Viola tricolour, Heartease

Common names

Wild pansy, love-lies-bleeding, love in idleness, live in idleness, Herb Constancy, bullweed, bird’s eye, herb trinity , Johnny jumper, stepmother

History

Uses in Medieval times: Headaches & catarrh. Given after bloodletting
The flowers are good for all inflammation, especially of the sides & lungs. They take away the hoarseness of the chest, the ruggedness of the windpipe & jaws & Take away thirst.
For hot boils mixed with honey and vinegar and made into a plaster
For bones broken in a man's head, take violet, stamp it, mix with water and it will cast the broken bone in the head.

As an unguent for scrophulous sores. Healing ointment. Green healing salve. To reduce swelling in the feet. Against lepra

Medicinal uses

Expectorant, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, laxative (please see Glossary)

Benefits

Acute bronchitis, cystitis, polyuria (much urination) and dysuria (pain on urination), capillary fragility. cutaneous affections. Specifically indicated in eczema and skin eruptions with serous exudate, particularly when associated with rheumatic symptoms 

Viola tricolor can be used both internally and as a compress or ointment in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis and acne and it is a suitable remedy for clearing cradlecap in babies. It is also to treat gout and rheumatoid arthritis, where the salicylates and rutin exert an anti-inflammatory action. It can be used to treat a variety of respiratory disorders such as catarrhal bronchitis. The saponins account for its mild expectorant action and the mucilage is soothing to the respiratory tract. The herb is also diuretic and can be used as part of a treatment for polyuria and dysuria. It is reputed to be of benefit in nocturnal enuresis in children.

The flowers contain a high concentration of rutin which helps prevent bruising and heals broken capillaries. It also reduces fluid build-up in the tissues and helps prevent atherosclerosis, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Other uses

An infusion of the plant was said to help mend a broken heart, hence its common name Heartsease. Also used to make the confectionary 'Sugar violet'.

Warnings

None known

References

Bartram, T. 1995 Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 1st edn.,Grace Publishers, Bournemouth.

Bremness, L. 1994 Herbs, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Handbook, London.

BHMA 1983 British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, BHMA, Bournemouth.

Chevallier, A. 1996 The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Grieve, M. 1931 A Modern Herbal, (ed. C.F. Leyel 1985), London.

Hoffmann, D. 1990 The New Holistic Herbal, Second Edition, Element, Shaftesbury.

Hyperhealth 1996 Natural Health and Nutrition Databank, v.96.1 CD-ROM, ©In-Tele-Health, available from Healthworks, Leeds. ISBN 0-646-30942-0

Lust, J. 1990 The Herb Book, Bantam, London.

Mabey, R. (ed.) 1991 The Complete New Herbal, Penguin, London.

Mills, S.Y. 1993 The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, Penguin, London (First published in 1991 as Out of the Earth, Arkana)

Mills, S.Y. 1993 The A-Z of Modern Herbalism, Diamond Books, London.

Ody, P. 1993 The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Polunin, M. and Robbins, C. 1992 The Natural Pharmacy, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Vickery, R. 1995 A Dictionary of Plant Lore, Oxford University Press.

Weiss, R.F. 1991 Herbal Medicine, Beaconsfield Arcanum, Beaconsfield.

Wren, R.C. 1988 Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations, C.W.Daniel, Saffron Walden.

Special thanks to www.purplesage.org.uk