Healing Gardens

Body:

Wormwood

Family Name: Aster

Family Name: Asteraceae/

Compositae

Latin Name: Artemesia absinthium

Common Name: Absinth, Wormwood, Anjenjo, Old Women

Species Related: Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, A. lavandlaefoila, A. integrifoila, A. indica, and A. ingniaria

Body System Affiliations:

1. Digestive System

2. Musculo-Skeletal System

3. Nervous System

Botanical Description:

Habit: Perennial Herb

Size: Up to 4 ft. tall

Arrangement: Alternate

Leaves: Silver grey, pubescent, deeply serrated, 4 in. long, basal leaves have a longer stalk

Flowers: Droopy flowering heads ¼ in. diameter each, from June to September scattered along new growth

Fruit: seeds

Root: Fibrous

Ecology:

Habitat: Rocky hillsides, wastelands

Range: Temperate areas worldwide

Native: Eurasia and North Africa

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:

Food: Flavoring in Vermouth (Merck)

Distillation of wormwood produces Absinthe (Merck, Chemweb)

Medicine:

Part Used: Leaves

Medicinal Actions: Bitter, aphrodisiac (Nat. Geo), aromatic, vermifuge, tonic,

carminative, anti-inflammatory (Hoffman), hallucinogenic

Indications: Parasites, poor appetite especially from travel, poor fat metabolism,

rheumatism, sprains, bruises, swelling.

Body System Affiliations: Digestive, nervous, and musculo-skeletal systems

Constituents: Volitale oil mostly thujone of which α-thujone is most toxic (Chemweb), chief bitter is absinthin(Merck).

Applications: Absinthe, tincture, poultice, fomentation, infusion, decoction.

Preparation: Aromatic flavoring recipe from Henri-Lious Pernod calls for a blend

of aniseed, fennel, hyssop, lemonbalm, angelica, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg,

veronica, and wormwood in at least 40% alcohol. Distil this mixture, yields a green distillate (ChemWeb) Add more herbs including wormwood. Tincture is made with 40-60% alcohol.

Pharmacy: Tea in the ratio of 1 tsp. / 1 cup of water can be drank by the wineglass

up to 4 times a day. Tincture can be taken also up to 4 times a day 5-30 drops.

CAUTION: Thujone, found in wormwood and its alcohols, is a neurotoxin. Individual sensitivity may vary. Ingestion of thujone or absinthe causes G.I. symptoms, nervousness, stupor, convulsions and even death (Merck).

Other: Absinthe is the drink of the impressionist era, i.e. Van Gogh

Indigenous and Non-Western Significance/ Uses:

Material/ Technology: Miwok Natives of easterly North American origin used the

anti-parasitic branches with the leaves to line acorn-caches. These caches stood off the ground on fir-wood legs enclosed with cedar bark, also anti-parasitic, or were

buried below ground within cache carriers of the same materials, wormwood, cedar, and fir, and remained unspoiled for multiple decades (Botanica). During a Mexican traditional dance honoring the Goddess of Salt, women wear a wormwood

head dress (Nat. Geo).

Other: Mention of the use of fresh root, attributed to no particular group of Native

North Americans, for catalepsy, cholera, convulsions, epilepsy, hysteria, and worms

(N.A. Indian Herb). Artemisia nilagirica is smoked for its psychoactive effects in West

Bengal. Artemisia caruhii is smoked by the Zuni people for analgesic purposes (Chemweb).

Propagation:

Technique: Temperate conditions, drained soil.

Timing: Seeds late September

Personal Experience: None

Harvest:

Part: Leaves/flowers

Season of Harvest: Summer

Ecological Considerations: Wormwood is a re-claimer of lands often pioneering

the re-establishment of vegetation, be careful to not disturb and already disturbed

area. Also consider what used to be where the wormwood now grows, do man made toxins lurk in the soil?

Cautions: Thujone can be absorbed through the skin, be aware of prolonged

exposure and personal sensitivity when harvesting.

Personal Experience: Preparation of Wormwood Hennessy

Procurement:

Source: Wormwood from Radiance Herbs; liquor from the liquor store

Condition: Dried herb part, organic; Hennessy a cognac, in glass bottle.

Procedure:

-Measure 42 grams dried wormwood

-Measure 200 ml of Hennessy, 40% alcohol

-Place in glass jar with lid for 12 days (up to six weeks). Shake periodically.

-Decant liquid into clean jar, filter again if necessary, pour tincture into small jars that each have a dropper

-Label

Observations: The liquor was golden in color to start and brown/green at bottling.

Also, I could smell the strong volatile oils while bottling the tincture.

Purpose: I intend to use this tincture for upset stomach/poor appetite while traveling.

CAUTION: Wormwood contains the toxic volatile oil, thujone. Absinthe, liquor made from wormwood, also contains this constituent. Absinthe is banned in the U.S. due to its toxic nature.

References:

Author Unknown. “Absinthe.” http://chemweb.calpoly.edu/cbailey/377/PapersSp2000/Ann/absinthe.html. Downloaded from Internet 11-6-2006.

Budavari, Susan Ed., et al. The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and

Biologicals, 11^th ed. Rahway, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1989.

Harris, Marjorie. Botanica North America. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2003.

Hoffman, David. The Holistic Herbal. Longmead, Shaftsbury, Dorset: Element Books Ltd., 1988.

Hutchens, Alma R. Indian Herbology of North America. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1973.

Swerdlow Ph.. D., Joel L. Nature’s Medecine: Plants that Heal. Washington D.C.: National

National Geographic Society, 2000.