Papaveraceae
Jan Scholten
Botanical
The Papaveraceae is a family of plants that are mainly herbs. The family has 42 genus and 50 species. The subfamily of Fumariae has genus and 400 species. They grow mostly in the northern temperate regions.
Typical is the latex in the plants. It is remarkable that members of the poppy family seldom host insects.
The family is mostly known for the Papaver somniferum, a plant that produces opium. Opium and its derivates are used on a mas sive scale both in medicine and as self medication. Opium is forbidden in most countries of the world, leading to a lot of crime. The effects of the opium lead to more stealing, deceit and more crime.
Classification
The familiy of the Papaveraceae belongs to the order of the Ranunculales, together with the Ranunculaceae, Berberidaceae and Menispermaceae. The subfamily of the Fumariae was formerly often seen as a separate family: Fumariaceae.
Members
The best known members of the family are: Opium, Chelidonium and Sanguinaria. The official name of opium is Papaver som-niferum: the papaver that brings sleep. Lesser known remedies are Argemone mexicana, Escholtzia calfornica and Papaver rhoeas. From the subfamily of the Fumariae we have in homeopathy:
Adlumina fungosa
Corydalis
Dicentra
Fumaria
Alkaloids from Opium are also used in regular medicine and homeopathy: Apomorphinum (abbreviation apom., alkaloid, C7H7NO2 + HCl) Codeinum, (abbreviation cod., alkaloid, C8 H2 NO3)
Cryptopinum (abbreviation cryp., an alkaloid).
Meconinum (abbreviation mec., Opianyl, C0H0O4, a glucoside).
Morphinum (abbreviation morph., C7H9NO3.).
Morphinum sulphuricum (abbreviation morph-s., C7H9NO3.).
Narceinum (abbreviation narcin., an alkaloid, C23H29NO9).
Narcotinum (abbreviation narcot., an alkaloid, C22H23NO7. Papaverinum (=papin), From Sanguinaria 2 substances are derived:
Sanguinarinum nitricum (Abbreviaton sanguin-n., Sanguinarin nitrate) Sanguinarinum tartaricum (Abbreviaton sanguin-t., Sanguinarin tartrate)
Other mebers of the family are: Bocconmia, Cysticapnos, Glaucium, Hypecoum, Meconopsis, Macleaya, Platystemon, Pteridophyllum, Trigonocapnos.
Literature
Boericke. Clarke. Phatak.
Albert Pick and F. Pritchard, translated from Bull. Gener. de Ther., January 15, 1889, in the Homoeopathic Recorder, July, 1889, Vol. IV, No. 4, page 162.