The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-12-17
Is s:ssSsi sss.S;sr 49,; "a,
The MEDICINAL MISTLEToE.
An "All-heale" of the Ancients-Mv+h
Concerning the Parasite

M AN heale" of the Ancients Myth
Concerning the Parasite.
"A monster in botany, a dryad in
Mythology, panacea in therapeutics
anu perennial Yuletide symbon is
the traditional character assigned to
Tue ylseum album, "all-heale," or mis-.
tietoe, by DR.. John Knott in the New
York Medical Journal. The mistletoe
at Christmastide is hailed by doctors
as an old acquaintance, the legend of
whose healing virtues is still potent IN
tne practice of some of that respecta.
ole profession. For at least twenty
centuries its air lodged rootlets have
penetrated with the mystery of their
origin the pages alike of folklore and
Oh botanical and medical literature
suspended green In wintry branches.
the parasite was by its strange con,
trast OF environment invested with
awe and religious dignity by the Celtic
Drulds and outrivaled in fame among
the western nations the lotus of the
Egyptians. Vergil compared its mys.
ter1ous LEAKAGE and fruitage to the 81.
Dyls golden bough." The Sibyl of
scandinavia was wakened from Lokfs
iron sleep to prophesy the death by
the mistletoe of the bright sun god
Balder. Its fourishing amid the dead
starkness of winter may account for
the fatal qualities assigned to the ever
green by the northern nations, but also
its Wondrous vitality made it a symbol
OF resurrection, peace and healing.
Pliny in Philemon Hollands quaint
translation thus describes the herb In
the quaint and ancient ceremony of the
Druids:
"They call 1t In their Ian
guage All-Heale for they haue an opin-
ion of it that it cureth all maladies
whatsoeuer), and when they are about
to gather it, after they haue well &
duly prepared their sacrifices and fes-
tiual cheere vnder the said tree, they
bring thither two yong bullocks milk
white, such as neuer drew in yoke at
plow or vain, and whose heads were
then and not before bound by the horn,
which done, the priest, araied in
surpleSSe or white vesture, climbeth
vp into the tree and with a golden
hooke or bill cutteth it off, and they
beneath receiue it in white soldiers
eassock or coat of arms. Then they
fol 10 l. bn ofn par
riice, mumbling many oraisons &
praying deuoutly; that 1t would please
God to blesse this gift of his to the
good and benefit of all those to whom
he had vouchsafed to glue it. Now
this persuasion they haue of Misselto
thus gathered, That what huing crea.
lures soeuer otherwise barren) do
drink of it, will presently become fruit
full thereupon; also, that 1t is a SOU
eraign countrepoison or singular reme-
die against all yermine. So vain and
superstitious are many nations In the
world and oftentimes in such friuolous
and foolish things as these"
Sir Thomas Browne was bit skep-
teal of its qualities as panacea, and
modern medical authorities almost uni
versally scout Its therapeuticai preten-
sions. Strangely enough, the survival
of its medicinal use in England is "as
a popular remedy in cases Of cardiac
trouble" Affections Of the heart, we
doubt not, have been successfully
treated by means of the mistletoe. But
we venture a lay opinion that the pa
tients we're young, the plant was sus,
pended above their heads and was eff.
caeious only in the joyous Christmas
season.
s; ssss;sx sx tssssal.is sssass s.sx ssss;i -; s:s & III