Argemone mexicana, Mexican Poppy

Prickly Poppy, Yellow Thistle
Shialkanta, Swarnaksiri (Ayurveda)
Satyanasi (Unani)
Piramathandu (Siddha)
Ji Ying Su (TCM)
Picture Millspaugh, C.F., American medicinal plants, vol. 1 (1892)

Botanical name:


Argemone mexicana

Parts used:


1. Seed; Expressed Oil of the Seed
2. Whole plant; Plant latex

Temperature & Taste:


Warm, dry. Pungent, Bitter

Constituents:


Alkaloids:
Seed: sanguinarine, dihydrosanguinarine
Latex: berberine (0.74%), protopine (0.36 %).
Root: protopine (0.08%), berberine (0.04%), tannin (1%), resin (1.75 %.)

Uses:


1. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-promotes Urine in Edema, Strangury (whole plant)
-Jaundice (2–3 spoonfuls of juice daily for 1 week; or leaf decoction; or seed powder)

2. Clears Wind, Promotes Sweat, Resists Poison: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Common cold without sweating, Fever, Typhoid, Malaria (Plant, TCM, India)
-Skin infections, Scabies, Skin diseases, Eczema, Leprosy (Plant, Root, India)
-Venereal diseases; Syphilis, Gonorrhea (India, TCM)
-red, sore, swollen eyes, conjunctivitis etc. (juice has been applied topically)
-bites of Snakes, Scorpions; also Sea-snake (in Myanmar)
-Poisoning

3. Clears Phlegm, Stops Cough and Wheezing:
-clears Cold Phlegm to settle Cough
-full doses of the seeds are emetic
-as a sedative for Spasmodic Asthma

4. Promotes Stool:
-Constipation (seed and seed oil)

5. Calms the Mind, Stops Spasms, Eases Pain:
-relieves various types of pain (latex, whole plant, flower)
-seeds were claimed to be a stronger narcotic than Opium (which is, of course, false)
-promotes rest and sleep
-Rheumatism

6. Kills Worms and Parasites:
-topically and internally for Worms and Parasites

7. Externally:
-topically, it is rubefacient (oil)
-applied to Wounds, Ulcers (Juice, oil)
-root paste is applied to skin rashes
-fresh juice applied to Warts, Corns Tumors and Cancer
-seed oil applied topically to Ringworm
-seed oil is effective topically for external infections
-Opacity of the cornea, the leaf juice is applied
-latex is applied to heal Mouth Ulcers
-applied to Herpes sores, Syphilitic Ulcers (Juice or Oil)
-Burns (seed paste applied topically)
-topically for Toothache (latex)
-fresh plant paste applied to boils and abscesses
-fresh root is applied to Scorpion Bite
-Alopecia,


Dose:


Plant Juice: 2–3 spoonfuls
Seed in Powder: 2–5 grams
2 drams of the seed infused in a pint of water is used as an emetic.
Seed Oil: 10–30 drops; 30 drops is said to promote Sleep, followed by bowel movement.
Seed oil is most used externally.

Comment:


1. Seeds are emetic and narcotic, and are generally only used externally, usually in the form of the expressed oil.
2. Flowers are considered narcotic.
3. In the 19th century, Morphine was said to have been isolated from the plant. However, this was later found to be incorrect.
4. It is a native to America, but was imported into India where it has become a weed, and has been widely used as a medicine there.

Substitute:


1. Ayurvedic Formulary of India listed Argemone mexicana as a substitute for Euphorbia thomsoniana (Svarnakshiri)
2. Castor oil is a substitute for the seed oil.

Main Combinations:


1. Impotence:
i. seed paste taken in 5 gram doses daily for 30 days.
2. Contraceptive, the paste of 2 leaves are taken with milk for 5 days during menstruation.
3. Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Mexican Poppy, Aristolochia bracteata (India)
4. Skin diseases including Ringworm, an oil is prepared from Mexican Poppy, Indian Spikenard, Chebula, Plumbago, Turmeric, Costus (India)
5. Wounds, Mexican Poppy latex with Cumin, applied topically (India)
6. Skin diseases:
i. Mexican Poppy with Turmeric, Calamus
ii. Mexican Poppy root (4 parts) is beaten with sugar (1 part) and taken orally.
7. Psoriasis:
i. Mexican Poppy plant with Coldenia procumbens leaf and Turmeric root (equal parts) are burnt to ash, mixed with Coconut oil into a paste to be applied. (India)
8. Ringworm, Scabies, Mexican Poppy juice is mixed with salt and water and applied.
9. Leucoderma, Mexican Poppy leaf powder with Coldenia procumbens and Turmeric, mixed with Coconut oil and applied, followed by exposure to sunlight for 30 minutes.
10. Leprosy, Mexican Poppy leaf juice with Calamus as a paste
11. Cancer, Mexican Poppy juice, Jatropha multifida, Spanish Soap, Rum. Form a plaster to be applied. A creole recipe from The Book of Prescriptions. (Beasley)
12. Cancerous Ulcers, Mexican Poppy latex with Ammania baccifera applied topically.

Major Formulas:




Cautions:


1. Avoid overdose. Seeds are emetic, narcotic and toxic.
2. Seed oil has been associated with anemia, diarrhea, dysentery, glaucoma

Toxicity:


LD50 of argemone oil = 9 ml/kg ipr mouse; sanguinarine 18 mg/kg (Duke)

Main Preparations used:


Dried latex, Emulsion of the Seed

1. Emulsion of Mexican Poppy Seed:
    Mexican Poppy seed      2 drams
    White Sugar                     2 drams
    Water                                 8 oz.
Make an emulsion. Dose: 1 tablespoon every half hour. (Beasley, The Book of Prescriptions)