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QUINCE TREE

(CYDONIA OBLONGA)

DESCRIPTION: The ordinary Quince Tree grows often to the height and bigness of a reasonable apple tree, but more usually lower and crooked. The flowers are large and white, sometimes dashed over with a blush. The fruit that follows is yellow, being near ripe, of a strong heady scent, and not durable to keep, and is sour, harsh, and of an unpleasant taste to eat fresh; but being scalded, roasted, baked, or preserved, becomes more pleasant.

PLACE: It best likes to grow near ponds and water sides. [Native to the Middle East and central Asia; naturalized through most of Europe (except Scandinavia), North Africa, and northeastern North America.]

GOVERNMENT AND VIRTUES: Old Saturn owns the Tree. Quinces, when they are green, help all sorts of fluxes in men or women, and choleric lasks, casting, and whatever needs astriction, more than any way prepared by fire. If a little vinegar be added [to the juice of conserve of the fruit], it stirs up the languishing appetite; some spices being added, comforts and strengthens the decaying and fainting spirits, and helps the liver oppressed, that it cannot perfect the digestion, or corrects choler [bile] and phlegm. If you would have them purging, put honey to them instead of sugar. To take the crude juice of Quinces, is held a preservative against the force of deadly poison; for it hath been found most certainly true, that the very smell of a Quince hath taken away all the strength of the poison of white Hellebore. If there be need of any outwardly binding and cooling of hot fluxes, the oil of Quinces, or other medicines that may be made thereof, are very available to anoint the belly or other parts therewith; it likewise strengthens the stomach and belly, and the sinews that are loosened by sharp humours falling on them, and restrains immoderate sweating. The mucilage taken from the seeds of Quinces, and boiled in a little water, is very good to cool the heat and heal the sore breasts of women. The same, with a little sugar, is good to lenify the harshness and hoarseness of the throat, and roughness of the tongue. The cotton or down of Quinces boiled and applied to plague sores, heals them up: and laid as a plaster, made up with wax, it brings hair to them that are bald, and keeps it from falling, if it be ready to shed.

MODERN USES: Quince fruit extract is considered antioxidant and was traditionally used as a digestive tonic, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, a treatment for gastric ulcers, and to reduce bleeding internally and externally. The seeds have an antacid mucilage, used traditionally to treat skin conditions and historically to treat eye inflammation. The seed mucilage was also used as a hair dressing.