Wormwood
Absinthii herba
Wermutkraut
Published December 5, 1984
Name of Drug
Absinthii herba , wormwood.
Composition of Drug
Wormwood consists of the fresh or dried upper shoots and leaves, or the fresh or dried basal leaves, or a mixture of the above plant parts from Artemisia absinthium L. [Fam. Asteraceae], harvested during flowering season, as well as its preparations in effective dosage. The herb contains at least 0.3 percent (v/w) volatile oil and has a bitter value of not less than 15,000. The volatile oil contains thujone. Additionally, the herb contains bitter principles of the sesquiterpene lactone type such as absinthin, anabsinthin, artabsin, anabsin, also flavones, ascorbic acid, and tannins.
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Uses
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Loss of appetite, dyspepsia, biliary dyskinesia.
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Contraindications
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None known.
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Side Effects
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None known.
Interactions with Other Drugs
None known.
Dosage
Unless otherwise prescribed:
Daily dosage:
- 2 - 3 g of herb as water infusion.
Mode of Administration
Cut herb for infusions and decoctions, herb powder, also extracts and tinctures as liquid or solid forms of medication for oral administration.
Warning:Combinations with other bitters or aromatics may be advantageous. In toxic doses, thujone, the active component of the oil, acts as a convulsant poison. Therefore, the essential oil must not be used except in combinations.
Action
The effectiveness as an aromatic bitter is based on the bitter principles and volatile oil. Useful experimental pharmacological data of recent years are not available.
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