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Arnica Montana

Fallkraut, Leopard's Bane

Our remedy is prepared from a tincture of the freshly expressed juice of the whole plant when near flowering time; or from a tincture of the fresh or dried root.

Arnica was introduced to our homeopathic materia medica by Hahnemann, in his Fragmenta de viribus medicamentorum positivis (1805); and in Materia Medica Pura, vol.1, 1st edition (1811). Homeopathic application was described in Hahnemann's Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Power of Drugs (Hufeland's Journal, 1796).

This member of the large botanical family Compositae (Asteraceae) is found in acid peaty soils in mountainous regions of Central Europe, particularly in open subalpine woods and meadows. Several related species indigenous to the western mountainous regions of North America have been used by herbalists for the same indications as those of this European specie.

Arnica is best known for its near-specific indication in treating contusion injuries, an application well described in domestic practice prior to its confirmation by homeopathic proving:

"All the artificial dogmas enunciated by the ordinary medical art, which is in its way a learned science, all its scholastic definitions, distinctions, and hair-splitting explanations were in all past centuries unable to discover the specific curative power of this plant or to find out the real remedy for the often dangerous general derangement of the health which is caused by a severe fall, by blows, knocks, contusions, sprains, or by over-stretching or laceration of the solid parts of our body. Common people had to do this for them, and after the fruitless employment of innumerable things they found at last by accident the true remedy in this vegetable, and hence they called it Fallkraut (fall plant)." - Samuel Hahnemann, in Materia Medica Pura

In addition to its indications in contusion injuries [characterized by ecchymosis, sensation of bruising (GENERALS - HARD bed, sensation of - everything on which he lies seems too hard), and stunned denial (MIND - WELL - says he is well - sick; when very; MIND - IRRITABILITY - sends - doctor home, says he is not sick) ], Arnica has a broad range of clinical use, as demonstrated in the following case.

Arnica Montana Caselet

Two recent controlled clinical trials have confirmed the efficacy of homeopathic Arnica in preventing postsurgical bruising in plastic surgery. Read these studies at: http://www.alpinepharm.com/sinresreswri.html