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A Niewe Herbal is the 1558 English translation of Cruydeboek by Flemish physician Rembert Dodoens (1517–1585). Dodoens’ herbal, originally published in 1554, contained extensive information on the practical uses of herbs in medicine. Instead of an alphabetical listing, he grouped plants according to their properties and uses, and abundant illustrations made it even more useful for plant identification. Among other remedies, the book discussed the healing power of violet, a plant prescribed for conditions suffered by Ophelia in Shakespere’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

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