Lapsana communis laps-c.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

John Henry Clarke · A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · 1902

Lapsana communis. Nipplewort. N. O. Compositæ. (Genus Cichoraceæ.) Tincture or infusion of whole fresh plant.

Hæmorrhoids. Nipples, sore.

As the common name of Lapsana would imply, it is a popular remedy for sore nipples, a decoction of it being used as a lotion for that purpose. Cooper ( H. W ., xxxiii. 202) has published documents in proof of its efficiency in piles. The method of preparation is as follows: Three ounces of the green plant (or four of the dry) are boiled in three pints of thin water gruel till it is reduced to a pint and a half. The decoction to be strained. Half a pint to be drunk on three mornings following, fasting ─ immediately on getting out of bed. One patient who was cured in this way said he had not swallowed the draught more than a few minutes before he felt his stomach as warm as if he had drunk hot brandy and water. Only three doses are ordered, and the patient is told, in case of not being cured, to wait a fortnight before repeating the treatment. Cooper has confirmed the power of Lapsana over piles, using single doses of the Ø tincture.