Chamomilla vulgaris appears in 12 of the 13 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.
“Matricaria Chambilla. (Compositae) Persons, especially children, with light brown hair, nervous, excitable temperament; oversensitive from use or abuse of coffee or narcotics. Children, new-born and during period of dentition . Peevish , irritable, oversensitive to pain, driven to despair (Coff.); snappish, cannot…”
- Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Matricaria chamomilla, L. Nat. order , Compositæ. Common name , Chamomile. Preparation , Tincture of the whole plant when in flower. Authorities.”
- Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“German Chamomile The chief guiding symptoms belong to the mental and emotion group, which lead to this remedy in many forms of disease. Especially of frequent employment in diseases of children, where peevishness, restlessness, and colic give the needful indications. A disposition that is mild, calm and gentle…”
- Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“MIND. NERVES. EMOTIONS. Mucous membranes: DIGESTIVE TRACT. Liver. Women and CHILDREN. Left side. ANGER. NIGHT. DENTITION. Cold: Air. Damp. Wind. Taking cold. COFFEE. Narcotics. Alcohol. BEING CARRIED. Mild weather. Heat. Sweating. Cold applications. Bad temper. Frantic irritability, snappish and intolerant of pain…”
- Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Matricaria chamomilla. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of whole fresh plant. Acidity / Anger / Asthma (from anger) / Blepharospasm / Catarrh / Coffee, effects of / Colic / Convulsions / Cough / Cramp / Croup / Dentition / Diarrhœa / Dysmenorrhœa / Dyspepsia / Earache / Eyes: blepharitis / ophthalmia / Eructations /…”
- Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Matricaria Chamomilla. Compositæ. Tincture prepared from the fresh plant when in flower ; the flowers contain active principles which combine the properties of bitters and ethereal oils. The plant is a native of Europe, but is occasionally cultivated in our gardens ; the leaves and flowers are small, thus differing…”
- Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“The general constitutional state of Chamomilla is great sensitiveness ; sensitive to every impression; sensitive to surroundings; sensitive to persons; and, above all, sensitive to pain . The constitutional irritability is so great that a little pain brings forth manifestations as if the patient were in very, great…”
- Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Unceasing crying and yelling. Cross and peevish, angry disposition. Anxious restlessness in mind and body with tossing about. The child wants to be carried, and is then more quiet. Oversensitiveness to pain, and of the organs of sense to fresh air and wind. Twitchings and convulsions of children during dentition…”
- Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Anger, with rage, violence and heat. Great anguish and restlessness. Crying and howling. Weeping uneasiness; the child wants different things, and repels them when given to him. The child cries and wants to be carried on the arm. Seeks a cause for quarrel. Peevishness and ill humor; taciturn absence of mind. Vertigo…”
- Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: common chamomille. Exceedingly irritable, fretful (Nux-V.) (A.). " Too ugly to live " (A.). Can not bear to be spoken to (Ars., Con., Hyos., Nit-Ac., Nux-V., Sep.) (A.). Aversion to talking (Aur., Carb-An., Cocc., Glon., Phos-Ac., Plat., Sulph.) (A.). Can not endure any one near him (Anac., Ign., Nat-M…”
- Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Very irritable mood; snaps and snarls; will not speak or answer civilly; mad. Exceedingly sensitive to pain, which makes her mad; numbness alternates with, or attends, the pains; sweats with the pains. Excessive uneasiness; anxiety; agonized, tossing about; will only be quieted by carrying the child about. High fever…”
