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 | Soapwort Other Names: Soaproot. Bouncing Bet. Latherwort. Fuller's Herb. Bruisewort. Crow Soap
Botanical Name: Saponaria officinalis
Family: N.O. Caryophyllaceae |
Description: |
| A stout herbaceous perennial with a stem growing in the writer's garden to 4 or 5 feet high. Leaves lanceolate, slightly elliptical, acute, smooth, 2 or 3 inches long and 1/3 inch wide. Large pink flowers, often double in paniculate fascicles; calyx cylindrical, slightly downy; five petals, unguiculate; top of petals linear, ten stamens, two styles; capsule oblong, one-celled, flowering from July till September. No odour, with a bitter and slightly sweet taste, followed by a persistent pungency and a numbing sensation in the mouth. |
Habitat: |
| Central and Southern Europe. Grows well in English gardens. |
Constituents: |
Constituents of the root, Saponin, also extractive, resin, gum, woody fibre, mucilage, etc.
Soapwort root dried in commerce is found in pieces 10 and 12 inches long, 1/12 inch thick, cylindrical, longitudinally wrinkled, outside light brown, inside whitish with a thick bark. Contains number of small white crystals and a pale yellow wood. |
Medicinal Usage: |
A decoction cures the itch. Has proved very useful in jaundice and other visceral obstructions. For old venereal complaints it is a good cure specially where mercury has failed. It is a tonic, diaphoretic and alterative, a valuable remedy for rheumatism or cutaneous troubles resulting from any form of syphilis. It is also sternutatory. Should be very cautiously used owing to its saponin content.
Dose. - Decoction, 2 to 4 fluid ounces three or four times daily. Extract or the inspissated juice will be found equally efficacious: dose, 10 to 20 grains. As a sternutatory 2 to 6 grains. Fluid extract, 1/4 to 1 drachm. |
Ancient Lore: |
SOAPWORT SAPONARIA OFFICINALIS
It cures gonorrhoea by taking the inspissated juice of it to the amount of half an ounce(14 g) a day.
A herbaceous perennial plant growing about two feet (60 cm) high with sharp-pointed leaves with large pale pink flowers.
Where to find it: Fairly common on roadsides, hedgerows, in watery places and near rivers.
Flowering time: Early summer.
Astrology: Venus owns this plant.
Medicinal virtues: The whole plant is bitter. Bruised and agitated with water, it raises a lather like soap, which washes greasy spots out of clothes. A decoction of it, applied externally, cures the itch.
Modern uses: Use cautiously because of its soapy taste and purgative properties. A decoction of the root is used as a wash to treat irritating skin conditions. Taken internally the expectorant properties help respiratory infections. The dose is 2-4 fl Oz (50- 100 ml) a day. This medicine is also useful in jaundice and for venereal disease. Soapwort is not without side-effects including dry mouth, tremor and tongue paralysis, if allowed to rnacerate for too long. It is best to boil the root for a few minutes only and strain immediately. |
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