Crocus, Saffron, Xi Hong Hua 西红花

Kum Kuma (Sanskrit)
Safran (Hindi)
Xi Hong Hua, Fan Hong Hua (TCM)
Zafrah (Unani)
Gur Gum  གུར་གུམ  (Tibetan)
 Picture Picture Picture
Picture Della Materia Medicinale, Andrea Valuassori, 1562


Picture Flora von Deutschland, Kohler, 1886

Picture Saffron Filaments from Iran

Picture Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION

Botanical name:


Crocus sativus

Parts used:


stigmas

Temperature & Taste:


Moderately Warm (some sources say Cool), dry. Pungent, sweet
opens, digests, softens

Classifications:


2L. EMOLLIENT.    2Q. ANODYNE.    2R. NARCOTICS & HYPNOTICS.    2S. STRENGTHENING.    2V. EXPEL PUS
3C. ALEXIPHARMIC.    3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS.    3F. LITHONTRIPTIC.    3G. EMMENAGOGUE.    3J. INCREASE SEMEN.    3I. APHRODISIAC
4c. CARDIAC.    4d. PECTORAL.    4e. STOMACHIC.    4f. SPLENETIC.    4i. UTERINE

Uses:


1. Strengthens the Heart, Benefits the Spirit:
-Heart weakness, Palpitation, Chest pain
-agitation, irritability
-an important medicine for Melancholy, Depression
-“It is Exhilarant and a Heart tonic”. (Avicenna)

2. Moves the Blood, Opens Obstructions, Resolves Masses:
-Blood stagnation; fixed or chronic pain; chronic Headaches; chronic Joint pain;
-added to numerous traditional formula to promote circulation and enhance effectiveness
-Swellings, Inflammations. Avicenna said it ‘dissolves swellings’
-improves complexion (Avicenna)

3. Moves the Blood, Resists Poison:
-powerfully resists and expels Poison; commonly added to Antidotes
-Plague, Epidemic diseases
-helps expression of Rashes: Measles, Small Pox
-Acne, Boils, Carbuncles

4. Opens and Strengthens the Liver:
-Saffron (or Safflower) are regarded as the primary medicine for the Liver in Tibetan Medicine (one of the Six Excellent Medicines)
-Liver obstruction; Liver Heat
-Jaundice

5. Strengthens the Lungs:
-‘called the Soul of the Lungs’ (Schroder);
-Asthma, Breathlessness, difficulty Breathing, Consumption
–‘A special remedy for those that have consumption of the Lungs, and are … at deaths door, and almost past breathing, that it bringeth breath again, and prolongeth life’. (Gerard)

6. Strengthens the Kidneys:
-‘Promotes Lust’ (since Dioscorides); regarded as an aphrodisiac for women in Ayurveda and Unani
-Infertility, Impotence
-Kidney deficiency, Prostate disorders, Diabetes

7. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation and Birth:
-benefits the Womb, promotes Menstruation and Birth
-useful for various chronic disorders of the Uterus

8. Externally:
-paste or oil of Saffron is applied to bruises, sores, rheumatic and neuralgic pain
-poultice with milk and bread crumbs softens Tumors and Abscesses
-applied to protect the eyes from Small Pox and Measles
-applied topically for chest congestion.
-used in a pessary, it is very good for Uterine pain
-topically in oils for Deafness
-used as a snuff in Tibet for chronic Rhinitis and Sinusitis
-topically for Deafness

Dose:


Dosage range: 50mg–1200mg

Correctives:


… available in PRO version

Substitutes:


… available in PRO version
Picture

Main Combinations:


Camphor & Saffron
Peach kernel / Bitter Almond kernel & Saffron / Safflower

1. Fever:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Burning Fever, Saffron with … available in PRO version
2. Children’s Fever, Saffron with … available in PRO version
3. To preserve from Infection during Epidemics:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
4. Strengthen the Heart:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
5. Cold affections of the Brain; Melancholy, Vertigo, Dizziness and Heart disorders, Saffron with … available in PRO version
6. To move the Blood, clear Stasis and resolve Bruising:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
iii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
7. To promote Menstruation:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
iii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
iv. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
v. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
vi. to strongly promote Menstruation, Saffron with … available in PRO version
8. To Promote Birth:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
iii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
9. Cough:
i. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
ii. Saffron with  … available in PRO version
10. Cough, Asthma, Wheezing, Chest Pain, Saffron with … available in PRO version
11. Shortness of Breath, Saffron with … available in PRO version
12. Headache, Migraine:
i. from Bile and Phlegm, Saffron with … available in PRO version
ii. Migraine, Saffron with … available in PRO version
13. Loss of Speech, Apoplexy, Saffron with … available in PRO version
14. Poor Memory, Saffron with … available in PRO version
15. Liver heat, Hepatitis, Saffron with … available in PRO version
16. Sclerosis of the Liver, Saffron with … available in PRO version
17. Jaundice, Saffron with … available in PRO version
18. Pain from Bruising, Blood Stagnation, and chronic Pains, as a Plaster, Saffron with  … available in PRO version
19. Oil of Saffron, to ease Pain, strengthen the Nerves; Headache, Neuralgia, Uterine pain etc … available in PRO version
20. ‘Oriental Joy Pills’: Saffron with … available in PRO version

Major Formulas


Tincture of Saffron
Troches of Saffron (Damocrates)
Troches of Saffron (Nicholas)
Electuary of Saffron Lesser (Diacrocon Minus) (Mesue)
Electuary of Saffron Greater (Diacrocon Majores) (Mesue)

Tincture of Juniper Compound
Infusion for Jaundice (Riverius)
Decoction Against Retention of Menstruation
Emmenagogue Decoction (Riverius)
Electuary of Rose (Unani)
Lohoch Effective for Asthma (Serapion)
Confection for Catarrh
Hiera Picra
Birth Powder
Powder to Move Blood (Wirtzung)
Powder to Promote Menstruation (Riverius)
Powder to Strengthen the Heart (Wirtzung)
Powder for Melancholy (Philon)
Powder for Childrens Fever (Tibetan Medicine)
Troches Praised for Liver Hardness (Nicholas)
Pills of Ruffus (Common Pills, or Pestilential Pills)
Pills for Headache from Bile and Phlegm
Pills to Strongly Promote Menstruation

Cautions:


1. Not used during pregnancy or heavy Menstruation
2. Toxic in overdose; 1 ½–2 grams can be toxic.

Main Preparations used:


Diacurcuma, Tincture or Essence of Saffron, Extract, Oil of Saffron, Troches of Saffron, Plaster of Oxycrocum