Chamomilla
- VERMEULEN Frans,
Cham.
No man is angry that feels not himself hurt.
[Francis Bacon]
Signs
Matricaria recutita. Matricaria chamomilla. German chamomile. Hungarian chamomile. Scented Mayweed. N.O. Compositae.
CLASSIFICATION Belongs to the family Compositae or Asteraceae and is included in the tribe Anthemideae, along with Achillea [Millefolium], Anacyclus, Anthemis, Artemisia, Chrysanthemum, and Tanacetum. With about 1100 genera and 25,000 species, the Aster family is one of the largest families of flowering plants. The genus Matricaria consists of 5 species of weedy annual or perennial herbs and is allied to the genus Anthemis [which has some 100 species]. Matricaria's have finely divided leaves and yellow flowers in daisy-like heads with distinct, slightly down-turned rays. Native to Eurasia, the genus has been naturalized in Australia and North America.
NAME Matricaria derives from L. mater, mother, or L. matrix, the womb, and L. caries, decay, alluding to its former use in treating diseases of the uterus. The name chamomile is a derivative of Chamaemelum, the official botanical name for the Roman chamomile, known in homoeopathy under its old name Anthemis nobilis. Chamaemelum comes from Gr. chamai, on the ground, and melon, apple, referring to the apple-like scent and the low habit.
FEATURES German chamomile, also named 'true chamomile', should not be confused with Roman chamomile, for they belong to different genera. The former is the one used more for medicinal purposes, while the latter is the plant that in various countries has been used for making lawns for centuries - the more Roman chamomile is trodden upon the faster it grows. German chamomile is the species with the deep, ink-blue oil [azulene] which is extremely valuable for medicinal purposes. The easiest way to distinguish the "true chamomile' is to look for the yellow receptacle which is conical from the beginning and, in addition, it is hollow. Matricaria discoidea looks similar but has no ray florets; it has the same hollow receptable and a similar scent, but it lacks the blue oil. The biodynamic method of growing and gardening considers 'true chamomile' important as an activator and fertilizer. If plants in the herb garden are drooping and apparently dying it has been observed that they will often recover if Matricaria plants are planted near them. In small amounts it stimulates the growth of grain. To treat herbs suffering from transplant shock, some gardeners sprinkle a light mulch of fresh or dried chamomile flowers at the base of the plant and water with hot water. Old herbals called chamomile "the plant physician". Both German and Roman chamomile are used for this purpose.
HABITAT Preferring dry and sunlit places, Chamomilla flowers from May to October. On agricultural land it is nature's help for crust formation and hard pan in the soil: Matricaria has the ability to break surface crusts.
CONSTITUENTS Volatile oil [alpha bisabolol]; flavonoids [apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin]; coumarins [herniarin, umbelliferone]; proazulenes [matricin, matricarin]; phenolic carboxylic acids [anisic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid]; thujone [!]; polysaccharide mucilage; catechin-tannins; bitter glycosides [anthemic acid]; high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, and zinc. The pharmaceutical compound azusalen [sodium sulphonate of azulene] is used as an antacid. Researchers have developed topical ointments containing alpha bisabolol and found them to be more effective than hydrocortisone in treating skin inflammation. Alpha bisobolol is also used in the treatment of ulcers induced by alcohol or burns. Chamazulene, initially credited with all medicinal properties of German chamomile, is also present in other members of the tribe Anthemideae, i.e. Artemisia absinthium and Achillea millefolium.
HISTORY The ancient Egyptians employed chamomile in various ways. Its blossoms formed part of the floral garlands worn by statues of deities in King Tut's tomb, and powdered chamomile flowers were sprinkled into the abdominal cavity of the mummy of Ramses II to act as an insecticide. The ancient Greeks and Romans used chamomile for upset stomachs, jangled nerves, and kidney and liver problems. However, it is not known for certain whether Anthemis or Matricaria was used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Matricaria belonged to the favourite herbs of the patron of medicine, Asclepius. The plant was frequently used in temples to induce curative and visionary dreams. In Nordic countries it was, no doubt, German chamomile which was held in high regard from time immemorial. It even had a place in Nordic mythology as 'baldersbrå', 'brow of Balder', the solar hero who stood for the idea of regeneration through cremation. Being sent to sea on a burning ship, his funeral was the Viking's dissolution in both fire and water. German chamomile was one of the Nine Sacred Herbs given to the world by Odin - sometimes Woden or Wotan - who was 'supreme as well as being the oldest of the gods.' In England it was a strewing herb and used to freshen the air when bathing was uncommon. By the 18th century, chamomile, like most bitter or bitterish substances, was recommended primarily for stomach complaints and as a cheap substitute for cinchona bark. Much of its popularity rested on its use as a tea for supportive therapy. In Spain, where it was called manzanilla, 'little apple', chamomile was used to flavour sherry. Before refrigeration, meats were dipped in chamomile tea to help eliminate the rancid odour of spoilage. In Germany, dried floral heads were used against worm infections, which, perhaps, can be attributed to its content in thujone; thujone occurs also in wormwood [Artemisia]. Chamomile root was traditionally chewed to relieve toothache. The dried flowering heads have been employed for flavouring cigarette tobacco.
EFFECTS Matricaria chamomila is one of the world's most popular healing herbs, included in the pharmacopoeia of 26 countries, with some 4,000 tons produced annually. Medicinal use of chamomile is particularly extensive in Germany, where standards have been developed for the essential oil content of the flower and for the chamazulene and alpha-bisabolol content of various products. The plant has the following properties: tonic; stomachic; anodyne; antispasmodic; laxative; diaphoretic; analgesic; carminative; sedative; anti-inflammatory. The French drink chamomile tea as an aid to digestion after heavy meals. On account of its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties an infusion can be used as a gargle for inflamed gums or sore throat. The anti-pain effect comes into its own when dealing with toothache either by rinsing with a warm infusion or using small linen bags filled with chamomile flowers warmed on a kettle or hot-water bottle to hold against the cheek or other painful parts. 1 German studies have shown that chamomile actually reduces gastric acid and may inhibit development of peptic ulcers, in particular those induced by stress and alcohol. A special commission appointed by the Federal German Health Office has stated that chamomile flowers contain a complex of active principles that when used together "combat inflammation, stimulate the regeneration of cell tissue, and promote the healing of refractory wounds and skin ulcers." The polysaccharides are immunostimulating, activating macrophages and B-lymphocytes, thus demonstrating a scientific basis for the use of the herb in wound healing. A growth inhibitory effect of German chamomile extracts has been noted on streptococcal toxins, gram-positive bacteria, and fungi. Azulene compounds are known to stimulate liver regeneration. Chamomile also decreases histamine and thus can help reduce the puffy / itchy eyes, headache, and swelling of allergies. It is a good brew for those with a hangover. Women drinking chamomile tea during pregnancy are said to produce babies who don't whine, according to herbalist La Sassier. A peculiar notion, since chamomile may cause vertigo, nervousness, stomach muscle flaccidity, and emesis when used in excess. As an additional 'bonus', the essential oil will increase the number of heart contractions and dilate the main blood vessels of the brain.
SEDATIVE Today, chamomile tea is commonly used as a mild herbal sedative. It reputedly combats sleeplessness and prevents nightmares. For years researchers attributed the antispasmodic effect to the flavonoids, but it has recently been demonstrated that other constituents also contribute substantially to the total sedative action. "In 1973, a study was carried out in the United States, in which 12 hospitalized patients having various types of heart disease, were administered chamomile tea in order to determine its effect. Each patient was given a 6 ounce cup of hot tea prepared from 2 commercial chamomile tea bags. Approximately 10 minutes after the ingestion of the tea, ten of the patients fell into a deep sleep. They could be aroused, but immediately fell again into a deep sleep. The sleep lasted approximately 90 minutes. The only other effect seen in the patients was a small but significant increase in arterial blood pressure."2 Conducting provings with various potencies, Haydel observed that "the disposition, which was formerly very much affected by every depressing or exciting circumstance, was soothed by Chamomilla at the beginning of every proving, so that he became equable and insensible to every provocation; after awhile, however, a certain exhaustion, indolence, and inactivity of mind appeared, which ceased on stopping the remedy, and the former irritability returned."3
USES Chamomile extracts are used as a scent or scent enhancer in such cosmetic products as creams, detergents, perfume, and soap. Skin lotions enriched with chamomile are recommended for regenerating tissue and cleansing sensitive, greasy complexions. The oil is employed in quality perfumes to create a rich undertone, whilst alpha-bisabolol serves as a fixative. Farnesol - a compound present in the essential oil and producing an odour similar to linden blossoms and angelica seeds - is used in fragrances to create harmony and to enhance floral odours. The low toxicity and yellow-colouring agents in German chamomile flowers have promoted their use in vegetable hair dyes, adding yellow colour to hair. 4 Chamomile oil is used in chocolate, fruit, and liquor flavourings for beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods, chewing gum, and liquors.
AZULENE It requires special measures to extract the typical blue oil of Chamomilla. The temperature at which the flowers are dried and the temperature and pH of the extraction process significantly affect the chamazulene content of the essential oil. The highest yield is obtained after drying plant material in the shade at 22 to 25o C. Slight losses [up to 7 per cent] of prochamazulene, but with no reduction in plant essential oil content, occur with drying in a stationary bulk dryer with active ventilation at 40 to 45o C. A stationary steam dryer induces significant loss of prochamazulene and essential oil. The greatest loss of active compounds in the essential oil results from storage of plant material at -6 to 25o C and 55 to 95 per cent humidity. Freeze-dried plants frequently yield more oil than air-dried plants. The quantity of active compounds in the oil depends, in addition, upon the origin and age of the flowers; with time the chamazulene content will decrease during storage. Increases in plant content of chamazulene occur in the mornings and evenings. 5 On wet and foggy days its flowers have only half the content of chamazulene. Dried flowers are very fragile and crumble easily. They have to be kept in air-tight containers in a dry place as they easily absorb humidity from the air and then get mouldy.
BLUE The striking blue colour of chamomile oil is rather uncommon in the plant kingdom. Being possibly a specific of Chamomilla the symbolism of the colour blue might be taken into consideration. In many ancient, and modern, cultures blue is regarded as the coolest, most detached and least 'material' of all hues. Apart from recent idiomatic links with melancholia, it expresses primordial simplicity and infinite space, as well as purity, constancy, prudence, peace, truth, and contemplation. "Blue is the deepest colour; unimpeded, the gaze plumbs infinity, the colour forever escaping it. Blue is the most insubstantial of colours; it seldom occurs in the natural world except as a translucency, that is to say as an accumulation of emptiness, the void of the Heavens, of the depths of the sea, of crystal or diamond. Emptiness is austere, pure and frosty. Blue is the coldest of colours and, in its absolute quality, the purest, apart from the total void of matt white. ... Indifferent and unafraid, centred solely upon itself, blue is not of this world: it evokes the idea of eternity, calm, lofty, superhuman, inhuman even. ... Blue surroundings calm and soothe but, unlike green, they do not stimulate, since they merely provide an escape from the real world, an escape which may in the long run may lead to depression. ... Blue and white, the colours of Our Lady, express a detachment from the things of this world and the flight of the liberated soul towards God, that is to say towards the gold which comes to meet the virginal white as it ascends into the blue of Heaven. Belief in the hereafter gives positive validity to the associations of blue and white with children's funerals. Under the age of puberty they are not yet fully developed human beings in the sense of not being fully developed sexually and are not fully of this world for that reason. Hence they more readily answer the blue call of Our Lady. ... In some parts of Poland the custom of painting the houses of brides-to-be blue still survives."6
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - on himself and Stapf; method: unknown.
•• [2] Austrian proving - 5 provers, 1844; method: extract in doses of 2-24 gr. daily.
•• [3] Hoppe - 2 provers; method: daily doses of potencies decreasing from 12x to tincture.
[1] Loewenfeld, Herb Gardening. [2] Weiner, Weiner's Herbal. [3] Allen, Encyclopedia. [4-5] Craker and Simon, Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants, Vol. 1. [6] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, Dictionary of Symbols.
Affinity
MIND. NERVES. EMOTIONS. Mucous membranes [DIGESTIVE TRACT]. Liver. Sexual organs. * Left side.
Modalities
Worse: ANGER. NIGHT. DENTITION. Cold [air; damp]. Wind. Taking cold. COFFEE. Narcotics. Opium. Heat. Morning. Evening; evening before midnight. Draft. Eructations. After breakfast. Suppressed perspiration. Getting warm in bed. Dry weather. Cloudy weather.
Better: BEING CARRIED. Mild weather. Heat. Sweating. Cold applications. Fasting. Warm wet weather.
Main symptoms
M EXCESSIVE IRRITABILITY.
• "Too ugly to live with." [Kent]
Ugly, cross, uncivil and quarrelsome; vexed at every trifle.
Children, or women before menses.
• "Cannot cease talking about old vexatious things."
• "Suspicion that he may have been insulted."
• "His hypochondriacal whims and his crossness at the smallest trifles appear to him to proceed from stupidity and heaviness of the head and constipation." [Hahnemann]
TANTRUMS.
[stiffening of body, bending backwards of body, stamping feet, kicking, striking, throwing everything away, banging head on the floor, convulsions and cyanosis from rage, etc.]
Anger / vexation causes:
Congestive headache; redness and heat of face; toothache; spasms of throat; indigestion; vomiting [of bile]; abdominal pain; hepatitis; diarrhoea; abortion; metritis; metrorrhagia; dysmenorrhoea; uterine cramps; asthma; cough; suppression of milk; palpitation; sleeplessness; perspiration; jaundice; convulsions; faintness; tremor.
M OVERSENSITIVITY to PAIN and EXTERNAL INFLUENCES.
• "The Chamomilla subject is basically a very sensitive neurotic. His natural instability is not only mental, but physical as well - he cannot bear the slightest pain. [This marked intolerance of pain is seen at its worst in people who abuse coffee.] At the first tiny unpleasant sensation the patients moans and groans; from being merely worried he rapidly becomes anxious about what could happen to him, and soon starts to panic. If he is lying down he throws himself from side to side, lamenting in his despair; if standing up, he tears around like a madman, shouting and declaring that no one in the world has ever suffered so much, calling for death as the only thing which can deliver him from his intolerable pain. He calls loudly for his physician but rejects him when he arrives. Or he will enthusiastically accept any advice which may be given to him, and then do something quite different the next moment. Foolish and desperate, incoherent and contradictory, such is the Chamomilla patient."1
M CHILD wants to be CARRIED; is only quiet when carried or rocked.
M AVERSION to be being SPOKEN TO or TOUCHED.
• "He cannot stand being talked to or interrupted in his conversation, esp. after rising up from sleep, with sluggish pupils that dilate and contract with difficulty." [Hahnemann]
• "Very easily chagrined or offended. Becomes melancholy, sits and broods and refuses to reply when spoken to - appears absorbed in thought, as the result of pent-up rage or resentment." [Gibson]
M Unimpressed by authority.
Will enter into a dispute or quarrel irrespective of the position of the opponent.
Stirs things up.
M Crying in sleep, without waking up, even in adults.
M EMOTIONS FELT IN STOMACH.
c Chamomile person-picture [in herbal medicine].
• "The Chamomile person lives their stresses twice at least, and sometimes over and over. Chamomile often dramatises in re-telling the day's doings to Mum, or spouse, or the household in general. They bound through the frontdoor, flustered, with 'What a day I've had. You'll never guess what happened ...' Beginning with a missed bus, worrying headlines in the paper, an office crisis at five past nine, and another at morning tea, you'll get a blow-by-blow description of every event, large or small. Hands may be waved about, and the facial expressions and voices of all the cast of players in the day's doings acted out. It may be an entertaining experience for the listener if nothing much has happened to them that day and they welcome the diversion, but it is often true of 'Chamomile' that their day has really been quite ordinary. Their listeners may have had a much worse day, and all the dramatics may just annoy by their inconsequential nature."2
c Negative-chronic Chamomile [herbal medicine].
• "Constant over-communication has not only precluded eating and digestion, but also sleep. ... The deeper and more emotionally exhausted Chamomile-person can suffer 'allergic' reactions almost from top to toes. Typically, this patient has a long list of foods, contact-substances, 'house-dust and moulds', perfumes, cosmetics, animal products, hair, fur, feathers, even flowers, to which they show allergic responses. It is hard to tell them so, but it is true that if the expensive allergy-testing was done every week for any period of time they would show different allergy triggers each time they were tested! These people don't have real allergies to a few substances, they have a trigger-happy allergic response! They are allergic-reactors, full-stop! ... All these patients share one common factor in their 'allergies' - emotional exhaustion at the time of encounter with the substance[s] concerned."3
G Pre-eminently a remedy for CHILDREN and nervous WOMEN.
G Oversensitivity of the sense organs to fresh air and wind.
G Convulsions of children, after a fit of anger of the mother.
G AILMENTS from COFFEE and narcotics ["in cases spoiled by the use of opium or morphine" - Kent].
Coffee causes:
Anxiety and oversensitiviteness; vertigo; headache; toothache; indigestion; nausea; cramping or pressing stomach pain; retching and vomiting; cramping bellyache; dyspnoea; cough; backache; sleeplessness; chilliness or heat.
G Hot and thirsty or HOT SWEAT with the PAINS.
Warm sweat on the head wetting the hair.
HOT FEELING without objective heat.
G < After becoming COLD. Aversion to OPEN AIR; yet < WARM BED. G < Beginning of and DURING MENSES. G < Motion of AFFECTED part. G Pain with NUMBNESS of the affected part[s]. Benumbing pains. P Swelling or REDNESS of ONE CHEEK, paleness of the other. P Stools hot, SOUR, GRASS-GREEN, SLIMY, yellowish green or LIENTERIC; smelling like spoiled eggs. P Dysmenorrhoea with excessive pain [despair from pain]. And Cold shivers, vomiting, diarrhoea and faintness. P Soles of feet burning at night; puts them out of the covers. [1] Vannier, Typology in Homoeopathy. [2-3] Hall, Herbal Medicine. Rubrics Mind Abrupt [1]. Abusive, before menses [1/1]. Beside oneself from pain [3]. Capriciousness, when offered, he is rejecting the things for which he has been longing [3]. Desire for change [1]. Delusions, people seem too large during vertigo [1]; of hearing voices of absent persons [1]. Discontented, everything another does is wrong [2/1]. Dwells, cannot cease talking about old vexations [1/1]. Fear, of others approaching [2], of being touched [2]. Ideas, abundant, at night [2]. Impatience, everything goes too slowly [2]. Indifference, to pleasure [2]. Obstinate, at beginning of menses [2/1]. Easily offended, from past offences [2]. Sensitive, to all external impressions [1], to music [2], to odours [1], to pain [3], in puberty [2]. Tranquility, reconciled to fate [1]. Vertigo Lying > [1*]. From mental exertion [1]. From talking [1].
Head
Pain, > bending head backward [2], > occupation [1], from strong odours [1]; bursting, as if vertex would be blown off [1]; pressing, inwards, temples [1*]. Perspiration of scalp, during menses [1], sour smell [2].
Eye
As of heat steaming out of eyes [3]. Discolouration, red, during menses [1].
Vision
Dim, looking at white objects [1/1], when fixing eyes upon white objects [1/1]. Hemiopia, when fixing eyes upon a white object [1/1*].
Hearing
Sounds seem distant [1].
Face
Distortion, mouth, alternating sides [1].
Throat
Swallowing, impeded, while lying [1/1].
Stomach
Thirst, during menses [2], during the pains [3].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, after rhubarb [2], < smoking [1]. Bladder Urging to urinate, frequent, after menses. Urine Copious, with amenorrhoea [2], during menses [2]. Respiration Asthmatic, > bending head backward [1], > cold air [1].
Limbs
Cramps, soles of feet, when lying [1*]. Heat, soles of feet, during menses [1]. Pain, at night, drives out of bed [3], > continued motion [3], > warmth [1].
Sleep
Disturbed, by pains [2].
Dreams
Falling into an abyss [2].
Skin
Itching, without eruption [1*], when undressing [1*].
* Repertory additions [Hahnemann / Hughes].
Food
Aversion: [2]: Beer; beer, smell of; coffee; warm drinks. [1]: Hot drinks; meat; soup.
Desire: [3]: Cold drinks. [2]: Bread; sour; vegetables. [1]: coffee; sauerkraut.
Worse: [3]: Coffee. [2]: Beer, smell of; milk; sweets; warm drinks; warm food. [1]: Cold food; crude food [= diarrhoea]; rhubarb; tea.
Better: [3]: Coffee. [2]: Cold food. [1]: Cold drinks.
Cham.
 |
| Chamomilla |
[Francis Bacon]
Signs
Matricaria recutita. Matricaria chamomilla. German chamomile. Hungarian chamomile. Scented Mayweed. N.O. Compositae.
CLASSIFICATION Belongs to the family Compositae or Asteraceae and is included in the tribe Anthemideae, along with Achillea [Millefolium], Anacyclus, Anthemis, Artemisia, Chrysanthemum, and Tanacetum. With about 1100 genera and 25,000 species, the Aster family is one of the largest families of flowering plants. The genus Matricaria consists of 5 species of weedy annual or perennial herbs and is allied to the genus Anthemis [which has some 100 species]. Matricaria's have finely divided leaves and yellow flowers in daisy-like heads with distinct, slightly down-turned rays. Native to Eurasia, the genus has been naturalized in Australia and North America.
NAME Matricaria derives from L. mater, mother, or L. matrix, the womb, and L. caries, decay, alluding to its former use in treating diseases of the uterus. The name chamomile is a derivative of Chamaemelum, the official botanical name for the Roman chamomile, known in homoeopathy under its old name Anthemis nobilis. Chamaemelum comes from Gr. chamai, on the ground, and melon, apple, referring to the apple-like scent and the low habit.
FEATURES German chamomile, also named 'true chamomile', should not be confused with Roman chamomile, for they belong to different genera. The former is the one used more for medicinal purposes, while the latter is the plant that in various countries has been used for making lawns for centuries - the more Roman chamomile is trodden upon the faster it grows. German chamomile is the species with the deep, ink-blue oil [azulene] which is extremely valuable for medicinal purposes. The easiest way to distinguish the "true chamomile' is to look for the yellow receptacle which is conical from the beginning and, in addition, it is hollow. Matricaria discoidea looks similar but has no ray florets; it has the same hollow receptable and a similar scent, but it lacks the blue oil. The biodynamic method of growing and gardening considers 'true chamomile' important as an activator and fertilizer. If plants in the herb garden are drooping and apparently dying it has been observed that they will often recover if Matricaria plants are planted near them. In small amounts it stimulates the growth of grain. To treat herbs suffering from transplant shock, some gardeners sprinkle a light mulch of fresh or dried chamomile flowers at the base of the plant and water with hot water. Old herbals called chamomile "the plant physician". Both German and Roman chamomile are used for this purpose.
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| Chamomilla flowering |
CONSTITUENTS Volatile oil [alpha bisabolol]; flavonoids [apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin]; coumarins [herniarin, umbelliferone]; proazulenes [matricin, matricarin]; phenolic carboxylic acids [anisic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid]; thujone [!]; polysaccharide mucilage; catechin-tannins; bitter glycosides [anthemic acid]; high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, and zinc. The pharmaceutical compound azusalen [sodium sulphonate of azulene] is used as an antacid. Researchers have developed topical ointments containing alpha bisabolol and found them to be more effective than hydrocortisone in treating skin inflammation. Alpha bisobolol is also used in the treatment of ulcers induced by alcohol or burns. Chamazulene, initially credited with all medicinal properties of German chamomile, is also present in other members of the tribe Anthemideae, i.e. Artemisia absinthium and Achillea millefolium.
HISTORY The ancient Egyptians employed chamomile in various ways. Its blossoms formed part of the floral garlands worn by statues of deities in King Tut's tomb, and powdered chamomile flowers were sprinkled into the abdominal cavity of the mummy of Ramses II to act as an insecticide. The ancient Greeks and Romans used chamomile for upset stomachs, jangled nerves, and kidney and liver problems. However, it is not known for certain whether Anthemis or Matricaria was used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Matricaria belonged to the favourite herbs of the patron of medicine, Asclepius. The plant was frequently used in temples to induce curative and visionary dreams. In Nordic countries it was, no doubt, German chamomile which was held in high regard from time immemorial. It even had a place in Nordic mythology as 'baldersbrå', 'brow of Balder', the solar hero who stood for the idea of regeneration through cremation. Being sent to sea on a burning ship, his funeral was the Viking's dissolution in both fire and water. German chamomile was one of the Nine Sacred Herbs given to the world by Odin - sometimes Woden or Wotan - who was 'supreme as well as being the oldest of the gods.' In England it was a strewing herb and used to freshen the air when bathing was uncommon. By the 18th century, chamomile, like most bitter or bitterish substances, was recommended primarily for stomach complaints and as a cheap substitute for cinchona bark. Much of its popularity rested on its use as a tea for supportive therapy. In Spain, where it was called manzanilla, 'little apple', chamomile was used to flavour sherry. Before refrigeration, meats were dipped in chamomile tea to help eliminate the rancid odour of spoilage. In Germany, dried floral heads were used against worm infections, which, perhaps, can be attributed to its content in thujone; thujone occurs also in wormwood [Artemisia]. Chamomile root was traditionally chewed to relieve toothache. The dried flowering heads have been employed for flavouring cigarette tobacco.
EFFECTS Matricaria chamomila is one of the world's most popular healing herbs, included in the pharmacopoeia of 26 countries, with some 4,000 tons produced annually. Medicinal use of chamomile is particularly extensive in Germany, where standards have been developed for the essential oil content of the flower and for the chamazulene and alpha-bisabolol content of various products. The plant has the following properties: tonic; stomachic; anodyne; antispasmodic; laxative; diaphoretic; analgesic; carminative; sedative; anti-inflammatory. The French drink chamomile tea as an aid to digestion after heavy meals. On account of its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties an infusion can be used as a gargle for inflamed gums or sore throat. The anti-pain effect comes into its own when dealing with toothache either by rinsing with a warm infusion or using small linen bags filled with chamomile flowers warmed on a kettle or hot-water bottle to hold against the cheek or other painful parts. 1 German studies have shown that chamomile actually reduces gastric acid and may inhibit development of peptic ulcers, in particular those induced by stress and alcohol. A special commission appointed by the Federal German Health Office has stated that chamomile flowers contain a complex of active principles that when used together "combat inflammation, stimulate the regeneration of cell tissue, and promote the healing of refractory wounds and skin ulcers." The polysaccharides are immunostimulating, activating macrophages and B-lymphocytes, thus demonstrating a scientific basis for the use of the herb in wound healing. A growth inhibitory effect of German chamomile extracts has been noted on streptococcal toxins, gram-positive bacteria, and fungi. Azulene compounds are known to stimulate liver regeneration. Chamomile also decreases histamine and thus can help reduce the puffy / itchy eyes, headache, and swelling of allergies. It is a good brew for those with a hangover. Women drinking chamomile tea during pregnancy are said to produce babies who don't whine, according to herbalist La Sassier. A peculiar notion, since chamomile may cause vertigo, nervousness, stomach muscle flaccidity, and emesis when used in excess. As an additional 'bonus', the essential oil will increase the number of heart contractions and dilate the main blood vessels of the brain.
SEDATIVE Today, chamomile tea is commonly used as a mild herbal sedative. It reputedly combats sleeplessness and prevents nightmares. For years researchers attributed the antispasmodic effect to the flavonoids, but it has recently been demonstrated that other constituents also contribute substantially to the total sedative action. "In 1973, a study was carried out in the United States, in which 12 hospitalized patients having various types of heart disease, were administered chamomile tea in order to determine its effect. Each patient was given a 6 ounce cup of hot tea prepared from 2 commercial chamomile tea bags. Approximately 10 minutes after the ingestion of the tea, ten of the patients fell into a deep sleep. They could be aroused, but immediately fell again into a deep sleep. The sleep lasted approximately 90 minutes. The only other effect seen in the patients was a small but significant increase in arterial blood pressure."2 Conducting provings with various potencies, Haydel observed that "the disposition, which was formerly very much affected by every depressing or exciting circumstance, was soothed by Chamomilla at the beginning of every proving, so that he became equable and insensible to every provocation; after awhile, however, a certain exhaustion, indolence, and inactivity of mind appeared, which ceased on stopping the remedy, and the former irritability returned."3
USES Chamomile extracts are used as a scent or scent enhancer in such cosmetic products as creams, detergents, perfume, and soap. Skin lotions enriched with chamomile are recommended for regenerating tissue and cleansing sensitive, greasy complexions. The oil is employed in quality perfumes to create a rich undertone, whilst alpha-bisabolol serves as a fixative. Farnesol - a compound present in the essential oil and producing an odour similar to linden blossoms and angelica seeds - is used in fragrances to create harmony and to enhance floral odours. The low toxicity and yellow-colouring agents in German chamomile flowers have promoted their use in vegetable hair dyes, adding yellow colour to hair. 4 Chamomile oil is used in chocolate, fruit, and liquor flavourings for beverages, ice cream, candy, baked goods, chewing gum, and liquors.
AZULENE It requires special measures to extract the typical blue oil of Chamomilla. The temperature at which the flowers are dried and the temperature and pH of the extraction process significantly affect the chamazulene content of the essential oil. The highest yield is obtained after drying plant material in the shade at 22 to 25o C. Slight losses [up to 7 per cent] of prochamazulene, but with no reduction in plant essential oil content, occur with drying in a stationary bulk dryer with active ventilation at 40 to 45o C. A stationary steam dryer induces significant loss of prochamazulene and essential oil. The greatest loss of active compounds in the essential oil results from storage of plant material at -6 to 25o C and 55 to 95 per cent humidity. Freeze-dried plants frequently yield more oil than air-dried plants. The quantity of active compounds in the oil depends, in addition, upon the origin and age of the flowers; with time the chamazulene content will decrease during storage. Increases in plant content of chamazulene occur in the mornings and evenings. 5 On wet and foggy days its flowers have only half the content of chamazulene. Dried flowers are very fragile and crumble easily. They have to be kept in air-tight containers in a dry place as they easily absorb humidity from the air and then get mouldy.
BLUE The striking blue colour of chamomile oil is rather uncommon in the plant kingdom. Being possibly a specific of Chamomilla the symbolism of the colour blue might be taken into consideration. In many ancient, and modern, cultures blue is regarded as the coolest, most detached and least 'material' of all hues. Apart from recent idiomatic links with melancholia, it expresses primordial simplicity and infinite space, as well as purity, constancy, prudence, peace, truth, and contemplation. "Blue is the deepest colour; unimpeded, the gaze plumbs infinity, the colour forever escaping it. Blue is the most insubstantial of colours; it seldom occurs in the natural world except as a translucency, that is to say as an accumulation of emptiness, the void of the Heavens, of the depths of the sea, of crystal or diamond. Emptiness is austere, pure and frosty. Blue is the coldest of colours and, in its absolute quality, the purest, apart from the total void of matt white. ... Indifferent and unafraid, centred solely upon itself, blue is not of this world: it evokes the idea of eternity, calm, lofty, superhuman, inhuman even. ... Blue surroundings calm and soothe but, unlike green, they do not stimulate, since they merely provide an escape from the real world, an escape which may in the long run may lead to depression. ... Blue and white, the colours of Our Lady, express a detachment from the things of this world and the flight of the liberated soul towards God, that is to say towards the gold which comes to meet the virginal white as it ascends into the blue of Heaven. Belief in the hereafter gives positive validity to the associations of blue and white with children's funerals. Under the age of puberty they are not yet fully developed human beings in the sense of not being fully developed sexually and are not fully of this world for that reason. Hence they more readily answer the blue call of Our Lady. ... In some parts of Poland the custom of painting the houses of brides-to-be blue still survives."6
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - on himself and Stapf; method: unknown.
•• [2] Austrian proving - 5 provers, 1844; method: extract in doses of 2-24 gr. daily.
•• [3] Hoppe - 2 provers; method: daily doses of potencies decreasing from 12x to tincture.
[1] Loewenfeld, Herb Gardening. [2] Weiner, Weiner's Herbal. [3] Allen, Encyclopedia. [4-5] Craker and Simon, Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants, Vol. 1. [6] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, Dictionary of Symbols.
Affinity
MIND. NERVES. EMOTIONS. Mucous membranes [DIGESTIVE TRACT]. Liver. Sexual organs. * Left side.
Modalities
Worse: ANGER. NIGHT. DENTITION. Cold [air; damp]. Wind. Taking cold. COFFEE. Narcotics. Opium. Heat. Morning. Evening; evening before midnight. Draft. Eructations. After breakfast. Suppressed perspiration. Getting warm in bed. Dry weather. Cloudy weather.
Better: BEING CARRIED. Mild weather. Heat. Sweating. Cold applications. Fasting. Warm wet weather.
Main symptoms
M EXCESSIVE IRRITABILITY.
• "Too ugly to live with." [Kent]
Ugly, cross, uncivil and quarrelsome; vexed at every trifle.
Children, or women before menses.
• "Cannot cease talking about old vexatious things."
• "Suspicion that he may have been insulted."
• "His hypochondriacal whims and his crossness at the smallest trifles appear to him to proceed from stupidity and heaviness of the head and constipation." [Hahnemann]
TANTRUMS.
[stiffening of body, bending backwards of body, stamping feet, kicking, striking, throwing everything away, banging head on the floor, convulsions and cyanosis from rage, etc.]
Anger / vexation causes:
Congestive headache; redness and heat of face; toothache; spasms of throat; indigestion; vomiting [of bile]; abdominal pain; hepatitis; diarrhoea; abortion; metritis; metrorrhagia; dysmenorrhoea; uterine cramps; asthma; cough; suppression of milk; palpitation; sleeplessness; perspiration; jaundice; convulsions; faintness; tremor.
M OVERSENSITIVITY to PAIN and EXTERNAL INFLUENCES.
• "The Chamomilla subject is basically a very sensitive neurotic. His natural instability is not only mental, but physical as well - he cannot bear the slightest pain. [This marked intolerance of pain is seen at its worst in people who abuse coffee.] At the first tiny unpleasant sensation the patients moans and groans; from being merely worried he rapidly becomes anxious about what could happen to him, and soon starts to panic. If he is lying down he throws himself from side to side, lamenting in his despair; if standing up, he tears around like a madman, shouting and declaring that no one in the world has ever suffered so much, calling for death as the only thing which can deliver him from his intolerable pain. He calls loudly for his physician but rejects him when he arrives. Or he will enthusiastically accept any advice which may be given to him, and then do something quite different the next moment. Foolish and desperate, incoherent and contradictory, such is the Chamomilla patient."1
M CHILD wants to be CARRIED; is only quiet when carried or rocked.
M AVERSION to be being SPOKEN TO or TOUCHED.
• "He cannot stand being talked to or interrupted in his conversation, esp. after rising up from sleep, with sluggish pupils that dilate and contract with difficulty." [Hahnemann]
• "Very easily chagrined or offended. Becomes melancholy, sits and broods and refuses to reply when spoken to - appears absorbed in thought, as the result of pent-up rage or resentment." [Gibson]
M Unimpressed by authority.
Will enter into a dispute or quarrel irrespective of the position of the opponent.
Stirs things up.
M Crying in sleep, without waking up, even in adults.
M EMOTIONS FELT IN STOMACH.
c Chamomile person-picture [in herbal medicine].
• "The Chamomile person lives their stresses twice at least, and sometimes over and over. Chamomile often dramatises in re-telling the day's doings to Mum, or spouse, or the household in general. They bound through the frontdoor, flustered, with 'What a day I've had. You'll never guess what happened ...' Beginning with a missed bus, worrying headlines in the paper, an office crisis at five past nine, and another at morning tea, you'll get a blow-by-blow description of every event, large or small. Hands may be waved about, and the facial expressions and voices of all the cast of players in the day's doings acted out. It may be an entertaining experience for the listener if nothing much has happened to them that day and they welcome the diversion, but it is often true of 'Chamomile' that their day has really been quite ordinary. Their listeners may have had a much worse day, and all the dramatics may just annoy by their inconsequential nature."2
c Negative-chronic Chamomile [herbal medicine].
• "Constant over-communication has not only precluded eating and digestion, but also sleep. ... The deeper and more emotionally exhausted Chamomile-person can suffer 'allergic' reactions almost from top to toes. Typically, this patient has a long list of foods, contact-substances, 'house-dust and moulds', perfumes, cosmetics, animal products, hair, fur, feathers, even flowers, to which they show allergic responses. It is hard to tell them so, but it is true that if the expensive allergy-testing was done every week for any period of time they would show different allergy triggers each time they were tested! These people don't have real allergies to a few substances, they have a trigger-happy allergic response! They are allergic-reactors, full-stop! ... All these patients share one common factor in their 'allergies' - emotional exhaustion at the time of encounter with the substance[s] concerned."3
G Pre-eminently a remedy for CHILDREN and nervous WOMEN.
G Oversensitivity of the sense organs to fresh air and wind.
G Convulsions of children, after a fit of anger of the mother.
G AILMENTS from COFFEE and narcotics ["in cases spoiled by the use of opium or morphine" - Kent].
Coffee causes:
Anxiety and oversensitiviteness; vertigo; headache; toothache; indigestion; nausea; cramping or pressing stomach pain; retching and vomiting; cramping bellyache; dyspnoea; cough; backache; sleeplessness; chilliness or heat.
G Hot and thirsty or HOT SWEAT with the PAINS.
Warm sweat on the head wetting the hair.
HOT FEELING without objective heat.
G < After becoming COLD. Aversion to OPEN AIR; yet < WARM BED. G < Beginning of and DURING MENSES. G < Motion of AFFECTED part. G Pain with NUMBNESS of the affected part[s]. Benumbing pains. P Swelling or REDNESS of ONE CHEEK, paleness of the other. P Stools hot, SOUR, GRASS-GREEN, SLIMY, yellowish green or LIENTERIC; smelling like spoiled eggs. P Dysmenorrhoea with excessive pain [despair from pain]. And Cold shivers, vomiting, diarrhoea and faintness. P Soles of feet burning at night; puts them out of the covers. [1] Vannier, Typology in Homoeopathy. [2-3] Hall, Herbal Medicine. Rubrics Mind Abrupt [1]. Abusive, before menses [1/1]. Beside oneself from pain [3]. Capriciousness, when offered, he is rejecting the things for which he has been longing [3]. Desire for change [1]. Delusions, people seem too large during vertigo [1]; of hearing voices of absent persons [1]. Discontented, everything another does is wrong [2/1]. Dwells, cannot cease talking about old vexations [1/1]. Fear, of others approaching [2], of being touched [2]. Ideas, abundant, at night [2]. Impatience, everything goes too slowly [2]. Indifference, to pleasure [2]. Obstinate, at beginning of menses [2/1]. Easily offended, from past offences [2]. Sensitive, to all external impressions [1], to music [2], to odours [1], to pain [3], in puberty [2]. Tranquility, reconciled to fate [1]. Vertigo Lying > [1*]. From mental exertion [1]. From talking [1].
Head
Pain, > bending head backward [2], > occupation [1], from strong odours [1]; bursting, as if vertex would be blown off [1]; pressing, inwards, temples [1*]. Perspiration of scalp, during menses [1], sour smell [2].
Eye
As of heat steaming out of eyes [3]. Discolouration, red, during menses [1].
Vision
Dim, looking at white objects [1/1], when fixing eyes upon white objects [1/1]. Hemiopia, when fixing eyes upon a white object [1/1*].
Hearing
Sounds seem distant [1].
Face
Distortion, mouth, alternating sides [1].
Throat
Swallowing, impeded, while lying [1/1].
Stomach
Thirst, during menses [2], during the pains [3].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, after rhubarb [2], < smoking [1]. Bladder Urging to urinate, frequent, after menses. Urine Copious, with amenorrhoea [2], during menses [2]. Respiration Asthmatic, > bending head backward [1], > cold air [1].
Limbs
Cramps, soles of feet, when lying [1*]. Heat, soles of feet, during menses [1]. Pain, at night, drives out of bed [3], > continued motion [3], > warmth [1].
Sleep
Disturbed, by pains [2].
Dreams
Falling into an abyss [2].
Skin
Itching, without eruption [1*], when undressing [1*].
* Repertory additions [Hahnemann / Hughes].
Food
Aversion: [2]: Beer; beer, smell of; coffee; warm drinks. [1]: Hot drinks; meat; soup.
Desire: [3]: Cold drinks. [2]: Bread; sour; vegetables. [1]: coffee; sauerkraut.
Worse: [3]: Coffee. [2]: Beer, smell of; milk; sweets; warm drinks; warm food. [1]: Cold food; crude food [= diarrhoea]; rhubarb; tea.
Better: [3]: Coffee. [2]: Cold food. [1]: Cold drinks.
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