euphrasia officinalis

AKA
Euphrasia
(French) Casse-lunette
(German) Augentröst

PART USED
A fluid extract is prepared from the plant in the fresh state,
gathered when in flower, and cut off just above the root.

Euphrasiais best collected in July and August, when
in full flower and the foliage in the best condition.

CONSTITUENTS
The precise chemical constituents
of the herb have not yet been recorded;
it is known to contain a peculiar tannin,
termed Euphrasia-Tannin acid
(which gives a dark-green precipitate
with ferric salts and is only obtainable
by combination with lead) and Mannite and Glucose,
but the volatile oil and acrid and bitter principle
have not yet been chemically analysed.

PREPERATIONS
Fluid extract, 1/2 to 1 drachm.
'A Marvelous Water to Preserve the Sight.

'Take the leaves of red roses, mints, sage, maidenhaire
(or leave out sage and mint and take eyebright and vervin),
bittony, such of the mountain, and endive, of each 6 handfuls:
steep them in Whitewine 24 hours: then distill them in Alimpeck;
the first water is like silver, the second like gold, the third
like balme; keep it close in glasses.

'It helps all diseases of the eye.' (A Plain Plantain.)

Gerard said that the powder of the Eyebright herb, mixed
with mace, 'comforteth the memorie,' and Culpepper says:
'If the herb was but as much used as it is neglected,
it would half spoil the spectacle maker's trade and a man
would think that reason should teach people to prefer
the preservation of their natural before artificial spectacles,
which that they may be instructed how to do, take the virtues
of Eyebright as followeth:
The juice or distilled water of the Eyebright taken inwardly
in white wine, or broth, or dropped into the eyes for several
days together helpeth all infirmities of the eye
that cause dimness of sight.
Some make conserve of the flowers to the same effect.
Being used any of the ways,
it strengthens the week brain or memory.
This tunned with strong beer that it may work
together and drunk, or the powder of the dried herb
mixed with sugar, a little mace,
fennel seed and drunk, or eaten in broth; or the said
powder made into an electuary with sugar and taken,
hath the same powerful effect to help and restore the sight
decayed through age and Arnoldus de Villa Nova saith it hath
restored sight to them that have been blind a long time.'

This is another eye lotion of Culpepper:
An excellent Water to Clear the Sight.
Take fennel, eyebright, roses, white celandine, vervain and rue,
of each a handful, the liver of a goat chopt small, infuse them well
in eyebright water, then distil them in alembic, and you shall have
a water which will clear the sight beyond comparison.

Hildamus firmly believed that Eyebright would restore
the sight of many persons at the age of seventy or eighty years!

Many older herbalists describe a 'Red-flowered Eyebright,'
which, however, is no longer considered another species
of Euphrasia, but regarded as a very closely allied plant.

Linnaeus himself, though he afterwards made a new genus,
Bartsia, for it, called it Euphrasia, both in his Flora Suecia,
his monograph on the flora of Sweden, that appeared
in 1755, and in his great work, Systema Vegetabilium,
published in 1784.
Later, however, he named it after his friend
Dr. Johann Bartsch of Königsberg.

Eyebright is an ideal herb for making fluid
condensers or infused solutions with which
to bathe one's eyes, opening the chakras to increase inner sight.

Eyebright is known for enhancing
memory and aiding thought.

Recommended as a magickal tonic, this herb is useful
for anyone making a concerted effort
at studying occult sciences.

Mrs. Grieve in A Modern Herbal provides us with insight
in to this history, with early fourteenth century
references and a recipe from Culpepper:
An excellent Water to Clear the Sight.
Take fennel, eyebright, roses, white celandine,
vervain and rue, of each a handful,
the liver of a goat chopt small,
infuse them well in eyebright water,
then distil them in alembic, and you
shall have a water which will clear
the sight beyond comparison.


ASTROLOGY
DESCRIPTION
MAGIC
MAGICAL PROPERTIES
PREPERATIONS


SOURCE(S)
"A Modern Herbal"
Cherokee Valley
Full Moon Paradise

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