‘The seed of Cotton is said to be good against a Cough, and for such as are short-winded: it stirreth up lust; and the Oyl pressed out, taketh away freckles, spots, and other blemishes of the skin: the ashes of the wood burned, stop the bleeding of wounds: the powder thereof is restringent, and may be used as Bole; as also the Cotton may be applied. Also of this Wooll is made most of the beds they lye in, called Hammacks, or Hammakers, which are tyed up at both ends athwart a room, so that ten men may very well lodge in one room, and presently in the morning lay by their Beds, and have the convenient use of the same until night again; in those parts there being rarely any other used: for such Beds as we lye in here, do too much heat the body, and weaken Nature thereby.’
William Hughes, The American physitian; or, A treatise of the roots, plants, trees, shrubs, fruit, herbs, &c. growing in the English plantations in America. Describing the place, time, names, kindes, temperature, vertues and uses of them, either for diet, physick, &c. Whereunto is added a discourse of the cacao-nut-tree, and the use of its fruit; with all the ways of making of chocolate. The like never extant before (1672)
Historic Collections @Balliol 