This is Prickly Lettuce or otherwise Wild Lettuce or Lactuca seriola ( Lactuca serriola ). The aboveground parts of the plant have substances with medicinal action. The dried leaves of the plant are used as an antispasmodic, diuretic, hypnotic and sedative. It is used to treat insomnia, dry cough, cold sores, gonorrhea, eye diseases and chronic ulcers .

The plant also has soothing, calming and slightly narcotic properties and is effective in combating hyperactivity in children. In homeopathy it is recommended against chronic colds, coughs, liver and urinary tract disorders .

Way of use:

It is administered as an anxiolytic and sedative in the form of an infusion (0.5-4g of dry herb in a cup of boiling water, up to 3 times a day). In homeopathy it is recommended in the form of tincture (ratio 1: 1, 25mg of dry herb in ethanol 0.5-4ml, 3 times a day), while it is often an ingredient in herbal cough syrups.

Warning: It is not recommended to use herbal preparations without informing the treating physician or pharmacist. The substances they contain may interact with the medication (s) already being taken by the patient and neutralize their therapeutic action or cause toxicity. They may also impair further impaired vital functions at the risk of the patient’s health and life.