Parts Used: Flowers.
Pharmacy name: mullein flowers – Verbasci flos (formerly: Flores Verbasci).
Botanical description.Both types of mullein are better known in Germany under the name “royal candle”. These biennial plants in the first year form only a rosette of densely pubescent hard leaves. Then a large, thick, also densely pubescent stem develops, 1-3 m in height with sessile decurrent leaves. The leaves are entire in the mullein-shaped and crenate in the dense-flowered. Bright yellow flowers sit on the peduncle in bunches (2-5 each) and form a dense spike-shaped inflorescence; they do not bloom at the same time, but gradually, several flowers every day, and fall off very quickly. Blooms from June (July) to August (September). It grows mainly in sunny places: on rocky slopes, slopes, in thickets of shrubs, in forest glades, in wastelands. Sometimes a plant that you like is transplanted into the garden,
Collection and preparation. When collecting, drying and storing flowers, you must be extremely careful, because they easily lose their golden color (becoming dirty brown), and with it most of their healing qualities. The best time to harvest is late in the morning, just after the sun has dried the morning dew. At this time, the easiest thing is to separate the corollas of newly blossomed flowers with stamens adhering to them. Try not to take cups of flowers if you want to get good raw materials. Drying should be carried out in a ventilated room, the temperature should not exceed 5O C. Immediately after drying, the flowers are placed in well-closing vessels so that they do not pick up moisture from the air again (they are very hygroscopic!).
active substances. The first active substance of mullein was mucus. Saponins, flavonoids, iridoids, and some essential oil were found soon after. Other components were also found, which also cannot be considered ballast, but the above-mentioned substances are the most important.
Healing action and application. Mullein is a popular folk remedy, and even the German National Health Service recognizes its effectiveness in upper respiratory catarrhs. Mucus, which is part of its composition, softens irritation, and saponins dissolve thick sputum in the bronchi and facilitate expectoration. But mullein is almost never used alone. It is always only one of the components of all kinds of medicinal cough teas, and in addition to the direct action, it must also be recognized for the effect of improving the taste of tea. Here is one of the recipes of the German Pharmacopoeia (6th edition).
- Tea collection with mullein: Marshmallow root 8.0 Licorice root 3.0 Violet root 1.0 Coltsfoot leaf 4.0 Mullein flowers 2.0 Anise fruit, crushed 2.0
One or two teaspoons of the collection pour 1/4 liter of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, sweeten with honey and drink if necessary (2-3 cups every day) in small sips while warm. Mullein flowers are also included in the blood-purifying collections used for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, however, perhaps, their role here is primarily decorative.
Use in homeopathy. Homeopathic remedy Verbascum thapsiforme is used for trigeminal neuralgia, ear pain, hoarseness and “deaf” cough. They try to prescribe it for nighttime urinary incontinence. Usually recommend breeding D, and D 1 (rarely the original tincture). The dosage is selected individually. You can advise several times every day for 5-10 drops or 2-3 times for 10-20 drops.
Application in folk medicine. Of course, in folk medicine, mullein is also used as a cough remedy (mixed with plantain in equal parts), especially for traditional colds. In addition, mullein is used for sitz baths prescribed for hemorrhoids and itching in the anus, also for diarrhea and bedwetting. I would like to mention the so-called royal oil, which is an extract from mullein flowers in olive oil. It works well for earaches, boils in the ear, eczema in the external auditory canal, and chronic inflammation of the middle ear.
- Royal oil: Pour a handful of fresh mullein flowers into a bottle and pour 100 g of pure olive oil. The bottle must be made of white glass, it is placed in the sun. Shake the container with the mixture thoroughly every day. After 3-4 weeks, the oil is filtered and it is ready for use.
Side effects can not be feared if you do not give too large a dose.