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Cornflower: The best herb for the treatment of eye reddening and all other eye disorders
Cornflower covers the golden grain prairies from late spring onward with its gracious blue flowers.
From ancient times, the seeds of crops have been mixed with cornflower seeds, and have been dispersed all over the world.
Pliny the Elder, a first century Roman naturalist, described the cornflower as "an annoying flower for reapers," who surely tried not to cut it with their sickles and scythes.
A few other words have reached us from the classical writers about this delicate plant.
Its medicinal virtues were discovered by Mattioli, a sixteenth century botanist who declared that
" The blue flowers of the cornflower alleviate reddened eyes."
The healing virtues of the plant were due, according to Mattioli, to the combination of opposed colors, blue versus red, in compliance with the theory of signs.
At present, herbicides and selection processes of crops are terminating with cornflower as if it were another weed.
PROPERTIES
Flowers contain anthocyanins and polyines
Preparation and Use
INTERNAL USE
Infusion. 20-30 g of young flowers per liter of water. Have one cup before each meal.
EXTERNAL USE
Cornflower water. In order to obtain it, preferably fresh flowers are decocted in a proportion of 30 g (2 tablespoons) per liter of water. Boil for five minutes. It is applied on eyes when warm, in one of the following ways:
Compresses. Soak a gauze and maintain it for 15 minutes over the affected eye, twice or three times a day.
Eye bath. In a suitable container, or simply wringing out a soaked cloth over the affected eye. Cornflower water must fall from the temple to the nose.
Eye drops. A few drops of cornflower water into the eye, three times a day.
Synonyms. Bluebottle, cyani, bachelor's button, bluebonnet, blue centaury.
French. Bleuet.
Spanish. Azulejo, aciano, ojeras.
Habitat. It mostly grows in crop fields all over Europe, though it has reached America as well. It is less frequent in the southeastern regions of Europe.
Description. The plant belongs to the family of the Compositae. It has a thin, stiff stem, which grows up to 50 cm high. It has composite, bright blue-colored flowers, and narrow leaves which appear to be covered with a smooth velvet layer.
Parts used. Flowers.
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