The Leaves of the English Vine (I do not intend to send you to the Canaries for a Medicine) being boyled make a good Lotion for sore Mouths, being boyled with Barley Meal into a Pultis, it cools Inflamations of Wounds, the droppings of the Vine when 'tis cut in the spring, which Country people call Tears, being boyled into a Syrup with Sore Mouth, Inflamations, Womens Longing, Stone, Teeth black. Sugar and taken inwardly, is excellent to stay Womens longings after every thing they see, which is a Disease many Women with Child are subject too; the Decoction of Vine Leaves in white Wine doth the like: also the Tears of the Vine drunk, two or three spoonfuls at a time, breaks the Stone in the Bladder: This is a very good Remedy, and it is discreetly done to kill a Vine to cure a Man, but the Salt of the Leaves is held to be better. The Ashes of the burnt Branches will make Teeth that are as black as a coal to be as white as snow if you do but every morning rub them with it."
I was searching for this in order to find out more about coal-black characterizations, because they often get used with other black objects to describe racial bodies. But, bonus, there's this little bit on women's longings that I would have never known otherwise. Is this about a woman craving pickles and ice cream? Sex? Everything?
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