The pink table lists 11 new and unusual diagnoses/uses for Artemisia vulgaris, related to nervous system function.

The number of these diagnoses and the fact that they are listed together gives the impression that the treatment of psychiatric and neurological complaints is an important part of the therapeutic portrait of Artemisia vulgaris, which is a major innovation in terms of content. In addition, most of these applications are attributed to the therapeutic effect of mugwort root (Radix Artemisiae); this makes the therapeutic value of the root much more significant, which is also new.

It must be clearly emphasized that the analysis of the sources preceding the negative (-) monograph of Kommission E of 1988 (i.e. almost all of them!) does NOT confirm such a significant effect of Artemisia vulgaris on the nervous system.

From the TCM point of view, the functional circuit of the Heart (orbis cardialis) is largely responsible for a person’s mental state; however, this functional circuit has hardly played a role in the previous description of the medicinal properties of mugwort, which was mainly based on holistic medical nosology.

This calls the information contained in the Kommission E (-) monography – representative of EBM medicine and nomenclature – into serious question.

According to TCM, the mild calming and antispasmodic effect of mugwort is due to the elimination of Qi and XUE congestion, especially in the functional circuit of the Liver (orbis hepaticus); the slightly stimulating and mood-enhancing effect, on the other hand, comes from the strengthening of the functional circuit of the Spleen (orbis lienalis) through its warming and drying (because the optimal conditions for the good functioning of the functional circuit of the Spleen are warmth and dryness), which secondarily benefits the functional circuit of the Kidney (orbis renalis), which manifests itself clinically through the alleviation of feelings of anxiety (anxiolysis).

It is therefore NOT possible to speak of a direct reinforcement of the functional circuit of the Heart (orbis cardialis)!

These relationships are shown schematically in the following table:

Table 1. The functional circuits of Artemisia vulgaris in relation to the diagnoses for the nervous system listed in the monography of Kommission E (-).

Functional circuit (TCM)	Diagnosis for nervous system (EBM)
Liver and Gallbladder orbis hepaticus	epilepsy, hysteria, insomnia, vegetative neurosis (mild positive therapeutic effect)
Spleen and Stomach orbis lienalis	depression, hypochondria, neurasthenia (mild positive therapeutic effect)
Kidney and Urinary Bladder orbis renalis	anxiety (mild positive therapeutic effect)

In other words, the mild positive therapeutic effect of mugwort on the nervous system should not be the dominant therapeutic impression given by reading of diagnoses presented the Kommission E monography (-), as this may lead to incorrect therapy. This impression fades when confronted with the 2000-year-old output of holistic medicine, based on documented clinical experience, but not every reader of the Kommission E monography is aware of this. The reader’s attention should therefore be drawn to the fact that the therapeutic potential of Artemisia vulgaris L. presented in the Kommission E monography (-) has been extended in an incomprehensible way by many, previously not documented, therapeutic indications from a new clinical field of application.