Materia Medica

Chamomilla

Written by Dr. Manisha Bhatia

A useful article about Chamomilla.Full details about Chamomilla

Chamomilla of the homeopathic material medica is the German variety, the Chamomilla matricaria. The common name of the plant is Corn-Fever-Few, as it grows in uncultivated fields, among wheat and corn. The homeopathic Chamomilla medicine is prepared from the whole plant when in flower.

Chamomilla acts best upon patients with a morbidly sensitive nervous system. Slight impressions produce distress and anguish of mind; pains often result in fainting. Chamomilla is especially applicable when such type of symptoms appears after long continued use of narcotics.

 

There is great hypersensitivity to pain and an angry, almost accusatory response to that pain. Often the patient seems to complain of more discomfort than could possibly be felt from the exciting condition.

In every disease in which Chamomilla is indicated, we notice this peculiar excitability. The patient, whether it is a child or adult, a woman in labor or with toothache, is cross and excitable. Unless this mental state is present, Chamomilla will most likely fail you.

Chamomilla is most commonly used as a remedy of childhood acute disorders. Whether it is diarrhea, fever or any other teething trouble, there is great irritability is always found with it. Chamomilla child is so snappish that nobody likes its company. These Chamomilla patients do not know what they want; they are unhappy and they make everybody else around them so. Chamomilla child is so peevish that it is very difficult to please him. Capriciousness; various things are wanted that are not to be had, and which when offered, are refused with discourtesy.

Chamomilla is a great remedy for dentition in children, and as such it bears a certain amount of resemblance to Belladonna. The baby starts during sleep, and is quite restless. Twitching of the muscles of face and hands are also prominent. These symptoms though suggesting belladonna should be looked into more minutely, and then it will be found that the face lacks the uniform congestion of the belladonna. It is true that the one cheek is flushed and that the head is covered with hot sweat and that certain amount of fever, but still the intense erythrism of belladonna will be found lacking everywhere.

Chamomilla has a number of gastric symptoms. It is useful in biliousness produced by anger. We find it also indicated in gastralgia, especially when the food eaten seems to lie like a load in the stomach. There is distension of the hypochondria, the tongue is coated yellowish-white, and there is bitter taste in the mouth; there is colicky pain in the abdomen, which is relieved by drinking a cup of coffee.

Chamomilla produces a diarrhea with hot, yellowish green stool, looking like chopped eggs, and often mixed with bile, causing soreness in the anus, and having an odor of suppurated hydrogen; it is worse toward evening; it is apt to occur during dentition.

Chamomilla is also a valuable remedy for the cases of rheumatism. Rheumatic pains drive the patient out of bed and compel him to walk about. He is thirsty, hot, with red cheeks and almost beside himself with anguish. It is one of our best pain killing remedies wherever it may be tooth, ear, abdomen and heart but must be present with characteristic excitability.

Chamomilla is our great stand -by in some of those labor cases where there is great rigidity of the os prevents parturition. Labor pains are pressing upward and are most spasmodic and distressing. The patient is extremely hysterical, snappish. These long continued labor cases respond immediately to Chamomilla.

Again it is very useful in the cases of threatened abortion caused by anger. There is discharge of dark blood, frequent urination, restlessness and characteristic excitability with pain. Chamomilla prescribed on these indications can stop miscarriage.

Chamomilla also acts on mucous membranes, causing symptoms of catarrh. It is indicated in the catarrh of children, when the nose is “stopped up”, and yet there is dropping of hot, watery mucus from the nostrils; there are sneezing and inability to sleep; and with these a dry, teasing cough, which keeps the child awake, there is rattling cough, as though the bronchi were full of mucus. Here Chamomilla is especially suited when cold brought on by cold windy days.

Chamomilla is another valuable remedy, proved by our master, Hahnemann. And long time experience of various homeopaths with it in so many acute childhood disorders describes its importance. One must always keep in his mind that calmness, gentleness, sluggish and constipated bowels are always contraindicating the use of Chamomilla.

About the author

Dr. Manisha Bhatia

BHMS, M.D. (Hom), CICH (Greece)
Dr. (Mrs) Manisha Bhatia is a leading homeopathy doctor working in Jaipur, India. She has studied with Prof. George Vithoulkas at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy. She is the Director of Asha Homeopathy Medical Center, Jaipur's leading clinic for homeopathy treatment and has been practicing since 2004.

She writes for Hpathy.com about homeopathic medicines and their therapeutic indications and homeopathy treatment in various diseases. She is also Associate Professor, HoD and PG Guide at S.K. Homeopathy Medical College. To consult her online, - visit Dr. Bhatia's website.

4 Comments

  • I have a patient with angry excitable attitude…asks for something but in same sentence he says he does not want it..he talks about wanting to be punished wanting someone to hit him…he is four years old…I was thinking of chaomilla..but his bowel movements tend to be somewhat sluggish according to the mother..thank you so much for any help with this!

  • Informative and inspiring. Relationship with other remedies must always be expressed to broaden the scope of use.

  • There are no real “contraindications” regarding homeopathic remedies. You wrote:
    “One must always keep in his mind that calmness, gentleness, sluggish and constipated bowels are always contraindicating the use of Chamomilla” … but every person can be calm and gentle if “everything is fine” temporarily. As every remedy of the Asterales family, when something threats their individuality or autonomy, then they begin to show the full spectrum of symptoms. Especially, in the case of Chamomilla, the hypersensitivity to pain is the most important remedy and it expresses their desire to be independent, it is like shouting internally “let me alone! Don’t touch me!”. Only who is sensible enough will recognize that maybe they don’t want to be touched for the moment, but they indeed desire to be hugged (not just a formal hug, but a real emotional one), a certain type of touch of someone who is able to understand them.

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