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Wild Lettuce - Lactuca virosa

Information on this page was obtained from several different sources and is given for historical purposes only.  We offer Wild Lettuce Opium,Blue Lotus, Wild Dagga and Kanna for no intention or purpose. Due to the possibility of abuse of these products you must be over the age of 18 to purchase them.

Botanical Name: Lactuca virosa (LINN.)
Plant Family: N.O. Compositae

Environment - Britain , Western and Southern Europe.
Active Plant Parts - The leaves and the driedmilk-juice (Lactuarium), t
Also Called - Lactucarium.,Strong-scented Lettuce.,Green Endive, Lettuce Opium.,Laitue vireuse., and Acrid Lettuce.

This is a biennial herb which grows to a maximum height of 6 feet. It has a smooth and light green, sometimes purple-spotted erect stem which springs from a brown tap-root.   A few prickles  are found on the lower part and there are short horizontal branches above. The  large(6 to 18 inch long) radical leaves are  numerous, entire, and obovate (oblong.) The small, scanty stem leaves are  alternate, and  clasp the stem with two little lobes. The numerous  heads are  shortly-stalked, the light yellow corolla  is strap-shaped. The fruit is rough, oval and black , edged  with a broad wing, and lengthens  above into a long, white beak with silvery tufts of hair. The entire  plant is rich in a  bitter tasting milky juice with a narcotic odor which flows freely from any wound. When the juice dries  it hardens and turns brown-then it is called lactucarium.

Composition -  L. virosa has been found to contain lactucic acid, lactucopicrin, 50 to 60 per cent lactucerin (lactucone) and lactucin. When Lactucarium istreated with boiling water and filtered  it is clear, however, when it cools it becomes  cloudy. It is does not turn blue by iodine test solution. The usual components of latex are albumen, mannite, and caoutchouc. The fresh, acidic juice  colors litmus paper red.

Environment - Wild Lettuce grows on banks and empty land, coming into flower July and August. It is cultivated in Austria, France, Germany and Scotland. Collectors cut the heads of the plants and scrape the juice into china  receptacles several times  per day until  they are empty By slightly warming and tapping, it is turned out of its cup mould by slightly warming and tapping . Then it is cut into quarters and dried.

History - In the United States, after importation from Germany via England it is said to be used as an adulterant for opium. It is usually found in irregular, reddish-brown lumps the size of a large pea, frequently moldy on the outside. In the United States the German and French lactucarium is considered inferior to the British product. All lettuces possess some of this narcotie juice, Lactuca virosa having the most, and the others in the following order: L. scariola, or Prickly Lettuce, L. altissima, L. Canadensis, or Wild Lettuce of America, and L. sativa, or Garden Lettuce. Cultivation has lessened the narcotic properties Garden Lettuce, but it is still used for making  skin lotion for useful in treating  sunburn and roughness. The Ancients held the lettuce in high esteem for its cooling and refreshing properties. The Emperor Augustus attributed his recovery from a dangerous illness to it; built an altar to it, and erected a statue in its honor. Lactucarium is not easily powdered. It is only slightly soluble in boiling water, though it softens and becomes plastic. Thridace, or the inspissated juice of L. capitata, is now regarded as inert. It is said that in Egypt, an oil used in cooking is  obtained from the seeds .

Medicinal Purposes - The herb , resembling a weak opium without its tendency to upset the digestive system, is used to a small extent as a sedative and narcotic. When dissolved in wine it is said to be a good anodyne According to Dr. Collins,. twenty-three out of twenty-four cases of dropsy were cured by taking doses of 18 grains to 3 drachms of extract in twenty-four hours. It is used in Germany for this complaint,  combined with more active drugs. It is  also said to be  a mild diaphoretic and diuretic, easing colic, inducing sleep and relieving cough. In France, water distilled from lettuce (eau de laitre) is used  as a mild sedative in doses of 2 to 4 OZ., and the fresh leaves boiled in water are sometimes used as a cataplasm. Caution: even moderate doses may be poisonous to pets.

 Dosages - 
10 to 20 grains or more of powder , 
30 to 60 drops of tincture, 
1 to 5 grains of alchoholic extract, 
5 to 20 grains of Lactucarium, 
2 drachms of syrup USP, 30 drops of tincture, USP.
*15 grains = about 1 gram.

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Wild Lettuce On Sale - This is not the product pictured. It is Lactuca Virosa Herb. Soothes and calms anxiety and nervous irritation.. More Wild Lettuce Information $15.00 oz Out Of Stock

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