Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
An Irish Materia Medica (Author: Tadhg Ó Cuinn)
subsection 276
276. Uiola: i.e. the violet; it is cold in the beginning of the first degree and wet at the end of the second degree. If it be dried, it will retain its efficacy for two years, and it is better to gather it every year. Of the flower of violet and of sugar is made sugar of violets, of the same flower and of honey is made honey of violets, and of the same flower and oil is made oil of violets. Whichever it is
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desired to make, put the flower in the honey, oil, or sugar, leave it there for a period of time, and press it thereafter, and it will be as we have said. This is how one makes syrup of violets; boil the flower of violet in water, and when it is cold put sugar in it, and that syrup is appropriate against hot illnesses. Another way to make it: put flower of violet in water for a night and strain it the following day; then put sugar in it, and it will be a syrup. Another way to make it: pound the flower of violet and put it together with oil in a glass vessel, under the sun in summer time for fifteen days, and it will be an excellent oil which will give relief from every hot bad complex of the body. If oil of violet be rubbed on the forehead and temples, it will cure a headache that comes from hotness. This oil has four virtues, to make smooth what is rough, to cool what is hot, to soften what is hard, and to ease the stoppage and bind that affect the intestines. If violet and white of egg be put on hot apostumes, it will repercuss them at their early stage. If this herb be boiled in water and the feet and face be washed in it, it will induce sleep. Note that the violet should be boiled when making syrup of it more than the rose should, because its wetness is viscous and not capable of being dissolved, whereas the wetness of the rose is easily dissolvable and flowing. If violet be boiled in water and drunk, it will stop drunkenness, and to allow the smell of it to the nose will have the same effect. Macer says the violet which has a brown-red flower is suitable against epilepsy. Item, if flower of violet, saffron and myrrh be mixed together and applied to the eyes, this will help with swelling and redness of the eyes. Item, if violet be pounded and mixed with honey and vinegar and rubbed on the head after
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it has been shaved, it will cure its rash and exudations. If this herb be put on a hot stone and applied then to a swelling, it will stop its poison and pain. If this herb be boiled in water and the fumes be allowed to the vagina, it will help with lesions of the
vagina. If the seed of this herb be given in wine, it will clean the menstruation. If a plaster of this herb be put on the podagra that comes from hotness, it will help with it. If this herb be drunk in water, it will expel the choleric humour that is in the stomach. The same herb may be boiled in whey against pleurisy, pneumonia, and every illness of the chest. If oil of violet be rubbed on the chest of a small child, it will cure the cough. If juice of the same herb be put warm in the ear, it will help with noise in the ear that comes from hotness. If the juice of this herb be drunk fasting, it will kill the worms. If this herb be given in wine fasting to a person who has lost the power of speech, it will help him as we have said.