Arnica Health Dictionary

Action: external use only.

Uses: Bruises and contusions where skin is unbroken. Severe bruising after surgical operation. Neuralgia, sprains, rheumatic joints, aches and pains after excessive use as in sports and gardening.

Combination, in general use: 1 part Tincture Arnica to 10 parts Witch Hazel water as a lotion. Contra- indications: broken or lacerated skin.

Preparations: Compress: handful flowerheads to 1 pint boiling water. Saturate handtowel or suitable material in mixture and apply.

Tincture. 1 handful (50g) flowerheads to 1 pint 70 per cent alcohol (say Vodka) in wide-necked bottle. Seal tight. Shake daily for 7 days. Filter. Use as a lotion or compress: 1 part tincture to 20 parts water. Weleda Lotion. First aid remedy to prevent bruise developing.

Nelson’s Arnica cream.

Ointment. Good for applying Arnica to parts of the body where tincture or lotion is unsuitable. 2oz flowers and 1oz leaves (shredded or powdered) in 16oz lard. Moisten with half its weight of distilled water. Heat together with the lard for 3-4 hours and strain. For wounds and varicose ulcers.

Wet Dressing. 2 tablespoons flowers to 2 litres boiling water. For muscular pain, stiffness and sprains. Tincture. Alternative dosage: a weak tincture can be used with good effect, acceptable internally: 5 drops tincture to 100ml water – 1 teaspoon hourly or two-hourly according to severity of the case.

Widely used in Homoeopathic Medicine.

First used by Swiss mountaineers who chewed the leaves to help prevent sore and aching limbs.

Note: Although no longer used internally in the UK, 5-10 drop doses of the tincture are still favoured by some European and American physicians for anginal pain and other acute heart conditions; (Hawthorn for chronic).

Pharmacy only sale. 

FAMILY: Asteraceae (Compositae)

SYNONYMS: A. fulgens, A. sororia, leopard’s bane, wolf’s bane.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A perennial alpine herb with a creeping underground stem, giving rise to a rosette of pale oval leaves. The flowering erect stem is up to 60 cms high, bearing a single, bright yellow, daisy-like flower. The whole plant is very difficult to cultivate.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to northern and central Europe; also found growing wild in the USSR, Scandinavia and northern India. The oil is produced mainly in France, Belgium and Germany.

OTHER SPECIES: A related plant, A. cordifolia, and other species of arnica are used in America, where it is known as ‘mountain tobacco’.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: This herb stimulates the peripheral blood supply when applied externally, and is considered one of the best remedies for bruises and sprains. It helps relieve rheumatic pain and other painful or inflammatory skin conditions, so long as the skin is not broken! It is never used internally due to toxicity levels.

ACTIONS: Anti-inflammatory, stimulant, vulnerary.

EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation of 1. flowers, and 2. root. The yield of essential oil is very small. An absolute, tincture and resinoid are also produced.

CHARACTERISTICS: 1. A yellowy-orange liquid with a greenish-blue hint and a strong bitter-spicy scent reminiscent of radish. 2. Dark yellow or butter-brown oil more viscous than the flower oil, with a strong bitter scent.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Thymohydroquinone dimethyl ether (80 per cent approx.), isobutyric ester of phlorol (20 per cent approx.) and other minor traces.

SAFETY DATA: The essential oil is highly toxic and should never be used internally or on broken skin. However, the tincture or arnica ointment are valuable additions to the home medicine cabinet.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE None.

OTHER USES: The tincture is mainly employed in pharmaceutical skin products. The oil from the flowers finds occasional use in herbaceous-type perfumes. It is also used to flavour certain liqueurs.