Piceae aetheroleum

Spruce needle oil, also known as Oleum Piceae, is the medicinal essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the needles, twig tips or branches of Picea abis and other species of the genus Abies or Picea.

Quality specified in the German Pharmacopoeia (DAB).

HPMC: not processed

ESCOP: not processed

Commission E - Monograph: Internal and external: catarrhal diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract; external rheumatic and neuralgic complaints.

Effective ingredients are: Essential oil with 10-25% alpha-pinene, 5-28% camphene, 4-30% limonene, 5-35% bornyl acetate, 1-5% borneol.

Hyperemic, antimicrobial, secretolytic.

Indications (according to commission E): catarrhal phenomena of the airways (internal and external applications), rheumatic complaints.

To inhale, a few drops are put into hot water and the vapours are inhaled. For embrocations liquid, 10-15% preparations are used.

Infants and small children up to 3 years of age: possible triggering of a glottis spasm (laryngospasm) up to respiratory arrest.

Also bronchial asthma, whooping cough, eye area, open skin areas, fever, heart failure, hypertension.

Allergy to an ingredient.

Babix inhalant (external), Cor-Vel® Heart Ointment, Cor-Vel® N Heart Ointment, Kytta Rheumatism Bath, Leukona® Eukalpine Bath, Leukona® Rheumatism Bath, Pernionin® Full Bath N, Pin-Alcol® Embrocation

1. Ammon HTP (2014) Hunnius Pharmaceutical Dictionary. Walter de Gruyter GmbH Berlin,Boston pp. 124- 126
2. Dantas MG et al. (2016) Development and Evaluation of Stability of a Gel Formulation Containing the Monoterpene Borneol. ScientificWorldJournal doi: 10.1155/2016/7394685.
3. Schilcher H (2016) Guide to phytotherapy. Urban & Fischer Munich p. 1403
4. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/fichte.php