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Of the Great Celandine or Swallow-Wort

The Description.

I THe great Celandine hath a tender brittle stalke, round, hairy, and full of branches, each whereof hath divers knees or knotty joints set with leaves not unlike to those of Columbine, but tenderer, and deeper cut or jagged, of a grayish green under, and greene on the other side tending to blewnesse: the floures grow at the top of the stalks, of a gold yellow colour, in shape like those of the Wal-floure: after which come long cods full of bleak or pale seeds: the whole plant is of a strong unpleasant smell, and yeeldeth a thicke juice of a milky substance, of the colour of Saffron: the root is thicke and knobby, with some threds anexed thereto, which beeing broken or bruised, yeeldeth a sap or juice of the colour of gold.

The Place.

It groweth in untilled places by common way sides, among briers and brambles, about old wals, and in the shade rather than in the Sun. The Time.

It is greene all the yeare: it floureth from Aprill to a good part of Summer: the cods are perfected in the mean time.

The Names.

It is called in Latine, Chelidonium majus, and Hirundinarium major: in English, Celandine, Swallow-wort, and Tetter-wort.

It is called Celandine not because it first springeth at the comming in of Swallowes, or dieth when they go away, (for as we have said, it may be found all the yere) but because some hold opinion, that with this herb the dams restore sight to their yong ones when they cannot see. Which things are vain and false; for Cornelius Celsus, lib. 6. witnesseth, That when the sight of the eies of divers yong birds is put forth by some outward means, it will after a time be restored of it selfe, and soonest of all the sight of the Swallow: whereupon (as the same Author saith) the tale grew, how thorow an herb the dams restore that thing which healeth of it selfe. The very same doth Aristotle alledge, lib. 6. de Animal. The eies of Swallowes (saith he) that are not fledge, if a man do pricke them out, do afterwards grow againe and perfectly recover their sight.

The Vertues.

The juice of the herbe is good to sharpen the sight, for it clenseth and consumeth away slimie things that cleave about the ball of the eye, and hinder the sight, and especially being boiled with hony in a brasen vessell, as Dioscorides teacheth.

The root being chewed is reported to be good against the tooth-ache. The juice must be drawn forth in the beginning of Summer, and dried in the sunne, saith Dioscorides.

The root cut into small pieces is good to be given unto Hauks against sundry diseases, wherunto they are subject.