Cabbage rose

Sore, watering, inflamed eyes soothed by a mild rose water lotion.

Mild atonic constipation in children or the elderly, addressed with confection of rose petals as a gentle, pleasant-tasting laxative base.

Overview. Rosa centifolia, the cabbage or Provence rose, is a many-petaled garden rose of long horticultural standing, cultivated widely in Europe for perfumery and traditional pharmacy. The fragrant pale pink petals are the part used, taken fresh or dried, or distilled into rose water. In nineteenth century eclectic and earlier European pharmacy the pale rose was distinguished from the more astringent red rose (Rosa gallica) and used chiefly as a mild, cooling remedy and as an agreeable vehicle for other medicines.

Clinical Notes. Pale rose petals are gentle rather than powerfully medicinal, and this is exactly their value: a mildly astringent, cooling infusion or rose water can be used as a soothing gargle for a sore throat or as an eye lotion for tired, irritated, or mildly inflamed eyes, prepared as a dilute distillate rather than a strong decoction.

Pharmaceutical Uses. The conserve made by beating the pulp with sugar, is called conserve of dog rose, or conserve of hips (Confectio Rosae Caninae, Br.), and is tenacious, retaining its softness for a long time, even under exposure to the air. It is a useful material for forming pill masses, and, as it contains less tannic acid, may be used as a substitute for the conserve of red roses, when preparations of iron are to enter into the pill mass.

History, Description, and Chemical Composition. This plant is indigenous to Europe, and introduced into this country; it usually attains the height of 6 or 10 feet, and flowers in June and July. The flowers are succeeded by a scarlet fruit called hip.