Melilotus.
The leaves and flowering tops of Melilotus officinalis, Willdenow (Nat. Ord. Leguminosae). A common weed found everywhere in the United States. Dose, 1 to 30 grains.
Common Names: Yellow Sweet Clover, Yellow Melilot, Yellow Melilot Clover.
Principal Constituents.—An active substance of a vanilla-like odor, coumarin, associated with melilotic acid; orthocoumaric acid, and a volatile oil, melilotol.
Preparation.—Specific Medicine Melilotus. Dose, 1 to 20 drops.
Specific Indications.—Idiopathic, atonic headaches and chronic neuralgias; coldness, tenderness, lameness or marked soreness of tissues; painful menstruation or menstrual colic with soreness and coldness; ovarian neuralgia.
Action and Therapy.—Melilotus is a remedy for pain associated with a sensation of coldness of the extremities and marked tenderness, lameness, or soreness to the touch. With these indications it is very effectual in some cases of ovarian neuralgia and dysmenorrhea. Though it may relieve headache due to gastric disorders, it is best adapted to painful states not resulting from reflexes, but rather those of an idiopathic type. Following the specific indications it has proved a remedy of worth in menstrual and intestinal colic, gastralgia, neuralgia of the stomach, visceral neuralgia, painful dysuria, and sciatic neuritis. It frequently cuts short recurrent neuralgia when induced by cold, and benefits in rheumatoid lameness or soreness.
