Eyebright
Parts Usually Used
Entire plant except roots, dried
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Red eyebright is a small, downy, annual herb 4-8 inches high; its square, leafy stem that is slender, semiparasitic (root is attached to grasses), grows up to 12 inches high and bears opposite, stiff, tiny, bristle-toothed, ovate leaves. The two-lipped, red or purple and white flowers grow in axillary leafy spikes from June to September. Three lower lobes notched, with purple lines.
Highly variable. Fruits are capsules, cupped in sepals. Some call Lobelia by the common name of eye bright.
Where Found
Very common in dry, meadows, pastures, and other grassy areas of Europe and western Asia and probably naturalized in various places in the United States. Subarctic south to Quebec, Maine, Massachusetts, New York. Native of Europe.
Medicinal Properties
Astringent, tonic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic
Biochemical Information
Bitters, inositol, volatile oils, PABA, sulfur, tannins, and vitamins A, B3, B5, B12, C, D, and E.
Legends, Myths and Stories
” Culpeper says it will restore the sight decayed through age.
Uses
Historically, herbalists employed this plant as an eyewash or poultice for eye inflammations, blepharitis, eye strain, and styes, believing it reduced fluid secretions and soothed minor ocular irritation. Traditional practitioners considered it broadly applicable to eye complaints and occasionally administered it internally with the intention of supporting general vision and eye health.
Additionally, infusions and poultices were traditionally used to address cold-like symptoms, including coughs, hoarseness, earaches, headaches, sore throats, nasal congestion, and catarrh. In European folk traditions, it was sometimes taken for hay fever and allergy symptoms.
How Sold
Eyewashes: eyewash products containing euphrasia (eyebright), plus other herbs such as golden seal, bayberry, raspberry leaves, and cayenne pepper, are available commercially.
Warning
Experimentally, may induce side effects, including dim vision. Avoid use without a doctor’s supervision. This plant is not considered safe today.
Bibliography
, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr.
A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F.
D. and Phyllis A. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living , by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988). The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.
The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974 The Healing Plants , by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. , Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992