LORANTHAGEJE. 227 



LORANTHACE^. 



VI SCUM ALBUM, Linn. 



Fig. — Eng. Bot. xxi.^ t 1470 ; Wooch\ Med. Bot., suppl., 

 (. 270, White Mistletoe {ETng.); Gui {Fr.). 



Hab. — Temperate Himalaya. Westward to the Atlantic. 

 The berries^ 



Vernacular. — Kismish-kawali (Ind. Bazars)^ 



■ 



History, Uses, &C. — Mistletoe is the ^^oy of Theo* 

 pTirastus and Dioscorides, and was considered by the ancients to 

 have discutient properties. It was applied to disperse tumors 



m 



of the spleen, Matthiolus and Paracelsus lecommend it in 

 epilepsy, and Kolderer, Cartheusar, Colbatch, Loseke, Yan 

 Swieten and others have stated that they found it beneficial not 

 only in this disease, but in other convulsive 



in this disease, but in other convulsive affections. This 

 plant was formerly held to be sacred in Europe, and in ancient 

 Britain it was cut with a golden sickle by a Druid in white 



victims 



G 



Thus obtained, the Givid was considered a heal-all, a charm 



gainst disasters 



As such it was 



a special object of worship with the ancient Britons, who called 



uchelft 



uchehcyddy 



the lofty shrub, aicyrhren, the ethereal tree, preupuraur, the 

 tree of pure gold, &c.~names still surviving in the Welsh 

 language. 



93, 94, 95) describes the Yiscum, and the 

 method of making birdlime f /om it ; he also notices the super- 

 stitions held concerning it by the Gauls, and its worship on the 



XVI 



fifth day of the moon, the day which is the beginning of their 

 months and years. A festival in honour of the mistletoe called 

 Guilanleu or Guilannei(f {^m de Fan neuf) was held in France as 

 late as the 16th century, and in England the plant still hangs 

 in the hall at Christmas. 



