The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

Book II. Roydl Commentarieí. fuong and hard rerums, which fortified the Teeth clofer and better than befote. t have feveral times feen chis proved, an d be ing willing, rhough without neceflity; to tr'y it on my felf, I wás fo fcalded at fu.íl :, that 1 had not the refolution afrer- \Vards i:o perfeél: the Expériment. .. 41 The herb, or plant, which che Spaniards call Tobacco, and che Jndians Sayri, is of admirable ufe in rnany Difeafes amongH: them, particularly being taken at che. Noftrils in fnuff, fe¡ves to purge che Head, and che othh qualit~es and ver~~s of ic, are well known and efl:eemed in Spain, fo that chey give it che name of Yerva. fanfla, or che holy Herb. They had alfo che knowledge of anorher Herb, of án excellent qualicy for che Eyes, called Matecclu, ic hath bue one fl:alk , and cha.e is covered with a fingle Leaf, and no more, and js like thac which they call in Spain . Abbats Ears, and grows in winrer upon * che roofs of houfes; che l ndians eac it "' Perhaps ic taw, havinga pleafanr reliíh ~ when itis bruifed they fpirt fome of rI:e juice.lnto che may beafort Eyes, and at ni~ht? w~en they go. to bed; they lay of ch: herb, ~emg bru1fe9, ~n of Howkeki the Eye- lids, bmdmg it on; left 1c íhould fall off; and m one mghts fpace it d1f- cu!fes al! rnaccer, and difperfes chofe mifts which obfcure che Eyes, and offend the figbt. . · . í my felf have laid it on che Eye of a Yout h, w hich was fo fwelled ·and infla- tned, that it was frarted out of his Head; che fu.íl: night I applied ic che Eye re~ ¡. turned again to its place" and thé fecohd time it w as perfeótly cured; and che Youth hach lince cold me, chat he fees becter with chat Eye cha'n che other; and a Spapiard confidently aífured me, chat he knew one, who being abfolutely blin· ded by a film or skin which covered bis Eyes, had. by the mere application of this herb for two nights onely_, recovered his light. Thofe who had received chis benefit by ir, did afterw árds kifs che herb with great affeél:ion, rendring thanks to Alrnight)'. God, that he w.as pleafed to befiow _focha foverei~n and bleífed vir- tue on th1s herb, fot th e goo d arid ufe of Mankind. The Indzans, who were my Rela:tions, ufed divers óther herbs, but the names and qualities of them I canno~ temember. The Indian Kings did never attain to the ,knowledge of compounded, but oneJ ly of !imple Medicines, and feeing that' irt fo neceffary a .íl:udy, as chat which con• duces to the confervation of health, they made fo litde a prü'grefs; how can ic be expeél:ed in matters lefs important and ufefull, füch as Natural Philofophy and Aíl:rology, they íhould make any confiderable irnprovernent? much lefs can we fuppofe chem skilfull in Divinity, who being wholly guided by fenlible objeél:s, were never able to raife cheir lntelleél:s to invilible and immacerial Beings, more than what theit lncM had taught them, and·included in chac word of Pachacamac, which lignifies che Maker of chis Univerfe. Since which time the , Spaniard1 have improved their Phyfical Science to a higher degree, having difcovered che fecret virtues of many herbs growing in that hót Climate; of which the Jndians were ignorant; and particularly that the M'!)'z, which i s Indian Wheat, and of a fubfl:ancial nutriment, hach moreovet a peculiar <¡uality again.íl : che Collick; and is an excellent Reme_dy for the Scone, either in che Kid neys or the Bladder, and clears ali obíl:ruél:ions of Urine; the knowledge hereof che Spaniards colleél:ed froríl the confl:itution and temperarnenc of th e bod y of rhe Jndians; for having olr íerved, chat they were never fubjecl: to thefe di.íl :empers, they concluded chac che drink which chey commonly ufed, made of May: i;,, was che caufe; whereof che Spaniards making now divers Preparations, have with good fuccefs experienced moíl: admirable effeél:s of it; and the lndians have alfo of themfelves made rnany, Plafiers and Balfams of it, which they applied for Aches and othi;r Pains.