Papaver rhoeas, Corn Poppy

Field Poppy, Red Poppy, Corn Rose
Rakta Posta (Ayurveda)
Btsun pa me tog  བཙུན་པ་མེ་ཏོག  (Tibetan)
Li Chun Hua (TCM)
Picture Papaver rhoeas
Köhler, Medizinal Pflanzen, vol. 3 (1890)

Botanical name:


Papaver rhoeas (syn. P. commutatum), P. erraticum

Parts used:


Flowers

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, dry. Bitter

Classifications:


3L. ANTI-TUSSIVE
Preparers and Purgers of Bile

Uses:


1. Clears Heat, Calms the Mind, Eases Pain:
-calms the Mind, relieves pain, promotes rest
-Headache, Migraine from heat
-Abdominal pain (TCM)
-Back and upper body Pain (Tibet)

2. Clears Heat, Stops Cough: (West, Ayurveda, TCM)
-Fever, especially in Children
-Cough, Bronchitis, Pleurisy
-acute Sore Throat, Tonsillitis

3. Clears Heat, Stops Bleeding:
-Uterine Bleeding (Tincture of the Flowers)

4. Astringes to Stop Leakage: (TCM)
-Diarrhea, Dysentery


Dose:


Flowers in Powder: 1–3 grams
Flowers in Infusion: 1–2 teaspoonfuls

Substitutes:


1. Argemone coronaria was considered a type of Wild Poppy (‘Bastard Wild Poppy’), and hence was considered similar to Red Poppy.
2. Red Poppy has been suggested as a suitable substitute to Meconopsis (Blue Poppy) of Tibetan Medicine. (Gyatso)
Picture

Main Combinations:


1. Cough, Bronchitis:
i. Lung Heat and Inflammation, Milk Thistle seed with Red Poppy and Pearl
ii. Coltsfoot with Licorice, Red Poppy flower, Aniseed (Pharmacopoeia Castrensis Borussica, 1823)
iii. Ground Ivy with Pearl Barley, Licorice, Coltsfoot, Speedwell, Red Poppy flower, Mullein flower, Aniseed, Figs (Pharmacopoeia regni Poloniae, 1817)
iv. Mallow flower, Amaranth flower, Coltsfoot flower, Red Poppy flower (equal parts) (Pharmacopoeia Gallica, 1818)
v. decorticated Barley (½ oz.), Water (3 lbs.), wash the Barley, boil to 2 pounds, adding towards the end: Ground Ivy (2 drams), Licorice, Red Poppy flower (1 ½ drams each), Strain. (Pharmacopoeia Hispana, 1798)
2. Hemoptysis, White Poppy seed, Henbane seed (½ dram), Syrup of Red Poppy, Conserve of Roses (1 ½ oz.). Mix. Dose: as much as a Walnut. (Niemann)
3. Pleurisy,
i. Red Poppy flower powder, added to food and drink, heals Pleurisy. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
ii. Saltpeter with Red Coral, Red Poppy flower, Sugar of Violets
4. Childhood Spasms, Mint with Camomile, Red Poppy flower (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)
5. Colitis in Children:
i. Red Poppy flower, Fennel seed, Camomile
ii. Tragacanth with Peony, Mint, Balm, Red Poppy flower (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)

Major Formulas:



Cautions:


None noted

Main Preparations used:


Distilled Water of the Flowers, Syrup of the Flowers made by triple-infusion, Conserve of the Flowers, Extract and Vinegar of the Flowers

1. Distilled Water of Red Poppy:
  Red Poppy flowers (1 part)
  Water (4 parts)
Steep, then distill off 2 parts.

2. Conserve of Red Poppy:
  Fresh Red Poppy flowers (1 part)
  Sugar (2 parts)
Beat well together.

3. Vinegar of Red Poppy:
  Red Poppy flowers, ½ pound
  Vinegar, 3 pounds
Steep and strain. (Wirtemberg)

4. Syrup of Red Poppy
  Fresh Red Poppy flowers 1 lb.
  Boiling Water, 1 pint, 2 ounces
  Sugar, 1 ½ lbs.
Steep the flowers in boiling water for 12 hours, strain, let settle, pour off the clear liquid, and with the Sugar form a syrup according to Art.

5. Extract of Red Poppy:
  Heads of Red Poppy before the flowers appear, 1 pound
  Water, 8 pounds
Boil an hour, express the juice, and evaporate to the consistency of an extract.
Dose: 10 grains–1 scruple (Piderit)