Abrotonum, Southernwood

Qaisum (Unani)
Picture Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485

Picture Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

Picture Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800

Picture Flora von Deutschland (29), Kohler, 1887

Botanical name:


Artemisia abrotanum

Parts used:


Herb

Temperature & Taste:


Slightly Warm, dry. Pungent, Bitter
“Hot in the first and dry in the third degree.” (Avicenna)

Uses:


1. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine, Opens Obstructions:
-promotes Urine when obstructed by Damp; Strangury
-expels gravel and stones from Bladder and Kidneys
-Jaundice.
-the oil where the herb is boiled can be applied to the umbilicus to promote urine
-“Useful in Dysuria” (Avicenna)
-“It dissolves phlegmatic swellings” (Avicenna)

2. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation:
-promotes Menstruation; Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea
-‘Fits of the Mother’, Hysteria
-benefits the Fetus (with wine and sugar) (Dorsten, 1540)
-“Increases teh flow of Menses, expels the Fetus” (Avicenna)

3. Settles Wind, Clams the Mind and Nerves:
-nervousness, restlessness, mild insomnia
-Cramps, shrunken Sinews, Sciatica
-aids Breathing by relaxing the nerves; Asthma, Shortness of Breath
-juice taken in wine defends against Apoplexy (Dorsten, 1540)

4. Resists Poison:
-against Poison and venomous Bites (taken in wine)
-boiled in wine as an Antidote (Dorsten, 1540)
-“When mixed with oil, it proves to be useful in shivering Fever” (Avicenna)
-“Its intake with wine, proves to be useful for treating cases of insect bite” (Avicenna)

5. Kills Worms
-Worms (especially in children)
-repels Moths and other insects
-root decocted or herb juice in a little milk (Dorsten, 1540)
-“when sprinkled on the bed, it drives awav the insects” (Avicenna)

6. Externally:
-Externally to dry and strengthen the Bones and Limbs, stops Falling Hair
-as a plaster with Barley meal in a base for Cold Tumors and Swellings
-boiled in oil and applied to resolves Abscesses
-juice is applied to Paralytic parts
oil in which the herb is boiled is applied to the head for cold diseases of the head
-“The burnt Southernwood, when applied with Castor or Radish oils, is useful in Alopecia” (Avicenna)
-“
Its decoction with olive oil makes the head warm and removes its coldness” (Avicenna)


Dose


Decoction: 3–6 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams. A teaspoonful of the powder was given for worms in children with a little treacle. (Grieves)

Main Combinations:


1. Fevers:
i. Fever, Tertian Fever, Southernwood Decocted in water for Fever
ii. Quartan, Southernwood decocted in Wine
iii. Quotidian, Southernwood decocted in  Water and Wine
2. For Worms:
i. Decoction of Southernwood internally; oil of Southernwood applied to the Stomach. (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
ii. Southernwood with Wormseed
3. Suppressed or Obstructed Menstruation:
i. Southernwood with Myrrh
ii. Southernwood with Mugwort and Sage
iii. Southernwood with Rue, Pennyroyal, Mugwort
iv. Southernwood with Motherwort, Pennyroyal, Balm, Vervain
4. Gravel and Stones, Southernwood decocted with Celery with sugar added (Dorsten, 1540)
5. Cold diseases of the Lungs, decoct Southernwood with Hyssop and Licorice (Dorsten, 1540)
6. Asthma, Shortness of Breath, Southernwood, Raisins, Rue; decoct, add honey to form a Syrup. (Syrian ‘Book of Medicine‘, Budge, 1913)
7. Fomentation for Arthritic pain, decoct Southernwood with Ground Pine and add Sal Ammoniac (Fuller)
8. Swellings, Southernwood with Barley applied as a plaster (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
9. To promote hair growth, Southernwood burnt and powdered and mixed with Oil of Radish is applied (Dorsten, 1540)
10. Eye inflammation, boil Southernwood with some bread crumbs and apply warm

Cautions:


Avoid overdose

Main Preparations used:


Distilled Water, Wine, Conserve and both Infused and Distilled Oils were used