Botanical atlas
Ammoniacum
Dorema ammoniacum
Ammoniacum has been gathered from the deserts of Persia and Central Asia for thousands of years, prized as one of the great resins of old-world medicine. Physicians of the Unani and classical Greco-Roman traditions valued it as a warming expectorant, given for the lingering coughs and tight chests of chronic bronchitis and asthma, and it later found a settled place in Western pharmacopoeias for the very same purpose. Beyond the sickroom, the softened resin was worked into plasters and laid over stiff joints and swellings, a humble poultice passed down through generations of desert and village healers. Traders also carried it into the perfumer's and incense-maker's workshop, where its warm, musky smoke had its own devoted following.
In tradition.
Ammoniacum has been gathered from the deserts of Persia and Central Asia for thousands of years, prized as one of the great resins of old-world medicine. Physicians of the Unani and classical Greco-Roman traditions valued it as a warming expectorant, given for the lingering coughs and tight chests of chronic bronchitis and asthma, and it later found a settled place in Western pharmacopoeias for the very same purpose. Beyond the sickroom, the softened resin was worked into plasters and laid over stiff joints and swellings, a humble poultice passed down through generations of desert and village healers. Traders also carried it into the perfumer's and incense-maker's workshop, where its warm, musky smoke had its own devoted following.
Traditional preparations.
A traditional preparation for a tight, congested chest, taken the way village herbalists once offered it, warm and sweetened.
Traditionally, a small piece of the gum resin, about 1/2 teaspoon once crushed, is stirred into a cup of warm milk or water and sweetened with a little honey, taken once daily as needed.
An old external application for stiff or swollen joints.
The resin is gently warmed until pliable, spread thinly onto a clean cloth, and laid over the affected joint for a short time, then removed.
Safety.
As a member of the carrot family, ammoniacum may cause cross-reactions in people allergic to celery, carrot, or fennel, and it is best avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies ammoniacum from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
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Ask about AmmoniacumHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.