botanical name(s): Lactuca virosa
synonyms: wild lettuce
part(s) used: leaves
qualities:
affinities: liver
actions:
dosage:
» tincture: 1 - 3 ml.
» dry juice: Lactucarium dose 0.3 - 1 g
pulse:
» hard, slow pulse (Wood)
therapy: tense muscles; tension; emotional hardness (Wood)
AHPA Botanical Safety Rating: 1
toxicity: 0
» contains oxalic acid which prevents calcium absorption (Duke, p. 558; Jenkins)
» handling fresh plant may cause contact dermatitis (Fuller and McClintock, p. 370)
constituents:
drug interactions:
» may increase the effects of sedatives and tranquilizers (Brinker)
footnotes
Brinker, Francis. 1997. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. Sandy, Oregon: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Duke, J.A. 1985. C.R.C. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: The C.R.C. Press.
Fuller, T.C., and McClintock, E. 1986. Poisonous Plants of California. Los Angeles: University of Southern California Press.
Wood, Matthew. 1992. The Admirable Secrets of Herbs, Roots and Barks: Western Herbal Medicine, A Materia Medica. Unpublished manuscript.