Calamintha, Calamint

Also called Mountain Mint

New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Greater (top left) and Lesser (right) Calamint
Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum, 1640

Curtis, William, Flora Londinensis, vol. 6 (1789-1798)

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Botanical name:
Calamintha officinalis (syn. Clinopodium nepeta subsp. glandulosum, Melissa nepeta, Melissa calamintha)
C. nepeta (Lesser Calamint) is used similarly and is stronger.

Parts used:
Herb

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent
opens, attenuates, discusses, cleanses, of thin parts

Classifications:
2A APERIENT.   2B ATTENUATERS.   2C INCIDERS.   2G. CLEANSING.   2H. CARMINATIVE
3C. ALEXIPHARMIC.   3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS.   3E. DIURETIC.   3G. EMMENAGOGUE.   3M. ARTHRITIC
4a. CEPHALIC.   4c. CARDIAC.   4d. PECTORAL.   4f. SPLENETIC.   4i. UTERINE.   4k. ARTHRITIC

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Uses:
1. Moves the Qi, Opens Obstructions:
-Benefits the Stomach and Liver, used for Obstructions of the Liver
-Colic, stomach pain, Hernia (Dioscorides)
-Edema, difficulty urinating

2. Moves Qi and Blood, Promotes Menstruation:
-Good for the Womb obstructed with Cold, Damp, Blood or Qi
-Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea

3. Resists Poison:
-acute Sore Throat, Tonsillitis (Pliny)
-Fever and Shivering

4. Clears Phlegm, Stop Coughs:
-chronic Cough, Wheezing, shortness of Breath

5. Kills Worms:
-taken with Honey and Salt (Dioscorides)
-kills parasites and maggots (Galen)

6. Externally:
-applied to Bruises, Scars (boiled in wine or the tincture applied)
-boiled in wine and applied as a plaster to
-poultice over the sacrum for Sciatica (since Galen)
-applied with Salt and Honey to Wounds.
-juice is dropped into the ears for earache.
-root was gargled for sore Throat.

Dose:
 ... available in PRO version

Main Combinations:
1. To promote Menstruation:
i. for Amenorrhea, for old Coughs, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
ii. to the above can be added  ... available in PRO version
iii. Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
2. Cold Phlegm of the Stomach or Lungs, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
3. Poor appetite, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
4. To benefit Memory, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
5. Hydrocephalus, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version
6. Douche for Uterine Pain, Calamint with  ... available in PRO version

Major Formulas:
Syrup of Mugwort (Augustana)
Syrup of Stoechas (Fernelius)
Electuary of Calamint (Galen)
Powder of Calamint Compound (Nicholas)
Powder to Warm the Head (Bononiense)
Powder for Epilepsy of Philon

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Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy.
2. ‘Let not women be too busy with it, for it works very violently upon the feminine part’ (Culpeper)

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water of the Plant, Salt of the Ashes, Compound Syrup, Diacalmintha