Anemone coronaria, Wild Poppy

Wild Poppy, Wind-Rose, Bastard Wild Poppy, Poppy Anemone, Crown Anemone
Argemonia, Concordia, Concordialis, Herba liburnica

Two varieties of Argemone
Eicones plantarum seu stirpium, Jacobus Theodorus, 1590

Anemone coronaria
J. Sibthrop, J.E. Smith, Flora Graeca, vol. 6 (1826)

Botanical name:

Anemone coronaria, A. fulgens, A. apennina

Parts used:

Herb

Temperature & Taste:

Very Warm, dry. Pungent

Classifications:

Anodyne, Vulnerary, Arthritic, Alexipharmic

Uses:

1. Resists Poison
-Sore Throat, Tonsillitis
-‘mightily expels poison or venom’;
-‘the poison of venomous beasts’; bites of Snakes, Rabid Dogs, Hornets and Scorpions (Salmon)

2. Warms the Stomach, Moves Qi:
-colic, griping and abdominal pain
-Diarrhea
-obstruction of the Spleen; Hypochondriac Pain

3. Clears Wind-Cold, Settles Spasms:
-Arthritis
-Cramps and Convulsions

4. Promotes Milk:
-promotes breast milk

5. Externally:
-fresh leaves bruised or the decoction applied clears bruising
–‘For carcinoma, argemonia, applied with honey, is extremely efficacious’ (Pliny)
-Ointment for Green Wounds, Old Ulcers, Running Ulcers and Fistulas (Salmon)
-boiled in grape syrup and applied to the eyes for inflammations of them (Dioscorides)
-juice is dropped into the eyes for Heat and Inflammation of the Eyes, and for ‘Mists, Clouds and Films’ of the Eyes (Salmon, Gerard)
-juice is applied to Warts
-decocted in wine is applied to bruises
-Cataplasm made with wine vinegar applied to the throat for Sore Throat and Tonsillitis (Salmon)
-chewed to clear Phlegm (Dioscorides)
-juice sniffed up the nose purges Phlegm from the head (Dioscorides)
-as a pessary to promote Menstruation (Dioscorides)
-applied as a plaster to Leprosy (Dioscorides)

Dose:

Juice: 2 drams with wine for poison and venom
Mostly used externally.

Comment:

Argemone was considered a type of Wild Poppy (‘Bastard Wild Poppy’), and hence was considered similar to Red Poppy.

Main Combinations:

1. Leaves boiled in Barley gruel promote Milk. (Dioscorides)
2. ‘The herb stamped, cureth any wound, ulcer, canker, or fistula, being made up into an unguent or salve, with oil, wax, and a little turpentine’. (Gerard)

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

None noted