Botanical description. Eyebright is a semi-parasitic, sucking out the nutritious juices from neighboring grasses with the help of roots. This is an annual plant, 10-20 (30) cm in height, strongly branched at the top, softly pubescent, with opposite sessile ovate leaves. The leaves are sharp-toothed; flower-bearing shoots develop in their axils, with white or pale purple flowers at the ends. A distinctive feature of eyebright flowers is a yellow spot on the three-lobed lower lip. It blooms depending on the specific habitat from late summer to autumn, and in sunny places already in June-July. Grows in meadows, wastelands, along roadsides, most abundant on dry slopes and in light forests of mountainous areas. Found throughout Europe, mainly in central and southern Germany, Italy, the Balkans and Russia.
Collection and preparation. The above-ground part of the plants is collected at the beginning of the flowering period, the bunches are hung out to dry in a shaded, ventilated place. Store dry grass in well-closed vessels: moisture is detrimental to the healing properties of raw materials.
Active ingredients: Aucubin and other iridoid glycosides, lignan, flavonoids, tannins and bitters, some essential oil, probably tertiary alkaloids.
Healing action and application.The experience of traditional medicine stimulates the interest of doctors in this medicinal plant. Again and again we receive confirmation of the justice of the praises addressed to the eyebright. This applies to both internal and external use of its infusions. o Eyebright tea: 1-2 teaspoons of chopped herbs are poured into 1/4 liter of cold water, brought to a boil and infused for 2 minutes. If a few crystals of table salt are added to strained tea, it will be very good for washing the eyes, since it approaches tears in salinity. In the form of lotions, tea is used for all kinds of inflammatory processes in the eyes, especially for conjunctivitis and blepharitis (inflammation of the connective tissue membrane of the eye and the edge of the eyelids). Even with eye injuries, when they fear that the cornea may be damaged, eyebright and pain reduces and heals. Warm lotions from eyebright tea mixed with an equal amount of chamomile help in the treatment of barley. In eye drops, which are used for eye fatigue, photophobia and burning, the healing power of the eyebright is also used. Regular drinking of eyebright tea reinforces the effect of these drops.
My special advice. In addition to the already mentioned methods of external use of eyebright tea, a mixture of eyebright with fennel fruits showed good results. Fennel (from the experience of traditional medicine) strengthens and “clarifies” the eyes, besides, it acts antiseptically due to the essential oil in its composition. Tea is used to wash the eyes, but you can also drink it.
Tea from eyebright and fennel: Eyebright 25.0 Fennel (crushed fruits) 10.0 One or two teaspoons with the top of the mixture pour 1/4 liter of boiling water and strain after 15 minutes. Every day in the morning and in the evening with the received tea, cooled or heated to body temperature, rinse the eyes until the painful phenomena pass.
Another amazing experience with eyebright is its strengthening effect on children (also adults) in debilitated health. Those who easily acquire a runny nose and cough, who often swell the cervical glands, who generally have little resistance, who have slightly watery eyes and cut them from the light, eyebright tea will help those. It must be drunk every day for 1/2 liter in small portions. If tea treatment is carried out regularly and for a long time, then in a few months the painful manifestations will disappear completely.
Use in homeopathy. The homeopathic remedy Euphrasia officinalis is prescribed for the treatment of eye inflammation. Outwardly: 30-50 drops of tincture in a glass of warm water for washing and lotions. Inside: in breeding D 1 -D6 every day 5-10 (up to 15) drops. The same dosage is prescribed, in addition, for arthrosis, rheumatism and gout, as well as for diseases of the stomach and prostate gland.
Application in folk medicine. Everything that was said about eyebright came to scientific medicine from folk medicine. Let us add that this is a proven cough remedy, accompanied by profuse sputum, catarrhal phenomena and pain in the frontal sinuses. Sebastian Kneipp extolled eyebright as a stomach remedy-bitterness. Dioscorides and Pliny could not have known it, since eyebright is not found in Greece. For the first time it is mentioned in the “Garden of Health” (Mainz, 1485), and G. Riffius spoke about it in detail in the “Revised Pharmacy Guide” (1573).
Side effects are unknown. The German National Health Service considers the effectiveness of eyebright to be insufficiently confirmed.