Chicorium, Chicory

Also called Succory, Intybus
Kasni (Unani)
Picture Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

Picture Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

Picture Medical Botany, Woodville, 1810

Picture Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800

Botanical name:


Chicorium intybus

Parts used:


Root, Seed (of the Garden variety); Herb (of the Wild variety)

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, dry. Bitter
Opening, attenuates, cleanses

Classification:


2A APERIENT.   2F. PURIFYING.   2N. REPELLENT
3B. FEBRIFUGE & ANTIPYRETIC.   3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS
4c. CARDIAC.   4e. STOMACHIC.   4f. SPLENETIC.   4g. HEPATIC.   4h. NEPHRITIC.   4k. ARTHRITIC

Uses:


1. Clears Liver Heat:
-skin eruptions, Eczema, Acne, skin diseases with Heat or Heat and Toxin
-Liver Heat disorders with Headache, red face, irritability
-Liver disorders with Melancholy
-leaves boiled in broth for heat of the Stomach and Liver
-Burning Fever, especially associated with Liver heat

2. Clears Heat and Damp, Opens Obstructions:
-Biliousness, Jaundice, Hypochondriac pain or distention
-Burning Urine, excoriation of the Penis

3. Clears Stomach Heat:
-Stomach heat with dry mouth, excess hunger, desire for Cold drinks
-Gastritis, Stomach pain from Heat

4. Clears Heat, Benefits the Yin:
-the fresh herb was commended by some for Tuberculosis
-fresh herb is useful in Heat with weakness, such as in Chronic or Hectic Fevers

5. Externally:
-Heat and inflammation of the Eyes (bruised leaf as a poultice; or bruise leaf with vinegar and Rose water)
-topically for sores of the Genitals
-the leaves are bruised with Barley flour and applied to Arthritis, Gout and Rheumatism.


Dose:


Root or Herb in Decoction: 5–15 grams
Root or Seed i Powder: 1–4 grams

Comment:


Chicory seed was one of the Lesser Cold Seeds, along with seeds of Endive, Lettuce and Purslane.

Corrective:


1. Oxymel
2. Sugar
3. Violet (Unani)

Substitute:


Mallow leaf; Marshmallow leaf; Fennel root (Unani)

Main Combinations:


1. Faults of the Liver:
i. Chicory decoction, or the confected Root correct and strengthen the Liver
2. Liver Heat:
i.  Chicory with Endive, Agrimony and Fumitory
ii. with Fever, Chicory with Barley, Borage, Endive
iii. Chicory leaf and root with Dandelion, Asparagus root, 4 Cold Seeds, Endive, Licorice, Raisin (as in Hepatic Decoction)
3. Liver obstruction, Jaundice, Hypochondria pain:
i. Jaundice, Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb with Syrup of the Two Opening Roots (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
ii. Chicory herb with root, with Liverwort, Juniper berry, Dandelion, Fumitory, Gnaphalium flower (Finsterwalder)
iii. Chicory with Rose, White Sandalwood, Wormwood, Schoenanthus, Tabasheer, Indian Spikenard (as in Powder for the Liver)
4. Gall Stones, Cholecystitis:
i. Chicory herb with root, with Horsetail, Yarrow, St. Johns wort (Reuter)
ii. Chicory with Agrimony, Maidenhair, Wormwood (as in Decoction for the Gall Bladder)
5. Viral Hepatitis:
i. Chicory with Caper root bark, Black Nightshade, Cassia seed, Yarrow, Tamarisk (as in Liv-52, a patent medicine with proven efficacy against Hepatitis, especially Hepatitis B)
ii. Chicory with Agrimony, Black Nighshade, Yarrow, Swertia, Cassia seed, Fumitory, Rhubarb, Dodder seed (as in Kabdeen Syrup of Unani Medicine, with proven efficacy against Hepatitis, especially Hepatitis B)
6. Pestilence (Epidemic disease) and Pestilential Fever, Chicory Water with Syrup of Pomegranate (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
7. Febrile convulsions in Fever [‘Epilepsy in Malign Fever‘], Syrup of Chicory Juice with Rhubarb (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
8. Clear Heat and Toxin from the Blood; Acne, Boils, Eczema etc.:
i. Chicory with Dandelion (Kneipp)
ii. Chicory with Fumitory, Bugloss, Hops, Endive, Raisin, Licorice (as in Decoction of Fumitory of Andernacus)
iii. Chicory with Barley, Celery root, Dandelion, Fumitory, Hops, Licorice, Dodder (as in Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb of Nicholas)
9. To purge Bile Humor, Chicory with Endive, Agrimony, Borage, Bugloss, Violet, Tamarind, Prune, Licorice (as in Decoction to Expel Bile)
10. Gout from excess Bile, Chicory root decocted in water (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
11. Obstructed Menstruation and ‘suffocation’ of the Uterus, Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)

Major Formulas


Hepatic Decoction (Hoffman)
Decoction for the Gall Bladder
Decoction of Fumitory of Andernacus
Decoction of Fumitory of Mesue
Decoction of Fumitory Compound
Opening Hepatic Decoction
Decoction of Fruit
Cordial Decoction (French Pharmacopoeia)
Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb (Nicholas)
Syrup of Senna Compound
Syrup of Marshmallow
Abbots Confect of Rose (Diarrhodon Abbatis) (Nicholas)
Powder for the Liver
Electuary for a Duke (Electuarium Ducis) (Nicholas)
Electuary of Violet (Unani)

1. Compound Syrup of Chicory:
i. Expressed ad clarified juice of Chicory, Juice of Dandelion, Juice of Fumitory (6 oz. each). Boil to the consistency of a syrup.
Dose: 3–4 spoonfuls (adding a few grains of Rhubarb to each dose. (Nouveau Formulaire Medicale et Pharmaceutique, 1820)

Cautions:


Generally Safe.
As it is cool, it is not suitable for Cold and Weakness of the digestive system.

Main Preparations used:


Conserve of the Flowers, Candied Roots, Syrup of the Juice with sugar, Compound Syrup, Distilled Water of the Leaf and Flowers, Salt of the Ashes (for Fevers), an Eye water made of the Blue flowers.

1. Conserve of Chicory flowers:
i. Chicory flowers (1 part), White Sugar (2 parts). Beat together. (Pharmacopoeia Wirtembergica, 1798)

2. Chicory Juice:
i Chicory leaf (16 parts), bruise in a mortar, gradually adding water (1 part). Press, set the juice aside and filter. Some clarified by slightly boiling. Dose: 2–4 oz.

3. Extract of Chicory:
i. Leaves of Chicory, sufficient. Boiling Water, sufficient. Infuse, strain, then evaporate to the consistency of an extract.