Melilotus Officinalis – Sweet Clover

The mother tincture is prepared from the fresh aerial parts of Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pallas without woody stems, collected during the flowering period, which grows widespread throughout the Northern hemisphere. N.O. Leguminosae.

Nash characterises Melilotus as a remedy of unquestionably great value, all the provers except one (Dr. Bowen) having had terrible headaches and haemorrhages.

The active ingredients are cumarin, volatile oil, resins and tannins, which bring about – as in Belladonna and Glonoinum – a characteristic surge of blood with in- tense flushing of the face and throbbing of the carotid arteries, associated with headaches, these complaints being ameliorated by profuse epistaxis.

Nash describes a case of religious mania, which he was able to cure with the 6th potency. In this case, which in view of the loquacity might otherwise have led one to think of Stramonium, Melilotus was suggested by the intensely flushed face, the first cause of these attacks having been overheating in the sun.

Nash also describes the symptom of the blood hanging out of the nose in clots like an icicle, and says that in these cases of striking congestion of blood in the head, fol- lowed by epistaxis, neither Belladonna nor Erigeron, nor any other remedy will help, Melilotus being the specific remedy for these cases.

Dewey points out the close relationship between Melilotus and Glonoinum, e.g. in congestive headaches with the sensation as if the head would burst in the frontal area, and also in migraine. A combination of Glonoin and Melilotus works well, es- pecially when there are consequences of sunstroke and overheating in the sun, since both have these symptoms in their picture.

A. von Fellenberg-Ziegler mentions the amelioration of the headache from vicari- ous discharges, not only epistaxis but also menstruation, and also that there can be pulmonary congestion with blood, ameliorated by haemoptysis; he also mentions that in violent headaches relief can often be obtained from repeated sniffing of Melilotus tincture, which has a powerful aroma of cumarin.

Through the whole remedy there runs the symptom of blood-congestion, not only of the brain, but also of the lungs and rectum, associated with epistaxis, haemoptysis and bleeding haemorrhoids, when there may also be mental and physical relaxation and weakness present. A discontented, impatient and angry mood, or even melan- cholia with religious mania, imaginary dangers, outbursts of crying, and great de- spondency is also characteristic. At night the sleep may alternate with wakefulness or be interrupted by unpleasant dreams, and a stream of varied thoughts passing through the mind prevents sleep.

During the violent headaches there is usually also pressure above the orbit. The hands and feet are cold, and black spots dance in front of the eyes (flickering sco- toma). There is also frequently a wave-like sensation in the brain, and retching and vomiting may follow, as in a migraine; epistaxis or the onset of the menses then pro- vides the elimination of homotoxins.

In the ear there may be a sensation, especially when swallowing, as if wind were blowing from the ears.

The nose is often obstructed with hard crusts, so that the patient must breathe through the mouth and suffers from a feeling of suffocation when walking quickly.

The digestive organs may also be affected with distension of the stomach and sour eructations, or abdominal distension with constipation and painful, difficult defaeca- tion.

There is also a characteristic sensation of constriction and pulsation in the anus.

In its symptomatology, Melilotus also has a characteristic action on the kidneys and to some extent opens the glomeruli for a more generous flow of blood. It has not yet been experimentally clarified whether the congestive increase in blood flow which runs through the whole symptomatology of the remedy might be due to spas- tic contractions of the arterioles. After Melilotus has been given the congestion usu- ally improves, so that Melilotus can also be of great help in chronic kidney condi- tions, e.g. in renal hypertension.

Thus congestive conditions in the female genitalia are also an indication for Melilotus, in other words scanty, intermittent menstruation with nausea and bearing- down in the lower abdomen, and also stabbing pains in the external genitalia, ovari- an neuralgias, and dysmenorrhoea.

If we sum up the main symptoms of Melilotus, we have the following characteris- tic remedy-picture:

1. 1.   Violent congestion of blood in the brain, lungs and rectum. Headache ameliorated by epistaxis, haemoptysis and bleeding of haemorrhoids, and by the onset of the menses.
2. General mental and physical relaxation and weakness with discontented, impa- tient and angry mood; melancholia and religious mania. Lachrymose tendency.
3. Chronic rhinitis with hard crusts and possible dyspnoea.
4. Renal hypertension.

The German Monograph-Preparation Commission for the Homoeopathic Field of Therapy has, under the Preparation Monograph for Melilotus officinalis, published the following indication(s) in the German Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) for melilotus officinalis: headaches; varicose veins.