Arnica
Parts Usually Used
Flowers, rootstock
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Arnica is a perennial plant; the horizontal, brown, branched rootstock sends up a slightly hairy, simple or lightly branched stem that reaches a height of 1-2 feet. The basal leaves are oblong-ovate and short-petioled; the upper leaves are smaller and sessile. Each plant has 1 to 9 large, yellow, daisy-like flowerheads, 2-2 1/2 inches wide, whose rays are notched on the outer tips.
The flowers appear from June to August. Other varieties: A. fulgens, A. sororia, A. cordifolia, etc.
Where Found
Found in mountainous areas of Canada, the northern United States, and Europe. A European native.
Medicinal Properties
Diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, stimulant, vulnerary
Legends, Myths and Stories
Arnica montana was used in Russian Folk medicine. Arnica is on the list of strictly protected plants since it is threatened with extinction. Please respect this.
Uses
Historically, arnica was primarily employed as an external remedy, prepared as a salve, tincture, or occasionally as a poultice. Herbalists utilized these topical preparations for bruises, wounds, irritations, and arthritis. Native American traditions also included using arnica ointment for stiff or cramped muscles, poor appetite, and hair loss, as well as applying the tincture to open wounds, gashes, and sprains.
Warning
One reference cautions not to use arnica on broken skin. The herb can cause blistering and inflammation. An irritant to the stomach and intestines, can cause serious damage to the heart; and fatalities from poisoning have been reported. Arnica should not be used for any purpose without medical supervision.
Bibliography
American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 The Healing Plants , by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. , Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.
copyright 1974. , Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr. A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. Vogel, Teufen (AR) Switzerland 1952, 1991 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H.
Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.