Anthemis. Anthemis nobilis.

Related entry: German chamomile

Synonym—Chamomile.

CONSTITUENTS—

Volatile oil, Anthemene, Antheminic acid, tannin, resin, wax.

PREPARATIONS—

Extractum Anthemidis Fluidum, Fluid Extract of Anthemis. Dose, one-half to one dram.

Administration—This agent seems to exercise but little influence in physiological doses. A few drops of the specific anthemis or the German tincture in a glass of water in teaspoonful doses every few minutes or every hour will accomplish good results when directly indicated.

Specific Symptomatology—Severe pain in infants, from simple causes, extreme susceptibility to pain, general hyperaesthesia, subjective, acute, transient, sharp pains.

The following indications were given in The Medical Century, and can be relied upon:

There is perpetual hyperesthesia; there is starting and, jumping. The child is cross, wants to be carried; stool apt to be soft and charged with sulphuretted hydrogen; if there be diarrhea accompanying, the passages will look like the white of an egg mixed with greens. The gums are liable to be tender. Tooker says, "the remedy of all remedies and the one most often called for during the teething period is chamomile. This remedy is to children what pulsatilla is to women, a veritable vade mecum."

Chamomile, acts mildly on the nervous system to subdue irritability and on the gastro-intestinal tract to relieve irritation there. It is adapted to the restless, peevish, irritable, discontented, and impatient infant who insists on being carried in arms constantly. With these there is usually hepatic tenderness with watery or greenish, slimy discharges, yellowish and white lumps of undigested curds, the fecal excordiating the external parts. There is often difficulty and pain in urination, and bloating of the abdomen with flatulence. It prevents convulsions by relieving the irritation, but has not sufficient antispasmodic effect to control the convulsions. It is adapted to irritation of the nervous system, and not atony.

The many conditions with the adult woman it is beneficial, especially to those in the latter months of pregnancy where there are present false pains, nervous twitching, reflex cough, explosion of irascibility; where there is fretfulless, peevishness, impatience and discontent; where there is morbid sensitiveness to pain; where there are sudden fits of temper during menstruation with muscular twitchings.

Therapy—This agent in hot infusion is emetic, a stimulating diaphoretic, and it promotes the menstrual flow when suppressed from cold. It is of little importance, in the writer's opinion, as we have so many other agents with wider and more positive action. In suppression of the secretions from acute cold it is a useful remedy. If drank during an alcohol sweat or Turkish bath, its influence is greatly increased. In acute rheumatism it will prove of service,

It is a mild stomachic and general tonic in half-ounce doses of the cold infusion, and it seems to mildly stimulate digestion.

In acute colic in infants, with nervous excitability and tendency to spasm, a few drops may be dropped into a half glass of water and a teaspoonful given every ten minutes with immediate relief. In flatulent colic and in colic accompanying diarrhea, the discharges of a greenish, feculent character with reflex nervous irritation or increased nervous susceptibility, it is a specific remedy.

In constant worry and fretfulness of very young infants, without apparent cause, it is a soothing remedy of much value. It is excellent during the teething period to allay nervous irritation and soothe pain. In neuralgic pains in children it is useful.

In hysterical females its therapeutic influence is similar to that of pulsatilla. It soothes general irritation and quiets imaginary pains, especially if occurring at the menstrual epoch.

It is useful in dysmenorrhea and in mild cases of ovarian neuralgia. In amenorrhea with intermittent pains, and sensations of appearing menstrual flow, it is useful. It may be given for the erratic pains and reflex nerve irritations of the last months of pregnancy, the reflex cough and unbearable muscular cramps and twitchings.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.