Anthemis nobilis

Commonly known as Roman chamomile, it is native to western Europe, cultivated across Europe, and also in India and other temperate regions. The flowers are harvested as they open in summer. Anthemis nobilis is aromatic perennial plant growing to 50cm. It has feathery leaves and daisy like flower heads.

It contains up to 1.75% volatile oil, flavonoids, coumarins and phenolic acid.

A homoeopathic mother tincture is made from the flower heads. It is covered by Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India, German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia and Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of United States.

It is a remedy for the digestive system. It also indicated in gastric disturbance with coldness (Boericke). It is useful in aching in region of liver. It has marked anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties, which make it helpful when applied to irritated skin. Hartwell (1982) indicates in stomach cancer and sclerosis. It has soothing and sedative activities but harmless. It will cut short an attack of delirium tremens in the early stage. It has sometimes been employed in intermittent fevers. Tincture is employed to correct summer diarrhoea in children. It is used with purgatives to prevent griping, carminative pills being made from the essential essence of the flowers. It is also used as lotion, for external application in toothache, earache, neuralgia, etc. In hysterical females its therapeutic influence is similar to that of Pulsatilla. It soothes general irritation and quiets imaginary pains, especially if occurring during menstrual period. There is a severe vertical headache with pressure as though the top of the head would be blown off. There is aching in the hepatic region, griping in the abdomen with light coloured stool and itching of the anus.

Its antihyperglycaemic and anti-obesity effects have been established by recent studies. 

Recommended dose: MT, 3rd potency.

References:

1. P. N. Varma, Indu Vaid, Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia, Updated edition 2007, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
2. Andrew Chevallier, The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, 1st Edition, 1996, Dorling Kindersley, London.
3. Lemhadri, A., M. Eddouks, T. Sulpice and R. Burcelin, 2007. Anti-hyperglycaemic and Anti-obesity Effects of Capparis spinosa and Chamaemelum nobile Aqueous Extracts in HFD Mice. Am. J. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 2: 106-110..
4. Mrs. Margaret Grieve, A Modern Herb, ISBN: 0486227987 & 0486227995.