: Some herbs have what we call ‘a doctrine of signatures.’ And a good example of this is seen in lesser celandine (ranunculus ficaria). If you look closely at the photo of lesser celandine you will see the roots. They look just like the area that they treat – piles! Its country name is pilewort and an ointment of the whole plant is used for treating piles. Its properties are anal astringent and demulcent. It can also be applied to hard lumps in the skin, like wens. It can be made into a tea too. Below are some photo’s of lesser celandine being made into an ointment. First its is simmered gently for 30 mins to 1 hour in oil. We used sesame oil. Then it is pressed out through a muslin cloth and beeswax added. Finally it is poured into jars.