Scabiosa, Scabious

Picture Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485

 Picture Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491
Picture Greater Scabious
New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

 Picture Lesser Scabious
New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563
Picture Greater (left) and Lesser (right) Scabious
Kreutterbuch, Matthiolus, 1586

Botanical name:


Scabiosa arvensis (syn. Knautia arvensis)
There were 5 types traditionally recoginsed, all with the same virtues.

Parts used:


Root, leaf, flower; usually the whole herb with Root is used

Temperature & Taste:


Cool (Warm in west), dry. Bitter

Uses:


1. Clears Heat and Phlegm, Stops Cough and Wheezing:
-old coughs, shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma
-Pleurisy, Tuberculosis
-Gerard said it ‘Scoureth the Chest and Lungs’. (Herb was often decocted in wine)
-‘Soothes the Lungs’ (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)

2. Clears Heat, Resists Poison, Resolves Swellings:
-ripens all internal abscesses (Lung, Intestine etc)
-‘all sorts of hard and cold swellings’; Fibroids, Cancer
-‘internal Abscess and Carbuncles’ (Lonicerus)
-Scabs, Eruptions, Rashes and Itch; Eczema, Psoriasis, Pruritus
-bites of Snakes, Scorpions and other venomous beasts (juice)
-Epidemic Fevers, as well as for Measles and Small Pox.
-‘the decoction of the roots taken for 40 days together… helps those troubled with running or spreading ulcers, tetters, or ringworms’.
-‘lichens caused by Syphilis disappear when the infusion of the herb or the root is regularly drunk for 40 days.’ (Matthiolus)
-‘root of the Great Scabious with the purple flower is as great a specific against the French Pox as that of Sarsaparilla, if not greater’ (Salmon)

3. Promotes Healing:
-all internal and external Ulcers and Wounds.
-‘the worst internal ulcers’ (Haller, Lexicon, 1755)

4. Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
-scanty urine, dysuria, as well as gravel and stones.

5. Kills Worm:
-used for Worms

6. Externally:
-decoction was applied as a wash to boils, plague sores, and wounds.
-wash for dandruff, itches and sores etc.
-externally for cold tumors, ulcers, fistulas, hemorrhoids, tetters, ringworm
–condylomas, lichen, and creeping ulcers (Lonicerus)
-skin deformities including freckles, scurf, morphew, scabies.
-‘The herb bruised and applied, doth in a short time loosen and draw forth any splinter, broken bone, arrow head or other such like thing lying in the flesh’. (Culpeper)
-strong wash is used for Lice (Bock)
-in oils for Alopecia
-in Cosmetic preparations.

Dose:


Infusion or Brief Decoction: 3–6 grams per day
Powder: 1–3 grams
Tincture (1:5): 10–20 drops, twice daily

Comment:


‘it is found that scabies is the herb of great virtue’ (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)

Main Combinations:


1. Cough:
i. to soothe the Lungs, Scabious with Licorice. (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)
ii. with excess Phlegm, Scabious with Elecampane, Raisins, Coltsfoot, Calamint and Licorice (as in Syrup of Scabious)
ii. Cold and moist Cough, Scabious with Maidenhair, Hyssop, Licorice, Violet
2. Cough, Asthma, Wheezing, shortness of Breath, Scabious with Hyssop, Horehound, Coltsfoot, Elecampane
3. Cough, Cold, Asthma, Hemoptysis, Scabious with Maidenhair, Sage, Hyssop, Horehound, Borage, Elecampane, Aniseed, Cinnamon, Saffron (as in Pectoral Water of Frankfurt)
4. Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Scabious with Lance-leaf Plantain and Coltsfoot (equal parts) (Müller)
5. Urticaria, Scabious with Nettle (Müller)
6. Eczema, Psoriasis:
i. Scabious with Fumitory, Borage and Wormwood
ii. Scabious with Heartsease, Burdock root, Walnut leaf (Theißmann)
7. Abscess:
i. Scabious, Betony decocted and drunk (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)
ii. Scabious, Hyssop, Violet, Plantain
iii. plaster of Scabious, Plantain, beaten with vinegar and Rose Water and applied (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)
8. Bruising, Scabious with Madder, Costus, St Johns wort, Rhubarb (as in Powder Against Bruising)
9. Wormmw, Scabious, Wormwood juice, Honey (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)
10. To ripen Plague Buboes and Toxic Sores, mix Scabious with Elder leaves and apply
11. Scabies, Scabious, Sulphur, Litharge, form an ungent with Oil of Bay. (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)
12. Alopecia, Scabious with Southernwood, form an oil for topical application. (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)

Major Formulas:


Decoction for Catarrh (Alcalá)
Hepatic Decoction (Hoffman)
Decoction for Cancer (Fuller)
Syrup of Comfrey Compound
Syrup of Horehound (Fernelius)
Powder Against Bruising

Cautions:


None noted

Main Preparations used:


Distilled Water of the whole Plant, Syrup of the Juice, Conserve of the Flowers, Salt from the Ashes