Celandine (Chelidonium majus) is a popular medicinal plant in the ancient world, also appearing in gold-making recipes of alchemists. Use of toxins, as well as chemicals, in medicine is promoted during the Renaissance by physician and alchemist Paracelsus.
The term "celandine" is derived from the Latin words "chelidonia" or "chelidonium", which are based on the Ancient Greek word "chelidṓn" meaning "swallow". The plant is commonly known as swallowwort.
According to legend, the flower blossoms when the swallows' return, and withers as they leave. Chelidonium majus is also called great celandine, nipplewort, tetterwort, or simply celandine. A member of the poppy family, C. majus exudes thick sap or latex if cut.
The whole plant is toxic in moderate doses as it contains a range of isoquinoline alkaloids including chelidonine, a gastrointestinal tract irritant and stimulant of the central nervous system. Another main alkaloid in the herb and root is coptisine with similar effects.
The fresh herb is no longer used officially. A traditional folk remedy against warts in France and the UK, it's used in preparation of a range of off-the-shelf treatments for warts and skin conditions.
A folk recipe for treatment of gastroparesis or "paralysis of the stomach":
"Take equal amount of licorice root, peppermint, wild candytuft, chamomile flower, angelica root, milk thistle fruit, Chelidonium majus and lemon balm leaves. Grind them together and take one tsp powder with lukewarm water once a day. OR Prepare a decoction of above given herbs. Drink half cup twice a day."
In traditional and folk medicine, C. majus is believed to treat eye problems. In natural health of the modern age it's purveyed as gentle sedative and antispasmodic to treat conditions such as bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, jaundice, gallstones and gallbladder discomfort.
The plant has a long tap-root, allowing it to seek water further into the depths o the earth, and making it notoriously resistant to weeding out. In some regions celandine is seen as an invasive plant by doing what it does naturally.
It contains the toxins to give any would-be browser a burst of bitterness, making it unsavory to herd animals. It has enough poison to kill smaller animals and birds at lower quantities. Medicinally it needs to be carefully measured for dosage.
It's often used in alchemical gold-making. One recipe for coloring gold:
"Roasted misy [copiapite, an iron sulfide mineral) 3 parts;
lamellose alum (alum (aluminum potassium sulfate) in thin sheets or pieces) and
celandine, 1 part.
Grind to the consistency of honey with the urine of a small child and color the object; heat and immerse in cold water."
With the exception of homeopathic medicines, the drug is no longer used in most English-speaking countries. In Germany and Switzerland, extracts of Chelidoni herba are a contentious ingredient in the gastric remedy "Iberogast."
Iberogast is a liquid mixture of nine herbs designed for treating functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Created in Germany in 1961, this proprietary blend is accessible in various countries without a prescription.
Its name is derived from the genus (Iberis) of one of its components. It's also believed to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and free radical-inhibiting properties, along with the ability to decrease gastric acid production.
Iberogast consists of a combination of extracts, including:
bitter candytuft (Iberis amara)
angelica root (Angelicae radix)
milk thistle fruit (Silybi mariani fructus)
celandine herb (Chelidonium majus)
caraway fruit (Carvi fructus)
licorice root (Liquiritiae radix)
peppermint herb (Menthae piperitae folium)
balm leaf (Melissae folium)
chamomile flower (Matricariae flos)
In herbalism, both the aerial parts and roots of greater celandine are used. The above-ground parts are collected while in bloom and then dried at high temperatures, while the root is gathered in the autumn months between August and October and also dried.
The fresh root can be used too. Greater celandine is characterized by a hot and bitter flavor. Extracts are prepared using alcoholic or hot aqueous methods. The plant bloodroot or bloodwort has similar chemical composition and applications to greater celandine.
Since the 1st century CE, notable figures such as Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides have acknowledged the detoxifying properties of C. majorus. Traditionally, the root has been chewed to alleviate toothaches.
Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40–90 AD), "the father of pharmacognosy", is a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist and writer of De materia medica (On Medical Material). This encyclopedia or pharmacopeia consists of herbal medicine and related medicinal substances.
Dioscorides' work remains highly influential over centuries, making him the primary authority on plants and plant-based medicines for nearly two millennia. His works echo in the Renaissance medicine of Paracelsus.
Paracelsus is the founder of spagyria (spayric), or botanical alchemy. This method aims to enhance the effectiveness of existing medicines. It involves separating substances into their fundamental elements (the tria prima: sulphur, mercury, and salt) and then recombining them.
Paracelsian physicians believe by using this technique, they can isolate the beneficial components of a compound (the purified tria prima) from the harmful or toxic ones, thereby transforming even certain poisons into remedies.
John Gerard's 1597 Herball says "the juice of the herb is beneficial for improving eyesight, as it cleanses and eliminates slimy substances that obstruct vision, particularly when boiled with honey in a brass vessel."
Modern herbalists focus on its purgative qualities. Juliette de Baïracli Levy, a contemporary herbalist, suggested diluting greater celandine with milk for eye health and using the latex to remove warts.
Chelidonium majus is a natural health treatment for various inflammatory conditions, including atopic dermatitis. It is also a traditional remedy for gallstones and dyspepsia.
It's once used to treat liver disorders, as the juice resembles bile. The Four Humors theory originates with Greek physician Hipposcrates c. 460–370 BCE, his theory of four humors - blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm - and their influence on body and emotions.
Galen (130 AD - c. 210 AD) promotes this idea and it catches hold from the early centuries AD to the mid 19th century AD. Paracelsus even burns books of Galen, with no impact on the prevalence of the theory, but Paracelsus is banned from lecturing in several towns.
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