Primula
Primrose, Prumula (lat.)
Medicinal purpose
For medicinal purposes the whole plant is used. The flowers and leaves are gathered in the beginning of the blossom time. The root is taken out in spring or in autumn when the plant begins to fade. The fruit and leaves are dried in an open-air, windy place. They are best used within 2 years.
Primrose is well-known in folk medicinal practice. The decoction of the flowers was used to strengthen nerves and against cough. As an expectorative, primrose is widely used against bronchitis, blue cough, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, flu, rheumatic pains, etc. In Bulgarian folk medicinal practice primrose is used against sleeplessness, headaches, and neurasthenia. In homeopathy the plant is used during kidney diseases and neuralgia. The plant is officinal in Romania, Czech Republic and Germany.
In the former Soviet Union the root was considered as expectorative and used in Galen preparations. It is scientifically proven that primrose’s expectorative qualities are better than those of senega imported from America. That is why in a number of countries primrose is used instead of the latter. The plant has also diuretic, sudorific, sedative, and spasmolytic qualities; it also contains certain vitamins. This latter feature is used for C and A hypovitaminosis and beriberi. The flowers are used as tea against dizziness, sleeplessness, paralysis, physical stress, etc. The liquid extract of the root is a component of the Czech preparation “Solutan” – a well known medicine against bronchial asthma and bronchitis.
According to S. Y. Zolotnitskaya, the primrose resources of Armenia are enough to store 10 ton stock of dry plant annually. The plant in Armenia is used against respiratory diseases, chronical bronchitis, and pneumonia. It is also used against cough. If the cure is combined with antibacterial preparations, the efficacy of the plant is raised. There are no side effects documented for primrose use.
Use
Other use
Warning
These are folk remedies and are no guarantee is made as to either their effectiveness, or their safety.