Tansy

Tanacetum vulgare

COMMON NAMES

• Arbor Vitae
• Buttons
• Hineheel
• Scented Fern
• Stinking Willie
• Tansy

Known to botanists as Tanacetum vulgare L., family Asteraceae, tansy has a long history of use in folk medicine. This strongly aromatic herb, which reaches a height of up to 3 feet and produces bright yellow flowers, is native to Europe but is naturalized and widely cultivated in the United States.

The dried leaves and flowering tops of tansy have been employed, usually in the form of a tea, as an anthelmintic (expels worms), tonic, stimulant, and emmenagogue (promotes menstrual flow-often a euphemism for promoting abortion). Tansy also makes a flavoring in cakes and puddings, especially those eaten at Easter. And it enjoys a considerable reputation as an insect repellent, especially for flies.

Fresh tansy yields between 0.12% and 0.18% volatile oil which is extremely variable in its chemical composition, depending upon the specific source plants utilized. Indeed, scientists indicate that a number of chemical races of tansy exist which perpetuate their own distinctive composition of the oil, just as other plants breed true for flower color or a similar more noticeable characteristic. It is generally agreed that the physiological actions attributed to the plant mainly come from the thujone content of the oil. But some tansy oils are entirely free of thujone, and others contain as much as 95% of that compound. This composition is determined by the genetic makeup of the plant and is not appreciably influenced by environmental factors. Thus the effect of any tansy preparation will be dependent on the chemical race represented, since this determines the thujone content of the contained volatile oil. Without subjecting a specific plant sample to an analysis for thujone, it is impossible to estimate the proper dosage for a tansy preparation.

Moreover, thujone is a relatively toxic compound, capable of inducing both convulsions and psychotic effects in human beings. There are far more effective and much safer medicines than the thujone-containing tansy for expelling and destroying intestinal worms - the principal use of the plant in folk medicine. In this enlightened era, there is absolutely no reason to utilize a potentially dangerous, toxic material of this sort as an emmenagogue-abortifacient. As a matter of fact, since more effective insect repellents are readily available, there is no real reason to use tansy for anything. Well, perhaps there is just one. Tansy is used as a flavoring agent in certain alcoholic beverages, including Chartreuse, but the resulting product must be thujone-free.

Tansy resists frost and cold, and its attractive yellow flower heads are extremely long lasting, both when they are in bloom and after they have been picked and dried. Patches of tansy can survive for decades in the same location. The very name tansy, herbalists declare, is a corruption of the Greek word for immortality - athanasia.

Because of its strong smell, tansy is a natural insect repellent. In the Middle Ages dried tansy was one of the "strewing herbs" scattered across floors to keep pests away. Housewives also hung it from rafters, packed it between bed sheets and mattresses, and rubbed it on meat to discourage lice, flies, and other vermin. In more recent times, they have used tansy to repel moths and get rid of fleas.

Tansy also has a long history as a seasoning and medicinal plant. In England, the leaves were once used to flavor small tansy cakes eaten during Lent - their bitter taste symbolized Christ's suffering. A tea from the leaves was once commonly taken for colds, stomachaches, and intestinal worms. Folk healers also made a poultice from the leaves to place on cuts and bruises.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts.

USES

Tansy has been used in the past as a carminative to aid digestion. However it is not used much today because of its potential toxicity. When the plant is taken, it is chiefly in order to expel intestinal worms and to help stimulate menstrual bleeding. Tansy may be used externally to kill scabies, fleas, and lice, but even external application of tansy preparations carries the risk of toxicity.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Found throughout temperate zones in the northern hemisphere, tansy grows in open areas, along roadsides, and close to water. The flowering tops are collected as the flowers open in summer.
Tansy - perennial. Can be started from seed or propagated by division. Will self-sow and must be controlled to prevent its becoming a weed. Plant in full or partial sun in average soil, leaving at least 4 feet between plants.

CONSTITUENTS

Tansy contains volatile oil containing thujone; bitter glycosides; sesquiterpene lactones; terpenoids; flavonoids; tannin.

USUAL DOSAGE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb and leave to infuse for  10 - 15 minutes. This should be drunk twice a day.
Tincture: take 1 - 2 ml of the tincture three times a day.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

The leaves and flowers are collected during the flowering time between June and September.

COMBINATIONS

For intestinal worms tansy may be used with wormwood and a carminative such as chamomile in conjunction with a purgative like senna.

TANSY MOTH BAGS

• 3 cups dried southernwood
• 2 cups dried thyme
• 2 cups dried tansy leaves
• 1/3 cup ground cloves

Crush all the ingredients together in a bowl, and divide among small muslin bags. Tie the bags firmly, and place among woolens.

TANSY BUNCHES

A bunch of tansy leaves hanging in a room are a traditional fly repellent.

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