Origanum majorana 200c
Orig.
And the sweet Marjoram with your garden paint
With no gay colours, yet preserve the plant,
Whose fragrance will invite your kind regard,
When her known virtues have her worth declared!
On Simor's shore fair Venus raised the plant,
Which from the Goddess' touch derived her scent.
[René Rapin]
Signs
Origanum majorana. Sweet Marjoram. Knotted Marjoram. N.O. Labiatae.
CLASSIFICATION Origanum majorana is a member of the Labiatae [Lamiaceae] or Mint Family, a large cosmopolitan family of mostly herbs and undershrubs. There are about 200 genera and some 3,000 species. Labiates generally are plants of open ground; only a few genera are found in tropical rain forest. "Few regions of the world lack labiates; they grow in almost all types of habitat and at all altitudes, from the Arctic to the Himalayas, Southeast Asia to Hawaii and Australasia, throughout Africa and in the New World from north to south; a few genera such as Salvia, Scutellaria and Stachys are almost cosmopolitan. One of the regions of greatest concentration of species is the Mediterranean basin, where such genera as Micromeria, Phlomis, Rosmarinus, Sideritis and Thymus are characteristic components of the maquis and the garrigue."1
FEATURES "Most species are shrubby or herbaceous; trees are extremely rare. The stems often have a characteristic square shape. The leaves are mostly simple, opposite and decussate [each pair at right angles to the next] and are without stipules. The plants are often covered in hairs and glands that emit an aromatic fragrance. The flowers of all labiates are essentially bisexual, but in many species of Mentha, Nepeta or Ziziphora, for instance, up to 50% of the plants may have flowers in which the male organs are reduced and sterile and the flower is functionally female. In these flowers, the corollas are often smaller and paler coloured. There is a very wide range of corolla-shape and staminal position in the family. Usually, there is a clear division into an upper and a lower lip. In most of the temperate genera the upper, often hooded, lip consists of two lobes and the lower of three, forming a convenient landing platform for insects seeking nectar; the stamens are protected by, or included within, the upper lip. Terpenes are present in many members of the family. Generally regarded as one of the most highly evolved of all dicotyledonous families, the Labiatae is closely related to the Verbenaceae."2
ECONOMIC USES "A large number of labiates are cultivated either as ornamentals or as kitchen herbs. Upward of 60 genera are grown in temperate regions alone. Some of the best-known are Mentha [mint], Monarda, Nepeta [catmint], Origanum [marjoram or oregano], Phlomis, Salvia [sage], Stachys, Thymus [thyme] and Ajuga [bugle]. Many are grown for their combined virtues of attractive flowers and pleasant fragrance: the essential oil from Lavandula [lavender] is mostly obtained from wild plants. In the tropics, Coleus and Plectranthus, better known as houseplants in cooler regions, are widely grown for their colourful and variegated foliage. So too are several showy species of Salvia and of Leonotis. Ocimum sanctum, a holy plant for Hindus, is frequently grown near temples. Many species are cultivated commercially. Mostly these are the aromatic herbs of Mediterranean origin, such as mint, marjoram and thyme, so commonly used in flavouring food; but others which are important sources of essential oils used in perfumery and pharmacy are not infrequently cultivated in the tropics and subtropics. Various species of Ocimum [basil and sweet basil] are much grown; a species of Pogostemon is the source of patchouli, much used in perfumery in Southeast Asia; Perilla is grown in India for perilla oil, used in printing-inks and paints."3
GENUS The genus Origanum comprises about 30 species of aromatic, rhizomatous herbs and shrubs with simple, opposite leaves and whorls of two-lipped flowers. The most important species include Origanum dictamnus, O. majorana, O. onites, and O. vulgare. Origanum dictamnus - Cretan dittany or hop marjoram - is a dwarf shrub cultivated as a pot-herb and medicinal herb. Origanum majorana - sweet marjoram or knotted marjoram - is a annual to perennial herb with reddish stems and small, white-purple flowers. This herb is grown as a culinary herb, particularly for flavouring meats [sausage mixtures, veal and fowl], and was formerly used medicinally. Origanum onites, or pot majoram, is a mound-forming shrub used as an inferior substitute for O. majoranum. Origanum vulgare - wild marjoram, oregano, or [also] pot majoram - is a rhizomatous woody perennial with strongly aromatic leaves and purple flowers. Widely grown as a culinary herb, with numerous cultivars having been produced, Origanum vulgare is the oregano best known of the 'pizza culture'. Origanum syriacum var. syriacum [O. maru] is the hyssop of the Bible, mentioned in Exodus 12:21-22] in a context of ritual purification and sacrifice, particularly for the Passover. The herb figures too in 'the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing' [Leviticus 14:4 and 6].
OREGANO The spice commercially known as 'oregano', usually in the form of dried, finely cut leaves, is produced from various species of Origanum as well as from several other labiates or related species. Actually, oregano is a flavour rather than one or a few species. European oregano is generally derived from O. vulgare, but other species, particularly O. heracleoticum, Thymus capitatus and Thymus mastichina are also used. Mexican oregano is derived mainly from Lippia graveolens [belonging to the Verbenaceae], but other Lippia species and Coleus, Lantana [Verbenaceae] and Hyptis species contribute to the herb of commerce. The inclusion of verbena species [Lippia and Lantana] gives Mexican oregano a more spicy flavour than the European.
SPECIES Origanum majorana is native to North Africa and Southwest Asia and naturalized in southern Europe. In these regions it is a perennial, whereas it is an annual in regions where the ground freezes in winter. - Origanum vulgare is a hardy perennial that will survive cold winters if it has a dry and warm position in the summer. - Both species can be found on chalky soils and love to grow on hills and mountains. Origanum majorana is a little grey-green plant that will grow up to a foot high if grown as an annual and up to 2 feet high as a perennial. Branches that hang down will take root and grow to form a loose, airy clump. The tiny flowers are arranged in burr-like heads resembling knots. It is considered a good companion plant that improves the flavour of nearby plants. Sweet marjoram is cultivated in France, Greece, Hungary, the United States, Mexico, Egypt, and several other Mediterranean countries for its highly aromatic leaves and flowering tops, which are used fresh, dried, and ground to flavour salads, stews, stuffings, soups, eggs, vegetables, fish, meat, and sausages. Fresh leaves are added to vinegar, and seeds are added to confections. The oil and oleoresin are used as fragrance components in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and perfumes, and as a flavouring for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages [vermouth, root beer] and for ice cream, candy, baked goods, and condiments. Sweet marjoram retains its fragrance after drying better than any other herb.
NAME The generic name derives from Gr oreos, mountain, and ganos, joy, describing its typical place of growth and its pleasant aromatic appearance. The plants 'are as a crown of rejoicing to the heights on which they grow.' The name majorana comes from the old French maiorana, from Marion, diminutive of Mary, or from mariol, a sort of marionette in allusion to the shape of its flowers. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of its Arabic name maryamych, or that the name honours a Greek youth, Amarakos, who was turned into this plant after dropping a vase of perfume belonging to the king of Cyprus. 'Knotted' marjoram refers to the knotty shape of the burr-like flower heads. The plant was formerly classified as Majorana hortensis [garden marjoram], because it could only survive in northern climates when cultivated in gardens. [In some countries Majorana hortensis is maintained as the official name to distinguish the sweet marjoram from the wild marjoram.]
CONSTITUENTS Sweet majoram contains about 3% volatile oil [comprising sabinene hydrate, sabinene, linalool, carvacrol and other terpenes], flavonoids, caffeic and rosmarinic acid, and triterpenoids. Carvacrol, a phenolic constituent of the oil, has antifungal and anthelmintic properties; the oils of thyme and origanum [vulgare] also contain carvacrol. Origanum vulgare differs from O. majorana in containing a higher proportion of thymol, which gives it a more thyme-like aroma. The essential oil yields peak in hot summer conditions.
MEDICINE Origanum majorana has been noted to exhibit antioxidant and antifungal properties. Test-tube studies show marjoram inhibits the growth of herpes simplex. As a medicinal plant it has traditionally been used as a stimulant and tonic. As a folk remedy it has been employed in the treatment of asthma, indigestion, headache, rheumatism, and toothache. The British herbalist John Gerard wrote in 1597: "Sweet marjoram is a remedy against cold diseases of the braine and head, being taken any way to your best liking; put up into the nostrils it provoketh sneesing, and draweth forth much baggage flegme; it easeth the toothache being chewed in the mouth; being drunke it provoketh urine, and draweth away waterish humors, and is used in medicines against poison. The leaves boiled in water, and the decoction drunke, helpeth them that are entering into the dropsie; it easeth them that are troubled with difficultie of making water, and such as are given to overmuch sighing, and easeth the paines of the belly." Culpeper gives a more elaborate explanation of its virtues in his Complete Herbal [1653]: "It is an herb of Mercury, and under Aries, and therefore is an excellent remedy for the brain and other parts of the body and mind, under the dominion of the same planet. Our common Sweet Marjoram is warming and comfortable in cold diseases of the head, stomach, sinews, and other parts, taken inwardly, or outwardly applied. The decoction thereof being drank, helps all diseases of the chest which hinder the freeness of breathing, and is also profitable for the obstructions of the liver and spleen. It helps the cold griefs of the womb, and the windiness thereof, and the loss of speech, by resolution of the tongue. ... It is profitably put into those ointments and salves that are warm, and comfort the outward parts, as the joints and sinews, for swellings also, and places out of joint." America's 19th-century Eclectics recommended the herb as a tonic stimulant and menstruation promotor. Sweet marjoram is considered to have a stronger effect on the nervous system than its wild cousin O. vulgare. The herb is also thought to lower the sexual drive. Mrs. Leyel says: "It is a most useful sexual nerve sedative and can be prescribed in soup, milk or chocolate. When effective, it usually produces rapid results. The discovery of this medicinal virtue in the plant is attributed to a clergyman who had an asylum for orphans."4
FOLKLORE The ancient Greeks planted sweet marjoram on graves to help the dead sleep in peace. Finding the plant growing wild on graves indicated happiness of the departed in the next world. They made wreaths and garlands of this plant for marriage and funeral ceremonies. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was believed to have created sweet marjoram as a gentle symbol of happiness. If a girl placed marjoram in her bed, Aphrodite would visit her dreams and reveal the identity of her future spouse. In the language of flowers, marjoram symbolizes consolation. As the birthday flower for 1 June it symbolizes blushes. A peculiar [ancient] belief suggests that tortoises eat this plant after being bitten by snakes [just as weasels were thought to heal themselves by eating rue flowers].
PROVINGS •• [1] Cessoles - 3 provers [2 females, 1 male], 1842; method: single drop of tincture; daily doses of tincture increasing from one to five drops at a dose; one dose of 30th dil. repeated after eight days.
[2] Hering gives 7 cured cases, all of them females, ranging in age from 7 to 40, and all of them suffering from "sexual irritation."
[1-3] Heywood, Flowering Plants of the World. [4] Leyel, Elixirs of Life.
Affinity
FEMALE ORGANS. MIND.
Modalities
Worse: Evening on lying down [vertigo]. Night [thirst].
Better: Occupation.
Main symptoms
M EROTOMANIA; believing herself lost or despised.
Nearly idiotic from masturbation.
M Sexual thoughts intrude and crowd upon each other.
INDISPOSED to talk.
M Devil.
• "Erotomania and inclination to suicide in a young girl; great sexual irritation; deep moroseness, believes herself lost and despised; when awaking from her stupor cries out that the devil comes near her, believes herself in hell, in chains, considered herself crazy, and those about her feared that she would become so; has thoughts of destroying herself." [Hering]
• "'Believes herself lost and despised'. 'Delusions of hell', and 'delusions of the devil.' I've found this devil ideation and the delusions to be strong components in cases where there has been sexual abuse or fundamentalist religious ideas in childhood. If you look in the rubric, Delusions, devils, you'll see a lot of hypersexual remedies, such as Platinum and Hyoscyamus - and, now, Origanum. These all come from shame-based, guilt-based feelings around sexuality. Origanum has a religious element. It is not as extreme as Mancinella or Veratrum album, and is expressed as a sense of duty. There are 'powerful lascivious impulses, producing anxiety, from disinclination to religious duties' [Hering]."1
M Impossible to remain tranquil.
Desire for ACTIVE EXERCISE, impelling her to RUN.
• [From 16th - 24th] "she became very self-absorbed, pensive, taciturn, sad, hopeless, felt inclined to throw herself out of window, and to walk about continually, - it was impossible to keep herself quiet; everything seemed contrary; disgust for life, in which all things felt tame, and longing for death; great heat in head, when it increased head turned involuntarily from side to side; extravagant ideas; desire to walk very fast, and for fresh air, which comforted her; dissolute feeling, desire to change her condition; loss of appetite; great thirst during night and frequent waking, constant and extravagant dreaming, waking with a start and trembling. On the 24th, great vivacity and need of active movement."
• "Sadness the whole day, followed by lively mood and excessive joyfulness, with thoughts of marriage, distraction of mind, and desire for active exercise, impelling her to run." [Hughes]
Occupation >.
M Suicidal disposition; throwing herself from a height.
M Focus on relationship and marriage.
• "Recently, I've been using Origanum even when the excessive masturbation isn't present, but when there is a strong reaction to relationship and the person is very focused on relationship and marriage. Unlike Arsenicum and other security-oriented remedies, Origanum displays a kind of fantasy and a need for a sense of belonging and fulfilment in life that in their mind [to the point of delusion] can be satisfied only by marriage. The need is satisfied by the fantasy of, rather than by the reality of, marriage. This may be an area that you'll want to look at, esp. in cases where the individual is having a very severe reaction to a relationship or to the break-up of a relationship, where the reaction goes on and on and on, and where you've tried a lot of different remedies that don't seem to be working."2
c Hot-headed idealism.
• "In order to discover and appreciate the Origanum majorana person, we must become imbued with the enthusiastic, spring-like vitality of those spirited adolescents, full of energy, their hearts overflowing with the desire for action inherent in their youth that seeks to free itself from the family cocoon, and who prove fully determined to fly as quickly as possible using their own wings. Origanum majorana, self-assured, wants to conquer the world, set in on fire and transform it, inspire it with that radiant force which his love of life has so intensely awoken in him. A great idealist, full of potential for the most part as yet unrealised, he wants to manifest his dreams without delay and is not afraid, in so doing, to displease earlier generations more inclined to live on memories and accompany their action with the requisite caution. ... Faced with the slowness of matter and existential inconsistencies, Origanum majorana rebels; sometimes he makes a statement of this character trait and his hotheadedness then wildly takes on the established social values, family habits and customs, entropic routine and, since they have not been dispensed with, the political and religious dogmas and conformities. ... One of the lessons he will learn is that in wanting to prove too much, one fails to convince anyone and in wanting to convince too much, one fails to prove anything. In fact, Origanum majorana experiences a certain vulnerability like an inner drama due to his lack of confidence in himself, clumsily compensated for by an excessive assurance when faced with others. His strength comes from his sense of being on the right path, even if, in reality, he is teetering. He thus deems himself capable of directing his existence and if necessary that of others. ... His impetuosity thus drives him to believe too soon that victory is his whereas a war is won by a strategy, a plan, highly ordered conduct and a good deal of patience."3
G VIOLENT sexual desire; great sexual excitement driving her to onanism.
• "Whenever she meets a man whose appearance is pleasing she is driven to commit self-abuse."
• "Abused herself daily; tried her utmost to overcome sexual inclinations and vainly gave herself up to RELIGIOUS exercises in order to strengthen the will."
• "Powerful lascivious impulses, producing anxiety, from disinclination to religious duties; leucorrhoea; a worthy married woman and mother of a family." [Hering]
G Masturbation in young girls.
G Lascivious dreams.
G Suppression of sexual desire <. G Excessive THIRST at night. P Heat of head. • "As the heat increased the head involuntary turned from side to side." [Allen] P Rheumatic pains. After one drop of tincture, Cessoles suffered from "rheumatic pains in arms, hands, thighs, and feet, sometimes wandering or intermittent." Taking increasing doses of the tincture, the second prover, a young woman of lively disposition produced: "Rheumatic pains in foot, toes, breast, shoulder-blade, arm, and hand, on right side only." [1-2] Klein, Two cases of extreme reaction after lost love; IFH 1992. [3] Mailhebiau, Portraits in Oils. Rubrics Mind Desires death [1]. Delusions, being despised [1o], being in hell [1o], being in chains in hell [1o]. Desires physical exertion [1]. Lascivious fancies [2]. Morbid impulse to run [2]. Insanity, erotic [2], from masturbation [1], in women [2]. Libertinism [1]. Nymphomania [3], in young girls [2/1]. Occupation > [1]. Religious affections [1]. Suicidal disposition, with violent sexual desire [1/1], throwing herself from a height [1].
Vertigo
In evening on lying down [1*].
Head
Motions of head, sideways, when heat of head increases [1*].
Nose
Sensation of constriction and tickling in tip of nose [1*]. Epistaxis in morning [1*].
Stomach
Extreme thirst at night [1*].
Abdomen
Pain, waking her from sleep at night [1*].
Bladder
Frequent urging to urinate, awakening him from sleep [1*]. Involuntary urination, on becoming cold [1], when sneezing [1].
Chest
Itching and swelling of nipples [1].
Back
Pain, dorsal region, beneath scapulae [1*].
Limbs
Cramps in sole of right foot [1*]. Pain, rheumatic, upper and lower limbs, right side only [1*].
Sleep
Frequent waking from sleep in fright [1*], with trembling [1*].
Dreams
Amorous [1]. Exciting [1].
Skin
Discolouration, pale red spots on legs, thighs, and abdomen [1*].
Generals
Faintness during coition [1].
* Repertory additions [Allen / Hughes].
o With a reference to Knerr's Repertory, several mind symptoms are erroneously listed for Origanum vulgare [Orig-v.] where they actually belong to Origanum majorana [Orig.]. The few materia medicas that include Origanum vulgare, notably Hale's, Cowperthwaite's and Hughes and Dake's, confuse the wild marjoram with the sweet marjoram.
 |
| Origanum majorana |
And the sweet Marjoram with your garden paint
With no gay colours, yet preserve the plant,
Whose fragrance will invite your kind regard,
When her known virtues have her worth declared!
On Simor's shore fair Venus raised the plant,
Which from the Goddess' touch derived her scent.
[René Rapin]
Signs
Origanum majorana. Sweet Marjoram. Knotted Marjoram. N.O. Labiatae.
CLASSIFICATION Origanum majorana is a member of the Labiatae [Lamiaceae] or Mint Family, a large cosmopolitan family of mostly herbs and undershrubs. There are about 200 genera and some 3,000 species. Labiates generally are plants of open ground; only a few genera are found in tropical rain forest. "Few regions of the world lack labiates; they grow in almost all types of habitat and at all altitudes, from the Arctic to the Himalayas, Southeast Asia to Hawaii and Australasia, throughout Africa and in the New World from north to south; a few genera such as Salvia, Scutellaria and Stachys are almost cosmopolitan. One of the regions of greatest concentration of species is the Mediterranean basin, where such genera as Micromeria, Phlomis, Rosmarinus, Sideritis and Thymus are characteristic components of the maquis and the garrigue."1
FEATURES "Most species are shrubby or herbaceous; trees are extremely rare. The stems often have a characteristic square shape. The leaves are mostly simple, opposite and decussate [each pair at right angles to the next] and are without stipules. The plants are often covered in hairs and glands that emit an aromatic fragrance. The flowers of all labiates are essentially bisexual, but in many species of Mentha, Nepeta or Ziziphora, for instance, up to 50% of the plants may have flowers in which the male organs are reduced and sterile and the flower is functionally female. In these flowers, the corollas are often smaller and paler coloured. There is a very wide range of corolla-shape and staminal position in the family. Usually, there is a clear division into an upper and a lower lip. In most of the temperate genera the upper, often hooded, lip consists of two lobes and the lower of three, forming a convenient landing platform for insects seeking nectar; the stamens are protected by, or included within, the upper lip. Terpenes are present in many members of the family. Generally regarded as one of the most highly evolved of all dicotyledonous families, the Labiatae is closely related to the Verbenaceae."2
ECONOMIC USES "A large number of labiates are cultivated either as ornamentals or as kitchen herbs. Upward of 60 genera are grown in temperate regions alone. Some of the best-known are Mentha [mint], Monarda, Nepeta [catmint], Origanum [marjoram or oregano], Phlomis, Salvia [sage], Stachys, Thymus [thyme] and Ajuga [bugle]. Many are grown for their combined virtues of attractive flowers and pleasant fragrance: the essential oil from Lavandula [lavender] is mostly obtained from wild plants. In the tropics, Coleus and Plectranthus, better known as houseplants in cooler regions, are widely grown for their colourful and variegated foliage. So too are several showy species of Salvia and of Leonotis. Ocimum sanctum, a holy plant for Hindus, is frequently grown near temples. Many species are cultivated commercially. Mostly these are the aromatic herbs of Mediterranean origin, such as mint, marjoram and thyme, so commonly used in flavouring food; but others which are important sources of essential oils used in perfumery and pharmacy are not infrequently cultivated in the tropics and subtropics. Various species of Ocimum [basil and sweet basil] are much grown; a species of Pogostemon is the source of patchouli, much used in perfumery in Southeast Asia; Perilla is grown in India for perilla oil, used in printing-inks and paints."3
GENUS The genus Origanum comprises about 30 species of aromatic, rhizomatous herbs and shrubs with simple, opposite leaves and whorls of two-lipped flowers. The most important species include Origanum dictamnus, O. majorana, O. onites, and O. vulgare. Origanum dictamnus - Cretan dittany or hop marjoram - is a dwarf shrub cultivated as a pot-herb and medicinal herb. Origanum majorana - sweet marjoram or knotted marjoram - is a annual to perennial herb with reddish stems and small, white-purple flowers. This herb is grown as a culinary herb, particularly for flavouring meats [sausage mixtures, veal and fowl], and was formerly used medicinally. Origanum onites, or pot majoram, is a mound-forming shrub used as an inferior substitute for O. majoranum. Origanum vulgare - wild marjoram, oregano, or [also] pot majoram - is a rhizomatous woody perennial with strongly aromatic leaves and purple flowers. Widely grown as a culinary herb, with numerous cultivars having been produced, Origanum vulgare is the oregano best known of the 'pizza culture'. Origanum syriacum var. syriacum [O. maru] is the hyssop of the Bible, mentioned in Exodus 12:21-22] in a context of ritual purification and sacrifice, particularly for the Passover. The herb figures too in 'the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing' [Leviticus 14:4 and 6].
OREGANO The spice commercially known as 'oregano', usually in the form of dried, finely cut leaves, is produced from various species of Origanum as well as from several other labiates or related species. Actually, oregano is a flavour rather than one or a few species. European oregano is generally derived from O. vulgare, but other species, particularly O. heracleoticum, Thymus capitatus and Thymus mastichina are also used. Mexican oregano is derived mainly from Lippia graveolens [belonging to the Verbenaceae], but other Lippia species and Coleus, Lantana [Verbenaceae] and Hyptis species contribute to the herb of commerce. The inclusion of verbena species [Lippia and Lantana] gives Mexican oregano a more spicy flavour than the European.
SPECIES Origanum majorana is native to North Africa and Southwest Asia and naturalized in southern Europe. In these regions it is a perennial, whereas it is an annual in regions where the ground freezes in winter. - Origanum vulgare is a hardy perennial that will survive cold winters if it has a dry and warm position in the summer. - Both species can be found on chalky soils and love to grow on hills and mountains. Origanum majorana is a little grey-green plant that will grow up to a foot high if grown as an annual and up to 2 feet high as a perennial. Branches that hang down will take root and grow to form a loose, airy clump. The tiny flowers are arranged in burr-like heads resembling knots. It is considered a good companion plant that improves the flavour of nearby plants. Sweet marjoram is cultivated in France, Greece, Hungary, the United States, Mexico, Egypt, and several other Mediterranean countries for its highly aromatic leaves and flowering tops, which are used fresh, dried, and ground to flavour salads, stews, stuffings, soups, eggs, vegetables, fish, meat, and sausages. Fresh leaves are added to vinegar, and seeds are added to confections. The oil and oleoresin are used as fragrance components in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and perfumes, and as a flavouring for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages [vermouth, root beer] and for ice cream, candy, baked goods, and condiments. Sweet marjoram retains its fragrance after drying better than any other herb.
NAME The generic name derives from Gr oreos, mountain, and ganos, joy, describing its typical place of growth and its pleasant aromatic appearance. The plants 'are as a crown of rejoicing to the heights on which they grow.' The name majorana comes from the old French maiorana, from Marion, diminutive of Mary, or from mariol, a sort of marionette in allusion to the shape of its flowers. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of its Arabic name maryamych, or that the name honours a Greek youth, Amarakos, who was turned into this plant after dropping a vase of perfume belonging to the king of Cyprus. 'Knotted' marjoram refers to the knotty shape of the burr-like flower heads. The plant was formerly classified as Majorana hortensis [garden marjoram], because it could only survive in northern climates when cultivated in gardens. [In some countries Majorana hortensis is maintained as the official name to distinguish the sweet marjoram from the wild marjoram.]
CONSTITUENTS Sweet majoram contains about 3% volatile oil [comprising sabinene hydrate, sabinene, linalool, carvacrol and other terpenes], flavonoids, caffeic and rosmarinic acid, and triterpenoids. Carvacrol, a phenolic constituent of the oil, has antifungal and anthelmintic properties; the oils of thyme and origanum [vulgare] also contain carvacrol. Origanum vulgare differs from O. majorana in containing a higher proportion of thymol, which gives it a more thyme-like aroma. The essential oil yields peak in hot summer conditions.
MEDICINE Origanum majorana has been noted to exhibit antioxidant and antifungal properties. Test-tube studies show marjoram inhibits the growth of herpes simplex. As a medicinal plant it has traditionally been used as a stimulant and tonic. As a folk remedy it has been employed in the treatment of asthma, indigestion, headache, rheumatism, and toothache. The British herbalist John Gerard wrote in 1597: "Sweet marjoram is a remedy against cold diseases of the braine and head, being taken any way to your best liking; put up into the nostrils it provoketh sneesing, and draweth forth much baggage flegme; it easeth the toothache being chewed in the mouth; being drunke it provoketh urine, and draweth away waterish humors, and is used in medicines against poison. The leaves boiled in water, and the decoction drunke, helpeth them that are entering into the dropsie; it easeth them that are troubled with difficultie of making water, and such as are given to overmuch sighing, and easeth the paines of the belly." Culpeper gives a more elaborate explanation of its virtues in his Complete Herbal [1653]: "It is an herb of Mercury, and under Aries, and therefore is an excellent remedy for the brain and other parts of the body and mind, under the dominion of the same planet. Our common Sweet Marjoram is warming and comfortable in cold diseases of the head, stomach, sinews, and other parts, taken inwardly, or outwardly applied. The decoction thereof being drank, helps all diseases of the chest which hinder the freeness of breathing, and is also profitable for the obstructions of the liver and spleen. It helps the cold griefs of the womb, and the windiness thereof, and the loss of speech, by resolution of the tongue. ... It is profitably put into those ointments and salves that are warm, and comfort the outward parts, as the joints and sinews, for swellings also, and places out of joint." America's 19th-century Eclectics recommended the herb as a tonic stimulant and menstruation promotor. Sweet marjoram is considered to have a stronger effect on the nervous system than its wild cousin O. vulgare. The herb is also thought to lower the sexual drive. Mrs. Leyel says: "It is a most useful sexual nerve sedative and can be prescribed in soup, milk or chocolate. When effective, it usually produces rapid results. The discovery of this medicinal virtue in the plant is attributed to a clergyman who had an asylum for orphans."4
FOLKLORE The ancient Greeks planted sweet marjoram on graves to help the dead sleep in peace. Finding the plant growing wild on graves indicated happiness of the departed in the next world. They made wreaths and garlands of this plant for marriage and funeral ceremonies. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was believed to have created sweet marjoram as a gentle symbol of happiness. If a girl placed marjoram in her bed, Aphrodite would visit her dreams and reveal the identity of her future spouse. In the language of flowers, marjoram symbolizes consolation. As the birthday flower for 1 June it symbolizes blushes. A peculiar [ancient] belief suggests that tortoises eat this plant after being bitten by snakes [just as weasels were thought to heal themselves by eating rue flowers].
PROVINGS •• [1] Cessoles - 3 provers [2 females, 1 male], 1842; method: single drop of tincture; daily doses of tincture increasing from one to five drops at a dose; one dose of 30th dil. repeated after eight days.
[2] Hering gives 7 cured cases, all of them females, ranging in age from 7 to 40, and all of them suffering from "sexual irritation."
[1-3] Heywood, Flowering Plants of the World. [4] Leyel, Elixirs of Life.
Affinity
FEMALE ORGANS. MIND.
Modalities
Worse: Evening on lying down [vertigo]. Night [thirst].
Better: Occupation.
Main symptoms
M EROTOMANIA; believing herself lost or despised.
Nearly idiotic from masturbation.
M Sexual thoughts intrude and crowd upon each other.
INDISPOSED to talk.
M Devil.
• "Erotomania and inclination to suicide in a young girl; great sexual irritation; deep moroseness, believes herself lost and despised; when awaking from her stupor cries out that the devil comes near her, believes herself in hell, in chains, considered herself crazy, and those about her feared that she would become so; has thoughts of destroying herself." [Hering]
• "'Believes herself lost and despised'. 'Delusions of hell', and 'delusions of the devil.' I've found this devil ideation and the delusions to be strong components in cases where there has been sexual abuse or fundamentalist religious ideas in childhood. If you look in the rubric, Delusions, devils, you'll see a lot of hypersexual remedies, such as Platinum and Hyoscyamus - and, now, Origanum. These all come from shame-based, guilt-based feelings around sexuality. Origanum has a religious element. It is not as extreme as Mancinella or Veratrum album, and is expressed as a sense of duty. There are 'powerful lascivious impulses, producing anxiety, from disinclination to religious duties' [Hering]."1
M Impossible to remain tranquil.
Desire for ACTIVE EXERCISE, impelling her to RUN.
• [From 16th - 24th] "she became very self-absorbed, pensive, taciturn, sad, hopeless, felt inclined to throw herself out of window, and to walk about continually, - it was impossible to keep herself quiet; everything seemed contrary; disgust for life, in which all things felt tame, and longing for death; great heat in head, when it increased head turned involuntarily from side to side; extravagant ideas; desire to walk very fast, and for fresh air, which comforted her; dissolute feeling, desire to change her condition; loss of appetite; great thirst during night and frequent waking, constant and extravagant dreaming, waking with a start and trembling. On the 24th, great vivacity and need of active movement."
• "Sadness the whole day, followed by lively mood and excessive joyfulness, with thoughts of marriage, distraction of mind, and desire for active exercise, impelling her to run." [Hughes]
Occupation >.
M Suicidal disposition; throwing herself from a height.
M Focus on relationship and marriage.
• "Recently, I've been using Origanum even when the excessive masturbation isn't present, but when there is a strong reaction to relationship and the person is very focused on relationship and marriage. Unlike Arsenicum and other security-oriented remedies, Origanum displays a kind of fantasy and a need for a sense of belonging and fulfilment in life that in their mind [to the point of delusion] can be satisfied only by marriage. The need is satisfied by the fantasy of, rather than by the reality of, marriage. This may be an area that you'll want to look at, esp. in cases where the individual is having a very severe reaction to a relationship or to the break-up of a relationship, where the reaction goes on and on and on, and where you've tried a lot of different remedies that don't seem to be working."2
c Hot-headed idealism.
• "In order to discover and appreciate the Origanum majorana person, we must become imbued with the enthusiastic, spring-like vitality of those spirited adolescents, full of energy, their hearts overflowing with the desire for action inherent in their youth that seeks to free itself from the family cocoon, and who prove fully determined to fly as quickly as possible using their own wings. Origanum majorana, self-assured, wants to conquer the world, set in on fire and transform it, inspire it with that radiant force which his love of life has so intensely awoken in him. A great idealist, full of potential for the most part as yet unrealised, he wants to manifest his dreams without delay and is not afraid, in so doing, to displease earlier generations more inclined to live on memories and accompany their action with the requisite caution. ... Faced with the slowness of matter and existential inconsistencies, Origanum majorana rebels; sometimes he makes a statement of this character trait and his hotheadedness then wildly takes on the established social values, family habits and customs, entropic routine and, since they have not been dispensed with, the political and religious dogmas and conformities. ... One of the lessons he will learn is that in wanting to prove too much, one fails to convince anyone and in wanting to convince too much, one fails to prove anything. In fact, Origanum majorana experiences a certain vulnerability like an inner drama due to his lack of confidence in himself, clumsily compensated for by an excessive assurance when faced with others. His strength comes from his sense of being on the right path, even if, in reality, he is teetering. He thus deems himself capable of directing his existence and if necessary that of others. ... His impetuosity thus drives him to believe too soon that victory is his whereas a war is won by a strategy, a plan, highly ordered conduct and a good deal of patience."3
G VIOLENT sexual desire; great sexual excitement driving her to onanism.
• "Whenever she meets a man whose appearance is pleasing she is driven to commit self-abuse."
• "Abused herself daily; tried her utmost to overcome sexual inclinations and vainly gave herself up to RELIGIOUS exercises in order to strengthen the will."
• "Powerful lascivious impulses, producing anxiety, from disinclination to religious duties; leucorrhoea; a worthy married woman and mother of a family." [Hering]
G Masturbation in young girls.
G Lascivious dreams.
G Suppression of sexual desire <. G Excessive THIRST at night. P Heat of head. • "As the heat increased the head involuntary turned from side to side." [Allen] P Rheumatic pains. After one drop of tincture, Cessoles suffered from "rheumatic pains in arms, hands, thighs, and feet, sometimes wandering or intermittent." Taking increasing doses of the tincture, the second prover, a young woman of lively disposition produced: "Rheumatic pains in foot, toes, breast, shoulder-blade, arm, and hand, on right side only." [1-2] Klein, Two cases of extreme reaction after lost love; IFH 1992. [3] Mailhebiau, Portraits in Oils. Rubrics Mind Desires death [1]. Delusions, being despised [1o], being in hell [1o], being in chains in hell [1o]. Desires physical exertion [1]. Lascivious fancies [2]. Morbid impulse to run [2]. Insanity, erotic [2], from masturbation [1], in women [2]. Libertinism [1]. Nymphomania [3], in young girls [2/1]. Occupation > [1]. Religious affections [1]. Suicidal disposition, with violent sexual desire [1/1], throwing herself from a height [1].
Vertigo
In evening on lying down [1*].
Head
Motions of head, sideways, when heat of head increases [1*].
Nose
Sensation of constriction and tickling in tip of nose [1*]. Epistaxis in morning [1*].
Stomach
Extreme thirst at night [1*].
Abdomen
Pain, waking her from sleep at night [1*].
Bladder
Frequent urging to urinate, awakening him from sleep [1*]. Involuntary urination, on becoming cold [1], when sneezing [1].
Chest
Itching and swelling of nipples [1].
Back
Pain, dorsal region, beneath scapulae [1*].
Limbs
Cramps in sole of right foot [1*]. Pain, rheumatic, upper and lower limbs, right side only [1*].
Sleep
Frequent waking from sleep in fright [1*], with trembling [1*].
Dreams
Amorous [1]. Exciting [1].
Skin
Discolouration, pale red spots on legs, thighs, and abdomen [1*].
Generals
Faintness during coition [1].
* Repertory additions [Allen / Hughes].
o With a reference to Knerr's Repertory, several mind symptoms are erroneously listed for Origanum vulgare [Orig-v.] where they actually belong to Origanum majorana [Orig.]. The few materia medicas that include Origanum vulgare, notably Hale's, Cowperthwaite's and Hughes and Dake's, confuse the wild marjoram with the sweet marjoram.
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