Primroses – Primulaceae.
Parts Used: Above-ground part of the plant.
Pharmacy name: full-time field-colored herb – Anagallidis arvensis herba (formerly: Herba Anagallidis arvensis).
Botanical description. Full-time fieldflower is a small herbaceous plant with a tetrahedral stem, for the most part decumbent and reaching a length of about 25 cm. Leaves devoid of petioles are ovate to elongated and arranged oppositely or in whorls of three. From the axils of the leaves develops a peduncle with a flower, traditionally brick red, but sometimes blue (Anagallis coerulea Schreb.) or white. Blooms from June to October. It occurs as a weed in fields, fallows, orchards and vineyards, most often on clay soil.
Active ingredients: saponins, bitters, tannins, flavonoids and one substance that appears to have antifungal activity.
Healing action and application. This plant is not used in scientific medicine. However, it is likely that it will gain acceptance in the future, since its components, which are especially active against skin diseases, provide a basis for re-examining its effectiveness.
Use in homeopathy. The homeopathic remedy Anagallis arvensis is prepared from a fresh flowering plant. It is used in rashes of various kinds and boils, and in nervous diseases, although not often. Medium dilutions are used (D 1 -D6).
Application in folk medicine.Although the old folk medicine highly appreciates the full-time color, we must not forget that this plant is poisonous, which means that we must beware of any self-treatment. The use of full-time color in folk medicine goes back to its mention by Dioscorides and Pliny (1st century AD). Medieval herbalists learned from these authors. And German folk medicine apparently took as a basis the statement of Leonart Fuchs in his New Herbalist (1543): relieves toothache, mixed with honey, clears cloudy eyes, drunk with wine, the juice is good against snake bites, against diseases of the liver and kidneys. Moreover, field color is used both internally and as an external remedy for warts,
Side effects. In excessively large quantities, the color causes diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Long-term use harms the kidneys. There was also an undesirable effect on the nervous system. People who are allergic to primroses may develop skin rashes.