rosemary pharmacy

Name: Pharmacy rosemary

Lamiaceae – Lamiaceae (Labiatae).

Popular names: bride’s dress, wedding color, dike, sea dew, rose marie, incense grass.

Parts Used: Leaves.

Pharmacy name: rosemary leaves – Rosmarini folium (formerly: Folia Rosmarini), rosemary oil – Rosmarini aetheroleum (formerly: Oleum Rosmarini).

Botanical description. It is a vigorous, strongly branching and fragrant shrub that can reach 2m in height. The branches are densely covered with linear, leathery leaves wrapped around the edge, glossy above and felt-pubescent below. The flowers are light blue, relatively small, collected in false whorls at the top of the branches. Often visited by bees due to the large amount of nectar. Flowering March to May. Rosemary is a typical Mediterranean plant and therefore grows on dry slopes. Through the Alps, it spread to the north as early as the first century. Due to its poor winter hardiness, it is not often possible to grow it in the gardens of our country, but it can often be seen in flower pots. In Upper Bavaria, where rosemary is used as a wedding decoration, it is found in almost every peasant household.

Collection and preparation. Medicinal raw materials are obtained from cultural plantations. Leaves should be harvested before flowering and dried quickly but carefully. When drying, temperatures above +35°C should be avoided in order to preserve the main active ingredient of rosemary – essential oil.

Active ingredients: essential oil, resins, tannins, flavonoids, bitterness, vegetable acids and a little saponin.

Healing action and application.Rosemary has a tonic effect on the circulatory and especially nervous systems. With colic in the upper abdomen, rheumatism and gout, with weakness due to prolonged illness, especially low blood pressure, rosemary has a positive effect. Traditionally, rosemary wine is used, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared by yourself. Rosemary baths are also popular; their tonic action is very effective, so they should never be taken at bedtime. There are many rosemary bath extracts on the market, but if desired, baths can also be made directly from medicinal raw materials. We should not forget the alcohol tincture of rosemary as a rubbing that improves blood circulation. The German National Health Service suggests the following indications for rosemary: inside – with such disorders of well-being as a feeling of fullness in the stomach, flatulence, gastrointestinal and mild biliary spasms; externally – with rheumatic diseases of the muscles and joints.

  • Rosemary tea: 1 teaspoon topped with rosemary leaves, pour 1/4 liter of hot water and infuse for 15 minutes. Recommended for 1 cup of tea in the morning and at lunchtime for weakness, especially after infectious diseases, such as influenza.
  • Rosemary wine: Pour 10-20 g of rosemary leaves in a wine bottle with 3 l of light Moselle wine and infuse for 5 days, then strain. Dosage: 2 times a day for a glass.
  • Rosemary bath: mix 50 g of rosemary leaves with 1 liter of water, bring to a boil. Hold for 30 minutes and strain. Pour the finished broth into a bath filled with water.
  • Rosemary tincture: pour 50 g of rosemary leaves into 250 g of 70% alcohol, stand for 10 days, then squeeze and filter. You can also use ready-made rosemary oil, which is obtained from the leaves by steam distillation and sold in pharmacies: 3 g is dissolved in 1 liter of 70% alcohol.

Use as a condiment. Rosemary is a valuable spice, but it must be dosed very carefully. One chef once said about rosemary: “Half of it is already too much!” Rosemary goes well with vegetable soups, vegetable and meat stews, roasts and sauces, poultry and especially mushrooms. Rosemary seasoning (in a small amount!) Is appropriate for offal and boiled fish. This spice goes well with cheese; cooked with rosemary (also with thyme), soft cheese is more pleasant and tastier. A delicious spice blend of salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and cayenne pepper in equal parts, especially appreciated by those who love very spicy seasonings. This mixture can also be seasoned with eggs for breakfast.

Application in folk medicine.Since rosemary grows in the Mediterranean, it has been widely known since antiquity. Its descriptions were transferred to medieval herbal books, which significantly expanded the list of its medicinal properties. Well, after Sebastian Kneipp gave his “blessing” to rosemary, this medicinal plant received particularly widespread recognition in folk medicine. Tea, wine, baths and alcoholic tincture have been used for gas, impaired function of the stomach and intestines, lack of appetite, diseases of the abdominal organs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, dropsy, diseases of the heart and circulatory system, rheumatism and gout, convulsions and paralysis, but above all for nervous exhaustion and for strengthening the body after prolonged illnesses. In addition, traditional medicine claims

Side effects. With a normal dosage, one should not be afraid of side effects. However, the essential oil should not be used internally as it can irritate the stomach, intestines, and kidneys. A rosemary bath in the evening can disrupt sleep. Rosemary tea should not be drunk during pregnancy!