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Schwabe News Volume 4 | Issue 3 | March 2013

Calendula officinalis

Calendula officinalis is a plant in the genus of Calendula of the family Asteraceae. This drug has been used in homoeopathy for the last two centuries for wound healing and promoting granulations (local application), catarrhal conditions, constitutional tendency to erysipelas, tendencies to catch cold easily, etc. To establish its curative efficacy in homoeopathic doses, a placebo controlled pathogenetic trial was conducted by David Riley with the support from Deutsche Homöopathie-Union (DHU), the homoeopathic division of Dr. Willmar Schwabe, Germany, using 12CH with 20 female and 2 male provers. Important symptoms found during proving are reported here along with old symptoms.

This drug is available from Schwabe India in mother tincture, 6CH, 12CH, 30CH, 200CH, 1M, 1M, 10M, 50M and CM.

Peculiar symptoms noted during the trial

Physical and mental energy is increased with taking this remedy. Eruptions on the face, as pimples and apthae of the lips. Swelling was experienced inside the nose, breasts, fingers, labia, and knee. Raw, burning sensation of vagina and anus. Perspiration of the feet and body with or without odor was also present.

Mind

Anger with herself for being irritable and want to be with myself. Can’t worry even if I try to worry. Critical of people but couldn’t stop it. Concentration that is improved or decreased especially in conversations. Confusion when trying to coordinate mind and body or during fatigue.  Delusion that head is lower than body. Dreams that are remembered, vivid, or nightmares.  Dreams that continue after waking. Feeling daring and adventurous. Giddy and silly behaviour and talk. Irritable with self and other people. Desiring not to wear clothing. Psychic abilities intensify and people appear minutes after thinking of them. Weeping without cause, or from trifles, or after waking from a nightmare.

Vertigo

Vertigo when walking up, or looking up, or while in bed so she couldn’t sit up.

Head

Coldness of the head which requires a hat to be worn. Pain: Pressing at the temples and extends above the eyes. Throbbing at the right occiput, or across the forehead, or a sharp pain extending diagonally from the left side to the back of the head. Soreness and tightness of the scalp. Head pain with bursts of light, white twinkles. Pain that is better while lying down and occurs on waking.

Eye

Dryness of eyes. Pain that is stinging or sore. Pressure aggravates the pain. Redness of the left eye.

Ear

Stopped-up sensation in right ear. Noise in ears like static or buzzing.

Nose

Constant desire to blow nose. Coryza. Dry bloody discharge on blowing the nose. Dryness.  Frequent epistaxis. Nasal obstruction. Clearing of nasal passages improves. Irritated by the odour of cigarette smoke.

Face

Eruptions on the lower lip in the center or at the left corner, which are painful. Pimples on the cheek or by the right side of mouth, which are painful, or improvement of complexion of cheeks and chin.

Mouth

Dryness. Aphthae on lower lip that causes swelling and yellow discharge.

Taste

Food tastes less than usual.

Teeth

Aching pain in right rear teeth.

Throat

Dryness. Sensation of lump in throat. Improvement of mucus in throat. Scratching pain in back of left side of throat or when coughing. Scratchy voice that is low and hoarse.

Stomach

Capricious appetite or appetite increased in the evening. Nausea with severe heartburn. Nausea with the desire to vomit. Cramping pain. Hiccoughs.

Abdomen

Waking from cramping pain. Distention or sensation of distention.

Rectum

Hemorrhoids swell and extend past anal sphincter. Stinging pain when passing stool. Constipation and must strain. Diarrhea with offensive burning flatus.

Stool

Long and thin. Sticky stools that are difficult to expel. Watery stools with offensive burning flatus. Light-coloured stools.

Urine

Unpleasant, sour, and pungent odour.

Female

Menses that is painful or late. Sensitivity of the vagina with intercourse fantasies and excitement. Swelling of the vaginal lips. Rawness and burning in the vagina.

Chest

Yellow discharge from right breast. Weighted feeling in chest. Tenderness of breasts without any touch. Sore and swollen glands in the axilla.

Back

Pain that is aching, dull, or throbbing. Lumbar pain that is dull and throbbing, worse on motion, or quivering and trembling. Aching in the cervical region and along the spine.

Extremities

Fumbling with hands and tripping over feet. Sensation of heat, bruising, and swelling in the finger joints. Heaviness of arms. Foot odour with or without perspiration of feet and soles. Improvement of swelling and edema in knees and also stiffness in the left knee. Aching of the legs. Tingling sensation in the thigh.

Sleep

Difficult waking after afternoon nap. Waking that is frequent, with the desire to urinate, or from hunger.

Perspiration

Offensive perspiration especially of feet.

Skin

Improvement of acne rosacea.

Generalities

Feels like she is catching a head cold. Waking to take off the bed covers. Sudden loss of energy or increase of energy or improvement especially in the afternoon. Excess physical energy. Desire for bread and butter, icy cold water or warm drinks, eggs, lemons, salt, spices, sweets, especially chocolate, and wine. Heaviness or sluggishness of the body. Tiredness after eating or in the evening. Excessive physical energy. Flushes of heat or chilliness.

Bibliography

1. J. H. Clarcke, Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Reprint Edition 1992, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
2. W. Boericke, New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory [with Relationship of Remedies], Second Re-Augmented & Revised Edition Based on Ninth Edition, Reprint Edition 2002, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
3. David S. Riley, Materia Medica of New and Old Homoeopathic Medicines, Springer-Verlag GmbH, 2012.