Mandragora Officinarum

Other Names : Common mandrake, devil’s apple, Mandragore, Alruin, Gemeine Alraune, yao yong qie shen, 药用茄参
Mandragora officinarum is a low perennial herb growing up to 30 cm high with yellow berries. It grows from a thick forked root which is known for sometimes resembling a human form.

Special Precautions of Mandragora Officinarum

• Only homeopathic use !
• All parts of the plant contain hyoscyamine and scopolamine and can easily cause death by respiratory paralysis. The alkaloids make the plant, in particular the root and leaves, poisonous, via anticholinergic, hallucinogenic, and hypnotic effects. Anticholinergic properties can lead to asphyxiation. Ingesting mandrake root is likely to have other adverse effects such as vomiting and diarrhea. The alkaloid concentration varies between plant samples, and accidental poisoning is likely to occur. Clinical reports of the effects of consumption of Mandragora officinarum (as Mandragora autumnalis) include severe symptoms similar to those of atropine poisoning, including blurred vision, dilation of the pupils (mydriasis), dryness of the mouth, difficulty in urinating, dizziness, headache, vomiting, blushing and a rapid heart rate (tachycardia). Hyperactivity and hallucinations also occurred in the majority of patients.

Benefits and uses of Mandragora Officinarum are

• In modern herbalism, the medical use of the plant is limited to treating travel sickness, reducing bronchial secretions and as a pre-operative medication. Most of the supposed medical uses of mandragora officinarum have been dispelled and replaced with a warning that ingestion of too large a quantity of the plant can be fatal as the plant is poisonous.
• Homeopathy :
  • Abdominal pain
  • Congestive headaches
  • Limbs that feel heavy, bruised, or sore
  • Sciatica
  • Constipation

Profile type

People for whom Mandragora is best suited are prone to changeable moods, such as crying spells alternating with feelings of euphoria. They may be in a state of “aroused exhaustion,” simultaneously sleepy and hyperactive. They are hypersensitive, particularly to noise, but also to smell; symptoms are violent in nature.
The classic symptom profile associated with Mandragora focuses on abdominal pain that is worse on the upper right side and better for bending backward. The remedy may also help limbs that feel heavy, bruised, and sore, as if from muscular exertion, and may ease sciatica with burning pain that is worse on the right side. A further use is for congestive headaches that are better for cold air and cold compresses.

References

• Jiménez-Mejías, M.E.; Montaño-Díaz, M.; López Pardo, F.; Campos Jiménez, E.; Martín Cordero, M.C.; Ayuso González, M.J. & González de la Puente, M.A. (1990-11-24). "Intoxicación atropínica por Mandragora autumnalis: descripción de quince casos [Atropine poisoning by Mandragora autumnalis: a report of 15 cases]". Medicina Clínica. 95 (18): 689–692. PMID 2087109.
• Piccillo, Giovita A.; Mondati, Enrico G. M. & Moro, Paola A. (2002). "Six clinical cases of Mandragora autumnalis poisoning: diagnosis and treatment". European Journal of Emergency Medicine. 9 (4): 342–347. doi:10.1097/01.mej.0000043855.56375.a7. PMID 12501035.