Artemisia absinthum L. Wormwood
Family: Compositae
Description: “Subshrub with grey-green, deeply dissected foliage, with silky hairs on both sides. Insignificant, yellow, globose flowers borne in panicles in summer. H 1m, S 60-90cm. Half hardy.” (Bown, 1995:88)
Habitat: Native to Europe, N Africa and W Asia -“on roadsides and waste-places” (Mills, 1993: 436).
Harvest: “Whole plants are cut when flowering; leaves are picked before flowering.” (Bown, 1995: 244)
Parts used: Herb
Dosage: 1:5 Tincture: 1-2ml tds, Fluid Extract: 1ml tds, Dried:1-2g tds.
Character: Bitter, pungent, drying, quite cold (Ody, 1993)
Actions:
-Bitter digestive tonic;
-antiparasitic;
-uterine stimulant (Mills,1991);
-antibiotic;
-bile stimulant;
-carminative;
-antiseptic (Ody, 1993)
Organ systems: Digestive
Indications:
-In cases where appetite requires stimulation, eg. anorexia nervosa, and likewise for gallbladder; intestinal worms (Ody,1993);
-liver-disease, eg. hepatitis;
-chronic digestive infections (possible source of IBS), eg, giardia (AD).
External usage:
-Bruises and bites (compress);
-infestations, eg. scabies (wash) (Ody,1993)
Safety: Use with caution.
Contra-indications: Do not use in pregnancy; persons with gallstones; children; epileptics (due to thujone content); persons with porphyria.
Key Constituents (Mills, 1993):
-Essential oil, inc. thujone (up to 35%), thujol,isovaleric acid
-Bitter sesquiterpenes, inc. caryophyllene and cardinene
-Bitter sesquiterpene lactones, inc. germacranolides, guaianolides or ‘azulenes’ (eg. absinthin), santanolides
-Terpenoids
-Flavonoids
-Hydroxycoumarins; Polyacetylenes; Tannins; Resin; Silica
Pharmacology (Mills, 1993): In addition to the classic bitter effects of the sesquiterpenes, flavonoids and essential oil constituents, many other actions: germacranolide group of sesqueterpene lactones are significantly anti-tumour in effect; azulenes – anti-inflammatory; santonin (santanolide) – powerful vermifuge; absinthin and anabsinthin – insecticidal. Essential oil – carminative: thujone and thujol – stimulate smooth muscle and antiseptic. Polyacetylenes (in fresh plant) – antiseptic; tannins and resin – astringent; silica promotes connective tissue repair.
Toxicology (Mills, 1993): Long term use of ‘absinthe’, the liqueur based on the essential oil, has been shown to severely damage CNS; while therapeutic dose unlikely to harm, long term prescriptions should be restricted (Gentiana alternative as simple bitter tonic). Plant has been shown to cause abortion so must be avoided in pregnancy.
History: Many Biblical references have led to its bitterness becoming metaphor for consequences of sin: “For the lips of a strange woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but her end is bitter as wormwood…” (Proverbs 5: 3-4) Ancient household strewing herb to deter insects.
Used in aperitifs such as vermouth as digestive stimulant. Liqueur, absinthe, (first produced by Pernod in 1797) became popular in 19th century society, mainly in France. Its popularity was boosted when French army chose it to ward off disease during North Africa campaigns of 1840s. Especially associated with the artists and bohemians of the time, Van Gogh, Baudelaire and Maupassant among them, it was said to stimulate the mind and sexual appetite but in larger doses caused hallucinogenic effects; subsequent discovery of damage to CNS and addictive nature, often resulting in crimes, caused it to be banned in many countries (Switzerland, 1908 and France finally in 1915). (Mann, 1994)
Generic term comes from goddess Artemis (Diana) who is supposed to have first delivered the plant to the great healer, Chiron the Centaur. Common name “wormwood” derives from the German Wermut, “preserver of the mind”, as it was thought to enhance mental functions; also however indicative of use to expel parasitic worms. (Smith, 1977)
Traditional and Practitioner sources:
“Wormwood tea, made from one ounce of herb, infused 10-12 mins in one pint boiling water, and taken in wineglassful doses, will relieve melancholia and help dispel the yellow hue of jaundice from the skin, as well as being a good stomachic…” Mrs. Grieve (Grieve, 1985: 860)
