Calendula officinalis

by Timothy F. Allen — The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica

Historical reference for practitioners and students. The statements below reflect the named author’s homeopathic teaching and do not establish treatment effectiveness. This text is not medical advice and must not replace appropriate diagnosis or care.

Calendula officinalis, Linn.

Nat. order , Compositæ.

Common name , Marigold; German, Todtenblume.

Preparation , Tincture of the leaves and flowers.

Authorities.

1 , Franz, Archive für Hom. Heilk., 17, 3, 169; 2 , Dr. Price, Am. Hom. Observer, 6, 327, effects of a tablespoonful of the tincture.

MIND

Disposition, during the chill, anxious, morose, and solicitous, 1.
Great irritability; he is easily frightened; hearing is very acute (after he had smelled of camphor), 1.
Fretful, sleepy, dreamy, 1.

HEAD

Confusion of the head, as after a night's debauch; in the morning, heaviness of the head, as after a long illness (third day), 1.
Dull sensation, especially in the upper part of the occiput, 1.
Headache in the forehead, after eating, with sensation of heat in it, 1.
Dull, pressive sensation in the occiput, 1.

EYE

Lids very much swollen (after one hour), 2.
Dryness and biting in the margin of the lids, as from smoke, 1. [10.]
The white of the eye is inflamed, with pressive headache, now in the forehead, now in the temples, when lying down, not when sitting and standing, 1.
Pupils dilated (after one hour), 2.

EAR

Sticking pain in the ears during the fever-heat; the adjacent parts are very red, 1.

FACE

Sensation of swelling extending from the lips to the eyes and forehead, accompanied by a burning-stinging sensation (after one hour), 2.
Sensation as if the lips were swollen; from the lips it spread to the sides of the nose; increased rapidly in intensity (immediately), 2.
Drawing-tensive pain in the glands behind the left ramus of the lower jaw, on moving the head, 1.

MOUTH

Speech scarcely recognizable (after one hour), 2.

THROAT

Bitter taste of mucus in the throat, before eating; food, however, tastes natural, 1.
Pain in front beneath the chin, on motion and pressure; and at the union of the clavicle with the sternum (eighteenth day), 2.
Rheumatic drawing pain in the right side of the throat, which is increased on bending the neck to the right side, and on raising the right arm; it extends to the shoulder, in the morning (second day), 1. [20.]
The submaxillary glands are swollen and painful to the touch, as if suppurating; the axillary glands are also painful to touch (for four days), 1.
The submaxillary glands pain on touch, as if swollen, and at times cause a tensive pain, which, especially on swallowing, becomes a pressure in the throat (afternoon, second day), 1.

STOMACH

Diminished appetite for dinner, though he relishes the food when he eats, 1.
Hiccough, after smoking, 1.
Attacks of nausea, at times, in the forenoon, 1.

ABDOMEN

A boring-digging pain, deep in the region of the navel, when walking, 1.
Dull, coarse stitches in the middle of the right side of the abdomen, on moving; they disappear during rest, 1.

STOOL

A stool in the morning, preceded by griping and anxiety in the abdomen, and accompanied by a chill, 1.

URINARY ORGANS

Tearings, at times in the urethra, during a chill, 1.
Frequent micturition; urine white as water, is very hot and burning, 1.

RESPIRATORY ORGANS. [30.]

Very deep inspiration, with heat in the chest and face, 1.
Great efforts were made to inflate the lower lobes of the lungs, which were only successful when sitting up (after one hour), 2.

CHEST

Pressive-drawing pain in the left side of the chest, and on the breast-bone, with stitches in the right side of the chest (second day), 1.
Pressure and oppression in the left side of the chest, in the evening, when lying in bed, 1.
Drawing pressure in the left side of the chest, when standing, during inspiration, 1.

HEART AND PULSE

Pulse irregular and diminishing rapidly (after one hour), 2.

NECK AND BACK

Pressive-drawing pain between the shoulder-blades, 1.
Pressive pain beneath the right lower tip of the shoulder-blade, with a sensation as if everything were suppurating and bruised (afternoon, second day), 1.

EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL

Drawing-pressive tension in the wrists and ankles, during rest, 1.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

Tired, weary feeling in the lower extremities (after one hour), 2. [40.]
Pains in the knees, while sitting, in the outer side, as if bruised, 1.
Burning-tearing pain in the upper part of the calf, while sitting, 1.
Drawing-pinching pain on the inner border of the sole, while sitting, 1.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

Very restless at night, he gets rest in no position; he continually wakes; is obliged to urinate frequently, and drinks very much, 1.
A wound becomes raw and inflamed anew, 1.
A wound is painful, in the morning, as if bruised, with smarting and throbbing in it, as if it would suppurate, 1.
The rheumatic, drawing pains appear only during motion, and are very slight, 1.

SKIN

Eruption of small vesicles, in the left corner of the lower lip, 1.

FEVER

Chilliness.
Chilly the whole morning, and very sensitive to the air (second day), 1.
He feels shivery, and has a kind of goose-flesh, while the skin seems to touch, 1. [50.]
Shivering in the back, with pressure in the last true ribs of the left side, with movements in the epigastric region and abdomen as if he would faint, 1.
Hands and feet cold (after one hour), 2.
Chilliness in the hands and feet, the whole forenoon, without thirst, together with drawing pressive, rheumatic pains through the whole body; the ribs ache as if squeezed together and bruised, sometimes after eating (in the morning second day), 1.
Heat.
Great heat, the whole forenoon, with much sweat; he feels qualmish in the chest, and the axillæ are very hot, 1.
Heat in the afternoon, with creeping chills and great thirst; drinking, however, causes every time shivering and a shaking chill, 1.
Great heat, in the evening, in bed, 1.
Great heat, in the evening, in bed; he begins to sweat; especially the feet burn very much and sweat, 1.
The heat abates after 5 P.M., without shivering, even in the open air, the head feels freer, the breathing easier, and the voice stronger and deeper, 1.
The heat continues unabated after 5 P.M.; only that cold drinks cause shivering, 1.
Flushes in the forehead, in the evening (after eight hours), 1. [60.]
Sensation of heat in the face after eating, of the hands and feet, and an hour afterwards, thirst (second day), 1.
Towards evening, a feeling of heat in the otherwise cold hands and whole body, with creeping chills, without thirst, and almost dread of drinking, while sitting (after nine and a half hours), 1.

CONDITIONS

Aggravation.
( Morning ), Heaviness of head; wound painful; chilly.
( Forenoon ), Attacks of nausea; chilliness in hands, etc.; heat, etc.
( Afternoon ), Heat.
( Toward evening ), While sitting, feeling of heat, etc.
( Evening ), When lying in bed, pressure in left chest; in bed, heat; flushes in forehead.
( Night ), Restless, etc.
( Bending neck to right side ), Pain on side of throat.
( During chill ), Nearly all symptoms appear; anxious, etc.; tearings in urethra.
( After eating ), Headache in forehead, etc.
( When lying down ), White of eye inflamed, etc.
( On moving ), Stitches in abdomen; rheumatic pains.
( Moving head ), Pain in glands before jaw.
( During rest ), Tension in wrists, etc.
( While sitting ), Pains in knees; pain in calf; pain on border of sole.
( After smoking ), Hiccough.
( When standing ), During inspiration, pressure in left side of chest.
( When walking ), Pain in region of navel.
Amelioration.

Feels best when walking about, or when lying perfectly still.

SUPPLEMENT: CALENDULA. Authority.

3 , J. H. Fitch, M.D., copied from MS.; a man, aged twenty-seven years, took 15 minims of a strong alcoholic tincture, at 10.30 A.M. and 4 P.M. (first day); same at 11.45 A.M. (second day); same at 2.15 A.M. (third day).

Very irritable, touchy. Afterwards fit of despair and deep anguish (second day), 3.
Nervous exhaustion (third day), 3.
In a few minutes felt a disagreeable sensation in the occiput, 3.
Immediately felt pain in the occiput (second day), 3.
Itching of the scalp (after second dose), 3.
An unusual amount of saliva in the mouth and fauces (after twenty-five minutes), 3.
Scraping and mucus in the throat (second day), 3.
Disorder of the function of the digestion, 3. [70.]
Stool soft, covered with mucus, at 1 P.M. (third day), 3.
Emission of semen (third day), 3.
Slightly disagreeable sensation at the back of the neck, from the occiput (after second dose), 3.
Pain in the left lumbar region; afterwards in lumbar region, both sides (second day), 3.
Itching of skin (second day), 3.

Calendula officinalis across the other classic books

Calendula officinalis appears in 11 of the 21 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.

“Marigold (Compositae) Traumatic affections: to secure union by first intention and prevent suppuration. In all cases of loss of soft parts when union cannot be effected by means of adhesive plaster. External wounds with or without loss of substance; torn and jagged looking woulds; post-surgical operation ; to promote…”

Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.

“Marigold A most remarkable healing agent, applied locally. Useful for open wounds, parts that will not heal, ulcers, etc. Promotes healthy granulations and rapid healing by first intention. Hæmostatic after tooth extraction. Deafness. Catarrhal conditions. Neuroma. Constitutional tendency to erysipelas. Pain is…”

Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.

“INJURIES, wounds, bruises, shock, etc. (Comp. Sprainded)”

Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.

“SOFT PARTS. Spine. Liver. Weather; damp; cloudy. During chill. Excessively painful , open, torn, cut, lacerated, ragged or suppurating WOUNDS. Hæmorrhages, in scalp wounds or after drawing teeth, etc. Prevents pus. Sensitive to damp or open air. Takes colds. .................... Yellowish vision. Nausea, in chest…”

Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.

“officinalis. Marigold. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of leaves and flowers. Abscess / Balanitis / Breast, suppurating / nodosities in / Bubo / Burns / Carbuncle / Chilblains / Deafness / Eyes, inflamed / Fever / Fistula / Glandular swelling / Jaundice / Labour / Nails, pulp of, inflamed / Nipples, sore / Suppuration /…”

Guernsey — The leading characteristics — a compact bridge from repertory result to remedy study.

“Particularly useful in the dressing of torn or cut wounds, the parts being kept wet constantly with a weak solution. For concomitant complaints administer Calendula internally. A useful prophylactic for sphacelus in torn or cut wounds. Where she is torn by delivery of the child.”

Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.

“Marigold. Compositæ. Native of Southern Europe ; cultivated in our gardens ; not to be confounded with Tagetes. Consciousness returned after 24 hours, but great drowsiness remained. θ Burns. Delirious and wild. θ Burns. Anxious, morose, solicitous, during chill. Fretful, sleepy, dreamy. Great irritability ; he is…”

Hughes & Dake — The source evidence — provings and poisonings retained with their experimental context.

“CALENDULA. Calendula ofcinalis, L. Marigold. Nat, Ord., Comperita. I, Provings.—1. FRanz. (No information as to doses or repetitions.) Great irritability, he is easily frightened, hearing is very acute ; fretful, sleepy, dreamy. Confusion of head, as after a night’s debauch, in m. heaviness of head as after a long…”

Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.

“External wounds and lacerations, with (or without) loss of substance. The wound is raw and inflamed; is painful, as if beaten; the parts around the wound become red, with stinging in the wound during the febrile heat.”

Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.

“Common name: marigold. It seems to have some specific action upon mucous membranes, for no remedy can equal it as an injection in vaginal and uterine leucorrhœa (Bt.). It is to be thought of when the injury causes a torn or ragged wound, possibly with loss of substance. It removes the inflammatory condition of the…”

Calendula officinalis in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Calendula officinalis in 23 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (6), FEVER (5), CHILL (4), BACK (1), BLADDER (1).

EXTREMITIES - INJURIES - Hand, - lacerations

EXTREMITIES - CHAPPED hands

BLADDER - CALCULI - after operation for

EXTREMITIES - HEAT - Foot - eating,after

NOSE - LACERATION

EXTREMITIES - HEAT - Foot - dinner,after

FEVER - DRINKING - cold water - shivering from

CHILL - CREEPING - afternoon

EXTREMITIES - GANGRENE - Foot

FEVER - EVENING - bed,in

EXTREMITIES - INFLAMMATION - Foot

EAR - PAIN - left

HEAD - PAIN, - Forehead,in - eating

FEVER - BED - in

BACK - PAIN - rheumatic

MIND - IRRITABILITY - chill,during

CHILL - FORENOON

CHILL - MORNING

MOUTH - DISCOLORATION - Tongue - red

CHILL - AIR - in the open

Search all 7 classical repertories