Greater Celandine
(Chelidonium majus L.)
1. For dimness of eyes and soreness and obstruction, take juice of this wort, which is named χελιδονία, and by another name like that celandine, beaten out of the roots, let that be well pounded with old wine and honey and pepper together, then smear the eyes inwardly.
2. Also, we have found that some men have smeared their eyes with the milk of this same wort, and it was thereby better with them.
3. Again, for eyes getting dim, take ooze of this same wort, or the blossoms wrung out, and mixed with honey; mingle then gently hot ashes thereto, and seethe together in a brazen vessel; this is a special leechdom for dimness of eyes.
4. Also, it is certain that some men, as we before said, use this ooze separately.
5. Against kernels (hard glandular swellings), take this same wort, pound with lard; lay to the kernels, so that they be first bathed with water.
6. For head ache, take this same wort, pound it with vinegar; smear the forehead and head.
7. In case a man be badly burned, take this same wort, pound it with goats grease, and lay thereto.1
CELANDINE.
Descript.] This hath divers tender, round, whitish green stalks, with greater joints than ordinary in other herbs as it were knees, very brittle and easy to break, from whence grow branches with large tender broad leaves, divided into many parts, each of them cut in on the edges, set at the joint on both sides of the branches, of a dark blueish green colour, on the upper side like Columbines, and of a more pale blueish green underneath, full of yellow sap, when any is broken, of a bitter taste, and strong scent. At the flowers, of four leaves a-piece, after which come small long pods, with blackish seed therein. The root is somewhat great at the head, shooting forth divers long roots and small strings, reddish on the outside, and yellow within, full of yellow sap therein.
Place.] They grow in many places by old walls, hedges and way-sides in unfilled places; and being once planted in a garden, especially some shady places, it will remain there.
Time.] They flower all the Summer, and the seed ripens in the mean time.
Government and virtues.] This is an herb of the Sun, and under the celestial Lion, and is one of the best cures for the eyes; for, all that know anything in astrology, know that the eyes are subject to the luminaries: let it then be gathered when the Sun is in Leo, and the Moon in Aries, applying to this time; let Leo arise, then may you make into an oil or ointment, which you please, to anoint your sore eyes with: I can prove it doth both my own experience, and the experience of those to whom I have taught it, that most desperate sore eyes have been cured by this only medicine; and then, I pray, is not this far better than endangering the eyes by the art of the needle? For if this does not absolutely take away the film, it will so facilitate the work, that it might be done without danger. The herb or root boiled in white Wine and drank, a few Aniseeds being boiled therewith, opens obstructions of the liver and gall, helps the yellow jaundice; and often using it, helps the dropsy and the itch, and those who have old sores in their legs, or other parts of the body. The juice thereof taken fasting, is held to be of singularly good use against the pestilence. The distilled water, with a little sugar and a little good treacle mixed therewith (the party upon the taking being laid down to sweat a little) has the same effect. The juice dropped into the eyes, cleanses them from films and cloudiness which darken the sight, but it is best to allay the sharpness of the juice with a little breast milk. It is good in all old filthy corroding creeping ulcers wheresoever, to stay their malignity of fretting and running, and to cause them to heal more speedily: The juice often applied to tetters, ring-worms, or other such like spreading cankers, will quickly heal them, and rubbed often upon warts, will take them away. The herb with the roots bruised and bathed with oil of camomile, and applied to the navel, takes away the griping pains in the belly and bowels, and all the pains of the mother; and applied to women’s breasts, stays the overmuch flowing of the courses. The juice or decoction of the herb gargled between the teeth that ach, cases the pain, and the powder of the dried root laid upon any aching, hollow or loose tooth, will cause it to fall out. The juice mixed with some powder of brimstone is not only good against the itch, but takes away all discolourings of the skin whatsoever: and if it chance that in a tender body it causes any itchings or inflammations, by bathing the place with a little vinegar it is helped.
Another ill-favoured trick have physicians got to use to the eye, and that is worse than the needle; which is to take away the films by corroding or gnawing medicines. That I absolutely protest against.
1. Because the tunicles of the eyes are very thin, and therefore soon eaten asunder.
2. The callus or film that they would eat away, is seldom of an equal thickness in every place, and then the tunicle may be eaten asunder in one place, before the film be consumed in another, and so be a readier way to extinguish the sight than to restore it.
It is called Chelidonium, from the Greek word Chelidon, which signifies a swallow; because they say, that if you put out the eyes of young swallows when they are in the nest, the old ones will recover their eyes again with this herb. This I am confident, for I have tried it, that if we mar the very apple of their eyes with a needle, she will recover them again; but whether with this herb or not, I know not.
Also I have read (and it seems to be somewhat probable) that the herb, being gathered as I shewed before, and the elements draw apart from it by art of the alchymist, and after they are drawn apart rectified, the earthly quality, still in rectifying them, added to the Terra damnata (as Alchymists call it) or Terra Sacratissima (as some philosophers call it) the elements so rectified are sufficient for the cure of all diseases, the humours offending being known, and the contrary element given: It is an experiment worth the trying, and can do no harm.2
GREATER CELANDINE (Chelidonium majus).
Common names: Swallow Wort, Garden Celandine, Tetterwort, Felonwort.
Greater Celandine is not related to the Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) and the only thing they have in common is the colour of their flowers.
Greater Celandine grows to a height of 30 to 80 cm., is much branched and flowers from May until well into Autumn. Its much-divided leaves resemble oak-leaves and the roots and stems have an orange-yellow juice. It grows in hedgerows, by walls and fences, on waste ground and favours south-facing edges of woods. The summer may be dry and the ground parched and the orange-yellow juice still flows freely when the stem is broken. Even in winter this plant can be found under the snow, if its position is known.
The plant purifies and stimulates the blood and I would use it together with Stinging Nettle and Elder shoots in cases of leukaemia. But to be effective, at least 2 litres of tea made from the mixture have to be drunk daily.
Greater Celandine is a reliable remedy for serious liver ailments when used in a homeopathic form. Because of its blood and liver-cleansing qualities it has a positive influence on the metabolism. This medicinal herb can be used effectively for gall bladder, kidney and liver diseases. Prepared with wine (30 g Greater Celandine including the roots should be placed in half a liter of white wine for one or two hours), it is a quick cure for jaundice. It can also be recommended for haemorrhoids accompanied by a burning sensation in the anus, for stinging pain and cramps while urinating, as well as for buzzing in the ears. In these cases 2-3 cups of tea (which should be scalded but not boiled) should be sipped throughout the day. Externally the juice is used for malignant skin disorders, corns, warts and incurable herpes. Cataract and spots on the cornea are caused to disappear gradually. The juice even helps in cases of a bleeding or detached retina. A leaf of the Celandine is washed and the stem of the leaf is rubbed between the wet thumb and index finger. The juice thus won is brushed gently over the closed eyes towards the corners. Although not rubbed into the eyes, they nevertheless benefit from it. This holds good for cataract and defective vision and is prophylactic for healthy but strained eyes. I, myself, when working until late at night finishing my correspondence feel its beneficial effect, when overtired, I fetch a leaf of Celandine from the garden and use it as described above. It is as if a mist is lifted from my eyes. A homoeopathic tincture of Celandine is used for the above mentioned disorders, in 10 to 15 drop doses, diluted in some water and taken two to three times daily.
A few year ago, I was told of a farmer’s wife who had a red growth, the size of a little finger tip, on the lower eyelid. The eye specialist from whom she wanted a prescription for glasses did not like the look of it ‒ she had this growth for 7 to 8 years without it causing her any pain ‒ and obtained a biopsy. It was cancer. For the young woman it was a terrible shock ‒ as you can well imagine. Since the family belonged to our circle of acquaintances, I was able to bring Celandine to her notice. It was February and luckily a mild winter, Celandine stays green even in winter. I told her to dig out the plant and put it in a pot to have it handy. She had to dab the affected spot with the orange-yellow juice 5 to 6 times a day. Since the growth was on the lower eyelid I told her that it was harmless to the eye. I told her also to go to the X-ray treatment once a month as the physician had ordered, although the rays do not remove cancer-like growths, but in fact destroy still healthy skin and often also bones. Shortly before Christmas I had the pleasure to hear that the growth had disappeared. When the woman came to see me, she hugged me at the door. The eye specialist whom she had seen before had asked her in astonishment what she had done. To her answer: “I had the monthly X-ray treatment”, he replied, “if the X-ray treatments have removed the growth, it is a miracle.” She then told me that she would not have been able to cope with the faces (eaten to the bone) of the other patients whom she saw when waiting for her treatment, had I not given her a lot of hope, faith and belief in herself. Now my request to you all: Do help in similar cases and save your fellow human being from a terrible end. In the environment polluting times in which we live, there is an increase in cases of skin cancer developing out of red and suddenly enlarging warts.
Facial hair and increased growth of hair on arms and legs of women points to kidney disorders. Celandine juice which is obtained with the juice extractor (the fresh juice will keep up to six months in the refrigerator) is dabbed on the affected places; it is allowed to penetrate for a few hours, then washed with a mild soap and the somewhat dried out skin is treated with Calendula ointment, Camomile oil or St. John’s Wort oil.3 In addition a course of Stinging Nettle tea, at least 3 to 4 cups throughout the day, together with Horsetail sitz baths should be undertaken to better stimulate the kidneys.4
An acquaintance from the district of Mainz (Germany) used the Celandine juice as stated during his daily walks. An Alsatian dog, already on in years, was his faithful companion. As a joke he smeared the dogs eyes once with the juice which was apparently beneficial, as the dog from that time on sat begging in front of his master whenever he used the Celandine juice.
In Upper Austria, where I gave a lecture in November, I got to know a sexton who wore glasses. When I came back in February the sexton no longer wore glasses. Asked for the reason, he told me that since November he had followed my advice on the Celandine treatment daily. He saw much better now than before with glasses. At this time he must have obtained the Celandine leaves from beneath the snow. I cite this to show that certain medicinal plants are found fresh in winter, when all the other plants appear to be dead.
DIRECTIONS
Infusion: ¼ litre of boiling water is poured over 1 level teaspoon of herbs.
Fresh Juice: Leaves, stems and flowers are washed and, still wet, put into the juice extractor for external application.
Tincture: As an homoeopathic preparation bought at chemists.
Wine: 30 gm. Celandine together with roots macerated in 1 litre of white wine for 1 to 2 hours, then filter or strain and sipped.5
► Ukrainian sources on this subject | ► Muscovite sources on this subject |
Footnotes:
1 Herbarium Apuleii Platonici, Chap. 75 (T. O. Cockayne. Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England. Vol. 1. London, 1864).
2 This text is a chapter from “The Complete Herbal” by Nicholas Culpeper (Thomas Kelly, 17 Paternoster Row, London, 1835).
3 Calendula ointment: 2 heaped double handfuls of Calendula (leaves, stems, flowers) are finely chopped. 500 gm. of lard are heated and the chopped Calendula is added, stirred, the pan removed from the stove, covered and left to stand for a day. The next day it is warmed, filtered through a piece of linen and poured into previously prepared clean jars.
Camomile oil: A small bottle is filled loosely with fresh Camomile flowers picked in the sun and cold-pressed olive-oil is poured in until it covers the flowers. The bottle, well stoppered, is kept in the sun for 14 days. Store in the refrigerator.
St. John’s Wort oil: The flowers, picked in the sun, are placed loosely in a bottle and fine olive oil is poured over them. The flowers have to be covered. Well stoppered, the bottle is left to stand in the sun or near the stove for a few weeks. After a time the oil becomes red. It is strained through a cloth, the residue well pressed out and stored in dark bottles. For burns and scalds, linseed oil can be used instead of olive oil.
4 Stinging Nettle tea: 1 heaped teaspoon per ¼ litre of boiling water, infused for a short time.
Horsetail sitz bath: 100 gm. of Horsetail are steeped in cold water overnight, the next day brought to the boil and added to the bath water. 20 minutes are required for a bath. Don’t dry yourself, still wet, wrap up in a bath robe, remain perspiring in bed for 1 hour. The bath water must reach above the kidney region.
5 This text is a chapter from “Health through God's Pharmacy” by Maria Treben (Ennsthaler Publishing, Steyr, 2003).
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