20 
The BRITISH H E K B A L. 
tAken not to let it come near the eyes, for it will [ 
qaufe violent inflammations. | 
. In ttie gout thcbruifed leaves and roots have been j 
ufed with great fuccefs. We have alfo accounts 
qf cures by them in the plague, by raifing bliftcrs ,' 
with them, and keeping them open in the manner i 
of ifTues near buboes in the groin, or eifewhere. 
The diililled water of the roots, and a tindture 
made From them in wine, are recommended alfo 
in the plague internally. 
The beggars frequently make fores on their 
legs with this plant, to promote commiferation ; 
^nd it is eafy to know that what could do this 
might be applied urefiilly on fame occafions. 
An infufion of the leaves of the ivy-leaved 
ivater-crois-'foot in 'wine, with alder-tops and fage, 
is recommended ftrongly by fome in the dropfy, 
and other diforders arifmg from obitruflions of 
the vifcera, and in the feurvy. 
GENUS XIII. 
P 1 L E W O R T. 
CH ELIDO N lU M MI N U $. 
THE flower is compofed of feveral petals, and has a three-ieaved cup, which falls with it. 
The feeds ftand in a fmall naked ciufter ; and the leaves are roundifh, and heart fafhioned. 
Linnaeus places this among xh^ pohandria folygynia^ and makes it a fpecjes of crowfoot. He calls 
it crowfoot^ -with heart-fa/hioned^ angidated, and petiolc.ted kaves ; but tiie cup confitLing of three leaves, 
diftinguilhcs it from the crowfoot, whofe cup has five; not to mention ihe greater number of pe- 
tals in the flower. It is a plant alfo of confiderable virtues, which arc recorded of ic under the 
names of pilewort and chelidoniur/i minus : wherefore there is ufe in preferving the diftinflion. 
What. is called greater celandine, is a plant of an alti.-getlier different clafs, as will be feen here- 
after. 
. Linn£EUS, who makes this a fpecies of nmunculus, gives for the firft: chara6i:er of that genus, a 
cup compofed of five leaves : therefore, according to his original cltablifhment of the genus, this 
plant doeg"not belong to it. He gives, by way of an exception at the end, this among others; 
and tli^re eftablifhes the efTential charac^ter of the genus to be the nedarium of the flower ; the 
rcfl of the parts being all inconflant. 
Let us examine this conduft in the eye of reafon, and take this as an example of the foundation 
ihere is for that fpfliionable fyftem. 
Linnasus gives a defcription of the feveral parts of the cup, flower, and fruit, of the ranunculus; 
wl>i<;h defcription he, calls the generical character : then among the fpecies of ranunculus he places 
pilezvori, which does, not agree with that charafter. Indeed it contradicts the two moft abfolute 
and obvious articles. He fays the ranunculus has a cup compofed .of five leaves, and a flower 
compofed of five petals ; hul pilewort has a cup of three leaves, and a flower of more numerous petals. 
It is 'thus diflinguiflied by nature, and it has always been diflinguifhed byname; and has diflintfb 
virtues. Why therefore fliould it be thus confounded with crowfoot? Linn^us perceives after- 
wards, that pilewort does not agree with his chara(5lers of that genus ; then he makes an obfervation, 
which is, that all the parts are inconfl:ant, except that there is a necftarium about the unguis of each 
petal. This, he fays, is the efTential mark, if fo, his whole generical character is fet afide. He him- 
felf acknowledges it to be ufelefs ; whv then is it continued ? We have fhcwn it to be faife : there- 
tore it ought to be rejcfled. 
' Befide thefe obvious things in which the pilcn^ort differs from his eflabliHied character of ranuncu- 
lus there are others, as .the pointed ends of its petals, and the like lelTer articles. Thefc I do not 
name, the former being fo evident. I have been the more particular on this head, as it may fland in 
^11 refpeCts for an inftance of the wrong management brought into the fcience by this new method. 
There is but one known fpecies of piUwort^ and that is a native of Britain. 
Conim in Pilewort. 
Chelidonium minus. 
' .The. root is compofed of a great many little 
tuberous' pieces, of the bignefs of a barley-corn, 
with fibres among them : they are browniOi, 
v/hi^ifa, OF redifli on the outfide, and white 
^lyithin. 
The leaves ftand on long footfcalks ; and are 
of a roundifli form, fome more fome lefs cor- 
nered or angulated, but all indented in the man- 
ner of a heart, for the reception of the footftalk; 
Thofe which rife firfl: are rounder, the others 
more cornered. They are of a fine green, and 
frequtntly have a fpot of wbitifli or blackifh in 
the middle. 
The llalke are iliort, and lie upon the ground: 
3 
they have numerous leaves on the lower part, and 
they fend up long flender naked footfl:alks for the 
flowers. 
Thefe are yellow, large, and beautiful : one 
ftands at the top of each ftalk, and is compofed 
of a great number of narrow fharp-pointed pe- 
tals in a three-leaved cup, and has a tuft of 
threads in the centre. 
The feeds ftand naked in a fmall clufter. 
It is common under hedges, and flowers in 
March. 
C. Bauhine calls it Chelidonia rotundifoUa mi- 
nor \ others in general, Chelidonium minus. 
We call it higwort-^ pilexvort, and Small celan- 
dine. Sometimes it grows much larger in leaves 
and flowers, and fometimes rhe flowers are natu- 
rally double. In thefe tonditions it has been de- 
fcribed 
