Wormwood

(Artemisia absinthium)

It has been used as a means for protection against moths since long ago. Parallelly, it has always served as a raw material in terms of production of beer and liquors. It grows in Europe and Northern America. It is a perennial aromatic herb with a many-headed rhizome, its bottom part of the stalk is turned to wood and it has articulated, pulpy leaves. It is in bloom from June to August.

Used parts

Dried leaves and blooms.

Effective substances

Volatile essential oil with thujon and azulene, phytocide substances, glycoside bitter substances absinthine and anabsinthine, flavonoids including quercetine, acids of phenol, lignins.

Action and effects

Stomachicum, spasmolyticum, desinficiens and antiseptic. It kills and helps to dislodge intestinal parasites. It has anti-inflammatory effects.

Application in medicine

It is used for the removal of intestinal parasites, in case of anorexia and inflammations of stomach. In the Chinese medicine, the so called sweet wormwood is prescribed for the treatment of summer colds, malaria and chronic intestinal dysentery. It is also applied (externally) in case of scabies, abscesses and some ophtalmic diseases.

Intoxication

After the ingestion of 15 g of wormwood essential oil there occurs nausea, trismus, spasms and coma. The plant itself, when eaten in a larger amount, brings about digestive troubles, headache, vertigo, confusion, tremor, weakness, micturition and ador in urethra. In gravid women it provokes abortus. The abortive property of wormwood used to be abused very often.

Thujone

Chemical and physical substance:

1-isopropyl-4-methylbicyklo[3,1,0]hexan-3-on, summary formula C₁₀H₁₆O

Its molecular mass is 152.24. Under normal circumstances, thujon is a liquid with the boiling point of 200°C. There exist isomeres alpha and beta here differing as for configuration in carbon number 1.

Effects upon human organism:

It brings about spasms. Its psychothropic activity, first of all in case of oral administration, is, according to the latest studies, relatively low. Direct application in the blood circulation increases its effects upon the nervous system. Generally, it can be said that in respect to the amounts usual in food there occur no negative effects of thujon here.