike.

Thys Gumme is hote and dry in the seconde degre. It is a Gum of a tree growing in a parte of the countre of Grece, in the later ende of Tiere, the men of that countre slytte the trees, and than make the grounde clene about the trees, or some of the cunnynge too kepe the Gumme from the grounde in chosing of it, to knowe whiche is best to take, the best is whyte and clere and that ye is medled with earthe and somwhat dark is not so good the best Mastyke, hath vertue of constraining, comforting, clensing and lousinge of humours, descendinge fro the heade aboue too the eyes and to the teeth, and for the disease of the temples, made of an ascendinge winde fro the stomack to the head. Take pouder of Mastike, with white swete wine, and the whyte of an egge, and meddell them wel together, and ye will, ye may put in frankensence and plaister it to thy tempels. Also seeth Mastike in water and drinke it, and it wil comfort well the stomack, and make good degestion, and it comforteth and relaxeth the stomake, and put it to [[fenel(Askham)|]] sede, and it putteth out winde out of the stomake, Also a playster made of Mastyke and Boyle Armaniake, and the white of an egge and vinegar, and lay it on the forke of the stomake, or brest, and it wyl constrayne well the colorike vanite. Also seth Mastyke in raine water, and drynke it with warme water, and this medecyne is good for the fluxe of the wombe that commeth of a sharpe laxe that was taken before to stop him. Also boile Mastike in rayne water, or Rose water with two or three cloues and drynke it warme, and that comforteth the vomite or flux of the wombe that commeth of sharpenes and violence of the medecine. Also Mastike must haue lytel boylinge for hurtinge of his vertue, and it shulde be giuen warme, for it constrayneth more whan that it is giuen warme, than whan it is ouer much hote.