Polygonum hydropier, Persicaria

Water Pepper, Arsmart, Hydropeperi
Filfil al-ma (Unani)

Gart der Gesundheit, Cuba, 1485

Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

Polygonum hydropier
Svensk botanik, Palmstruch et al], 1807

Botanical name:

Persicaria hydropiper (syn. Polygonum hydropier)
Salmon (Seplasium) describes two types:
1. Dead or Spotted, which is Persicaria, or (Mild) Arsmart, has little or no taste, like Sorrel; this is Cool
2. Hydropiper, Water Pepper, or Biting Arsmart, with red spots, and in taste is as hot as Pepper.
The two plants are almost identical, except the hot taste and reddish spots on the leaves of the latter.

Parts used:

Herb

Temperature & Taste:

Warm, dry. Pungent

Uses:

1. Externally:
-Externally for Wounds and Ulcers
-dissolve Tumors including Hard (Fibroid) Tumors, Cold Swellings and congealed Blood
-“Its plaster dissolves hard swellings” (Avicenna)
-applied to Felons of the finger tips
-applied to gout and cold joint pains
-strewn around a room, was said to kill (or repel) Fleas
-the root held in the mouth for toothache
-juice dropped into the ears for for pain, tinnitus and deafness

2. Clears Stones:
-Distilled water was said to be the ‘one of the most excellent things in the World to break, dissolve, and bring away Stones’ (Salmon)

Dose

:
1–3 grams

Comment:

‘Some use this Herb to transplant Diseases, chiefly such as come by Incantation’. (Schroder)

Main Combinations:

1. (Hot) Hydropier, Rhubarb, Hyssop, decocted in ale ‘takes away a woman’s great belly if not with Child’. (Salmon)

Cautions:

None noted