ANEMONE PRATENSIS HYSTERIA
The triptych reflects in different states the flowering plant Anemone Pratensis/Pulsatilla Pratensis. The species name derives from the Latin pulsare, meaning ’to ring or to sound’, in reference to the bell shape of the flowers. The ancient physicians attributed special potency to plants with hanging blossoms and, in accordance with the doctrine of signatures, prescribed them for patients who ”let their heads hang” (depression, melancholy). Hippocrates used the windflower to trigger menstruation and to treat states of hysterical fear.