IRIS TEIBE 227 



looking as if cut out of a piece of deal, fall out into the waters. These 

 seeds, when roasted, are said to be an excellent substitute for coflfee ; but 

 when their horny covering is removed, they have an acrid taste. The large 

 horizontal root, or rootstoclc, contains a farinaceous substance of a most 

 acrid and bitter flavour ; and a portion held between the teeth is said to 

 cure toothache, and is probably of real service. "But above all," says 

 Ettmuller, " which I have hitherto known, the root of the Iris lutea rubbed 

 upon the tooth that is painful, or the root itself chewed in the mouth, in an 

 instant, as if by a charm, drives away the pain of the teeth arising from 

 what cause soever. He that communicated it to me affirmed that he had 

 tried it forty times, at least, with like success. I myself also have tried it ; 

 and a great many others have done the same by my persuasion, and I hardly 

 ever knew it to fail." Those suffering under so troublesome a malady would 

 do well to follow the example with some caution ; as, from our experience 

 of its acridity, we should expect that a blister in the mouth would be likely 

 to succeed such a use of the root. These rootstocks have also been used 

 medicinally ; but would require care. An ointment was formerly much 

 esteemed, which was made by country people from the Flag-flowers ; and 

 the old herbalists, who said it was "under the dominion of the sun," distilled 

 the whole herb, and applied it for inflammation of the eyes and eyelids. The 

 root is powerfully astringent, and has been used in making ink ; and Gerarde 

 well describes it as showing, when cut, "the colour of raw fleshe." Some 

 kind of preparation of the plant is still, we are told, applied in villages as a 

 cosmetic ; and this appears to have been of very old use. Mr. Albert Way 

 gives a very interesting and learned note on this plant, in his edition of the 

 Anglo-Latin Dictionary. This work has " Gladone herbe, gladiolus, accolus, 

 iris." "The name Gladwyn," says the commentator, "now denotes the Iris 

 fceiidissima ; but probably the more common species, /. pseud-dcoriis, may be 

 here intended. In Mr. Drummond's ' Wisdom of Macer,' it is said, 'Gladen 

 is y-clepid in Englishe, iris in Latine, for his fiouro hath a colour like the 

 rainbowe. Take the rootes of this erbe, and kyt hem in round gobetis, and 

 ryfe hem upon a threde, so that none of hem touche other if thou wilt dry 

 hem.' The virtues of this root are numerous, taken with wine, mead, or 

 vinegar ; the following is curious as a cosmetic : ' Do take ij parties of this 

 poudre of gladen rotys, and the iij part of the pouder of ellebre, that some- 

 men clepen cloflynge, and medele both these poudres to-gider in honey. A 

 plaster of this wole purge and dense the face of frekels, also it will resolve 

 the pockys and whelkys of the face.' Elyot renders Xiphium, ' an herbe lyke 

 the blade of a sworde, gladen ;' it is also called Xyris ; and Cotgrave gives 

 ' Glayeul corne sedge, corn gladen, right gladen, gladen, gladen sword grasse.' " 

 Our wild flower is still called Yellow Skeggs, in the north of England. 



The roots of some species of Iris are very fragrant, and that of the 

 Florentine Iris is the Sweet Orris root of commerce, so much used in tooth 

 and hair powder, and formerly laid among clothes to keep them from moth. 

 The roots of several kinds, too, are edible. Pallas mentions that those of 

 /. dichoioma are eaten in Siberia, and those of /. edulis are common food 

 among the Hottentots. These people call them Oenkjes ; and as they have, 

 according to Thunberg, no idea of the beginning or ending of a year, the 



29—2 



