Ranunculaceae

Names: Pulsatilla, Wind Flower, Meadow Anemone.

Habitat: Europe and parts of Russia, cultivated elsewhere.

Collection: The stalks should be gathered at the time of floweringwhich is in March or April..

Part Used: Aerial parts.

Constituents: * Lactones; protoanemonin, which dimerizes on drying toanemonin, ranunculin

* Triterpenoid saponins

* Miscellaneous; anemone camphor, tannins, volatile oil.

Actions: Nervine, anti-spasmodic, antibacterial.

Indications: Pasque Flower is an excellent relaxing nervine for use inproblems relating nervous tension and spasm in the reproductive system. It maybe used with safety in the relief of painful periods (dysmenorrhoea),ovarian pain and painful conditions of the testes. It may be usedto reduce tension reactions and headaches associated with them.It will help insomnia and general over-activity. The antibacterialactions give this herb a role in treating infections that affect the skin,especially boils. It is similarly useful in the treatment of respiratoryinfections and asthma. The oil or tincture will ease earache.

This remedy was far more widely used in the last century. To quote sectionsfrom the extensive monograph in King's Dispensatory: "Pulsatillaforms an important remedy with the Eclectic physicians as well as withhomeopaths, who make extensive use of it. According to Dr. Scudder, its mostimportant use is to allay irritation of the nervous system in persons of feeblehealth, thus giving sleep and rest, preventing unnecessary expenditure of nerveforce, and, by this means, facilitating the action of tonics and restoratives.In feeble women and men who have become nervous from sedentary habits or mentalover-exertion, as well as in the nervousness and restlessness of masturbators,or persons addicted to the excessive use of tobacco, he has found it verycertain in its action. It is the remedy for nervous women, when there isdebility and faulty nutrition of the nerve centers. It is a remedy of wideapplicability, but more particularly for those conditions in which the mind isa prominent factor. A gloomy mentality, a state of nervedepression and unrest, a disposition to brood over real orimagined trouble a tendency to look on the dark side of life, sadness, mildrestlessness, and a state of mental unrest generally denominated in broad terms"nervousness," are factors in the condition of the patient requiringPulsatilla. The whole countenance and movements of the body depictsadness, moroseness, despondency, and lack of tone. Hysteria of the mild andweeping form may be a symptom. The whole condition is one of nervousdepression, the nutrition of the nerve centers are at fault. Pulsatillamay be given to produce sleep, when there is great exhaustion. If theinsomnia is due to nervous exhaustion it is a prompt remedy togive rest, after which sleep obtains. Where sleep is disturbed by unpleasantdreams, and the patient awakens sad and languid, Pulsatilla should begiven. It has a large field in troubles incident to the reproductive organ ofboth sexes. As an emmenagogue, it serves a useful purpose in amenorrhoea innervous and anemic subjects, with chilliness a prominent symptom. Indysmenorrhoea, not due to mechanical causes, and with the above-namednervous symptoms, no remedy is more effective. Pulsatilla frequentlyproves a good remedy in ovaritis and ovaralgia with tensive,tearing pain. Sluggish, ineffectual, and weak labor-pains are sometimesremedied by this drug. It is frequently a remedy for pain, whendependent on or associated with debility,and sometimes when due to acuteinflammation. It is a leading remedy in epididymitis andorchitis, whether due to gonorrhoeal infection or to metastasis frommumps. It relieves the pains of orchialgia, and subdues mammaryswelling from the metastasis of mumps. It is especially valuable inrelieving urethral irritation and consequent spermatorroea andprostatorrhoea. It alleviates the nervous irritability accompanying orproduced by varicocoele. In gonorrhoea, particularly of the chronictype, Pulsatilla is of value when the urethral membrane is swollen. Manyunpleasant conditions of the urinary apparatus are relieved byPulsatilla, as frequent but ineffectual attempts at urination, thebladder giving a sensation as if bloated; dribbling of urine from movement, thedysuria of pregnancy, and in involuntary micturition from colds or fromnervous debility. It frequently proves a useful remedy in headache ofvarious types. It relieves the frontal headache from nasal catarrh, nervousheadache.

Pulsatilla should be remembered as a remedy to control the catarrhalsymptoms of the exanthemata; it also controls the irritabilityfrequently accompanying these disorders. In measles, it has done goodservice in checking the coryza and profuse lachrymation, as well as the dry,tight, painful cough, and when retrocession of the eruption has taken place, ithas reversed this unpleasant condition. It has been used to good advantage forthe relief of haemorrhoids. One of the earliest uses of this plant wasfor the relief of cataract, and opacity of the cornea, conditions inwhich the reputed value of Pulsatilla is very much overrated. It standsout prominently as a remedy for horadeolum or "stye." It is also aprompt remedy when the conjunctiva is hyperemic and the vision weakened,especially after reading, or from sexual abuse or sexual excesses(!?!), and inprofuse lachrymation when in the wind."

Combinations: For painful periods it will combine well with CrampBark. For skin conditions it combines with Echinacea. CAUTION: Do not usethe fresh plant!

Preparations & Dosage: Infusion: a cup of boiling water onto l/2-lteaspoonful of the dried herb and leave to infuse for l0-l5 minutes. Thisshould be drunk three times a day or when needed. Tincture: l-2 ml 3 times aday.