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Calendula, Marigold
Caltha
Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491
Kreutterbuch, Matthiolus, 1586
Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800
Botanical name:
Calendula officinalis
Parts used:
Flower
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent
Open, discuss, astringe
Classifications:
2L. EMOLLIENT
3A. SUDORIFICS & DIAPHORETICS. 3C. ALEXIPHARMIC. 3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS. 3E. DIURETIC. 3G. EMMENAGOGUE
4c. CARDIAC
Calendula officinalis
Parts used:
Flower
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent
Open, discuss, astringe
Classifications:
2L. EMOLLIENT
3A. SUDORIFICS & DIAPHORETICS. 3C. ALEXIPHARMIC. 3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS. 3E. DIURETIC. 3G. EMMENAGOGUE
4c. CARDIAC
Uses:
1. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Eases Pain:
-strengthens the Heart and circulation
-Headaches or chronic Pain of a fixed nature
-promote Menstruation; painful, scanty or clotted Menstruation
-promotes Birth and Afterbirth
-poor circulation, arterial or venous: varicose veins
-chronic ulcers, chronic sores, slow-healing wounds
-Pain, inflammation and tumors with blood stagnation
-Nodes, Cysts, Scrofula, Lymphadenitis, Swellings, chronic Skin lesions, Tumors
-Cancer: Cancer of Liver, Uterus, Breast, Stomach, Intestines, Soft Tissue (anti-cancer effects demonstrated)
2. Resists Poison, Promotes Sweat:
-Fevers; Tetanus
-promotes expression of Rashes
-boil, carbuncles, rashes, acne, especially when dark-colored
-Syphilis, Gonorrhea
3. Clears Liver Heat, Opens Obstructions:
-Hepatitis, Liver disease, Liver congestion or hardness
-Jaundice
4. Benefits the Stomach and Bowels:
-Internal Ulcers, Gastritis, Colitis
5. Externally:
-chronic Ulcers, Bed Sores, Varicose Veins, Fistulas, Phlebitis, Frost Bite, Burns, Scars and Surgical Wounds
-swellings including Lymphadenoma and Scrofula.
-wash is good for Vaginal abrasions.
-ointment or Vinegar-tincture reportedly has cured many cases of chronic Varicose Veins with constant application for 4-6 weeks.
-Calendula leaf juice in vinegar makes a good wash for hot swellings
-Calendula juice or fresh herb paste is a good application to Warts, Corns and Callouses.
-the leaf juice is also applied to Toothache (Salmon)
-fresh Calendula flower rubbed onto a Bee or Wasp sting is said to be an ‘admirable remedy’.
-as a wash to strengthen the Sight
SPECIFIC USES:
1. Inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. (Commission E)
2. Enlarged or Inflamed Lymphatic nodes; Sebaceous cysts; Duodenal Ulcer; Inflammatory skin lesions, acute or chronic. (BHP)
3. Gastritis and Colitis.
4. ‘Capillary engorgement, varicose veins, old ulcers, splenic and hepatic congestion’ (King’s); ‘In enfeebled conditions of the capillary blood vessels. An excellent application to ulcers and wounds’. (Thomas, The Eclectic Practice of Medicine, 1907)
5. Externally for poor healing wounds, bruises, varicose veins; also for skin conditions such as boils, rashes, dermatitis and chronic ulcers, including gangrenous, indolent, and Leg ulcers.
1. Inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. (Commission E)
2. Enlarged or Inflamed Lymphatic nodes; Sebaceous cysts; Duodenal Ulcer; Inflammatory skin lesions, acute or chronic. (BHP)
3. Gastritis and Colitis.
4. ‘Capillary engorgement, varicose veins, old ulcers, splenic and hepatic congestion’ (King’s); ‘In enfeebled conditions of the capillary blood vessels. An excellent application to ulcers and wounds’. (Thomas, The Eclectic Practice of Medicine, 1907)
5. Externally for poor healing wounds, bruises, varicose veins; also for skin conditions such as boils, rashes, dermatitis and chronic ulcers, including gangrenous, indolent, and Leg ulcers.
DOSE:
Infusion or Brief Decoction: 3–9 grams; 1 oz. decocted in 500mls of water can be taken in tablespoonful doses.
Tincture (1:2 fresh or 1:5 dried in 70% alcohol): 3–5 mls., up to 10–15mls. 5–20 drops as a dose in long-term use.
Freshly expressed Juice diluted with equal amount of water: 1 teaspoonful
Of the Seed: 7 Calendula seeds were taken in powder with wine for ‘Quartan Agues’;
Washes and Compress for externally use are made with 1 tablespoon of the flowers boiled briefly in 500 mls. of water.
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Arnica (especially for external use)
2. Safflower
Infusion or Brief Decoction: 3–9 grams; 1 oz. decocted in 500mls of water can be taken in tablespoonful doses.
Tincture (1:2 fresh or 1:5 dried in 70% alcohol): 3–5 mls., up to 10–15mls. 5–20 drops as a dose in long-term use.
Freshly expressed Juice diluted with equal amount of water: 1 teaspoonful
Of the Seed: 7 Calendula seeds were taken in powder with wine for ‘Quartan Agues’;
Washes and Compress for externally use are made with 1 tablespoon of the flowers boiled briefly in 500 mls. of water.
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Arnica (especially for external use)
2. Safflower
Main Combinations:
1. Cardiac, for Palpitations, Fainting, Melancholy etc.: Calendula with Rosemary, Elder flower, Angelica, Balm, Citron peel, Saffron
2. Myocarditis, Calendula with Hawthorn berry and Daisy (Bellis) (Wonder in Weeds, W. Smith)
3. Loss of Speech after Apoplexy, Calendula with Borage, Peony, Rosemary, Calamus, Storax
4. Paralysis, Calendula with Asparagus root, Peony root, Betony, Cowslip, Four Cold Seeds, Calendula, Rosemary (as in Tincture for Paralysis)
5. To promote Menstruation, Calendula with Pennyroyal, Balm, Sage, Mugwort
6. Tumors, Cancers, Calendula with Celandine, Nettle, Cleavers, Wormwood, St. Johns wort
7. Lymphatic Cancers: Calendula with Horsetail, Yarrow, Nettle (Treben)
8. Cancer tea: Menyanthes, Hops, Calendula, Clematis recta, Milk Thistle seed, Celandine (Wesenberg)
9. Increase strength, Calendula, Radish Seed, 4 Greater Cold Seeds, Licorice (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
10. To preserve from Plague and Epidemic diseases, Calendula with Rosemary, Wormwood, Balm, Blessed Thistle, Betony, Angelica, Zedoary, Licorice, Elecampane, Sage
11. To expel Small Pox and other spotted Fever, Calendula decocted in Water and Wine
12. Chicken Pox, Calendula with Pitcher plant (Sarracenia), Pennyroyal (1 oz. each), Senna (half oz.). Steep in 3 pints of boiling water and drink freely. (Family Botanic Guide, Fox, 1924)
13. Chronic Gastritis, Colitis, or Duodenal Ulcer:
i. Calendula with Comfrey, Licorice
ii. Calendula with Comfrey root, Marshmallow, Aniseed
iii. Calendula with Dandelion, St. Johns wort, Balm, Fennel
14. Stomach Ulcers, Calendula with Oak bark, Fumitory, Vervain, Veronica (Zimmerman)
15. Gastric bleeding and Urinary Stones, Calendula with Yarrow, Knotgrass, St. Johns wort (Fischer)
16. Hayfever, Catarrh, Calendula with Violet and Wormwood
17. Gout, Calendula with Agrimony, Camomile, Centaury, Rhubarb
18. Amenorrhea, decoct Calendula in wine (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
19. Varicose Veins, Calendula with Yarrow and St. Johns wort, internally and topically
20. Bruising, Trauma, combine Calendula with St. Johns wort
21. 'Scarless Healer': Calendula with St. Johns wort and Comfrey as an ointment. (Treben)
Major Formulas
Decoction for Apoplexy (Countess of Kent)
Tincture for Paralysis
Powder for Cold Diseases of the Head (Renodeus)
Cautions:
1. Best avoided in Pregnancy.
Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water, Vinegar, Tincture, Conserve of the Flowers, Ointment
1. Conserve of the Flowers:
i. Calendula flowers (1 part), White Sugar (2 parts)
‘Conserve made of the flowers and sugar taken in the morning fasting, cureth the trembling of the Heart, and is also given in the time of Plague or Pestilence’. Also very good for stoppage of the urine.
Dose: 1–2 drams. (Culpeper, Salmon)
2. Distilled Water of Calendula Flowers.
Very good for many Heat diseases of the Head, Eyes, and Stomach. It is dropped into the eyes for red, swollen and painful eyes. A cloth is soaked in the Distilled Water and applied to the temples and forehead for headaches
3. Extract of Calendula:
i. Calendula (1 part), Water (8 parts); macerate 24 hours, boil 15 minutes; strain. Boil the residue again with 4 parts of water; mix the 2 decoctions, set aside 24 hours, then evaporate to the thickness of honey. Dose: 15–30 grains
4. Vinegar of Calendula:
i. Calendula petals (1 part), Vinegar (4 parts). Digest in the sun or a warm place, then strain.
5. Ointment of Calendula:
i. Fresh Calendula petals (4 oz.), Fresh Butter (1 lb.). Boil until the herb is dry and press. Emollient and resolvent.
1. Best avoided in Pregnancy.
Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water, Vinegar, Tincture, Conserve of the Flowers, Ointment
1. Conserve of the Flowers:
i. Calendula flowers (1 part), White Sugar (2 parts)
‘Conserve made of the flowers and sugar taken in the morning fasting, cureth the trembling of the Heart, and is also given in the time of Plague or Pestilence’. Also very good for stoppage of the urine.
Dose: 1–2 drams. (Culpeper, Salmon)
2. Distilled Water of Calendula Flowers.
Very good for many Heat diseases of the Head, Eyes, and Stomach. It is dropped into the eyes for red, swollen and painful eyes. A cloth is soaked in the Distilled Water and applied to the temples and forehead for headaches
3. Extract of Calendula:
i. Calendula (1 part), Water (8 parts); macerate 24 hours, boil 15 minutes; strain. Boil the residue again with 4 parts of water; mix the 2 decoctions, set aside 24 hours, then evaporate to the thickness of honey. Dose: 15–30 grains
4. Vinegar of Calendula:
i. Calendula petals (1 part), Vinegar (4 parts). Digest in the sun or a warm place, then strain.
5. Ointment of Calendula:
i. Fresh Calendula petals (4 oz.), Fresh Butter (1 lb.). Boil until the herb is dry and press. Emollient and resolvent.