Mugwort’s a funny-sounding name and there
are differing stories as to where that name comes
from.
One story says the mugwort plant
was used to flavor ale before bitter-tasting hops
became the more popular flavoring agent. The plant
is definitely a moth repellant so another story
says the name is a corruption of the old English
word moughte, which means moth.
Regardless of the origin of
the plant’s most commonly used name, it
is a member of the Artemisia genus, which also
gives us sedating, hallucinating wormwood, from
which the infamous beverage absinthe is made.
In keeping with wormwood’s
sedating reputation, both Culpeper and Parkinson
recommended mugwort for treating hysteria. Its
sedating effects are much milder than those of
its notorious botanical cousin, however.
Mugwort has a tonic effect on
symptoms of digestive distress. Added to bathwater,
dried mugwort is said to relieve aching muscles.
Herbalists in Europe and China recommend it for
easing the pain of gout and rheumatism.
Mugwort’s most beneficial
effects are achieved when used to treat distress
associated with female issues. It is prescribed
most often to regulate erratic menstrual cycles
and to induce delayed periods. In some parts of
the world, mugwort compresses are used during
childbirth to help expel the afterbirth.
Chinese acupuncturists
employ a process called moxibustion to stimulate
acupuncture points. Mugwort leaves are downy.
These downy leaves are formed into cones, called
moxa. The moxa cones are burned very near the
skin at the acupuncture points, to enhance the
value of the acupuncture treatment.
Reference
Kruger, Anna; An Illustrated Guide to Herbs: Their
Medicine and Magic; A Dragon’s World Book;
Limpsfield and London; 1993
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