Convallaria Majalis

Introduction: A heart remedy. Increases energy of hearts' action, renders it more regular. Of use when the ventricles are over distended and dilatation begins and when there is an absence of compensatory hypertrophy and when venous stasis is marked. Dyspnoea, dropsy, aneuric tendency. Anasarca.

Scientific name: Convallaria majalis Synonyms: Convallaria latifolia; Convallaria linnaei; Convallaria scaposa; Convallaria mappii; Lilia- convallium majale; Polygonatum majale; Lilium convallium; Lily of the Valley; May lily; Maiblumen; French: Muquet; German: Maigolckchen.

Source: The main source of Convallaria majalis is vegetable Kingdom. It is possibly the only species in the genus Convallaria. In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae. It was formerly placed in its own family Convallariaceae, and, like many lilioid monocots, before that in the lily family Liliaceae. It is a sweetly scented, highly poisonous woodland flowering plant that is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, and Europe. It is a low, acaulescent and herbaceous perennial plant that forms extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. New upright shoots are formed at the ends of stolons in summer; these upright dormant stems are often called pips. These grow in the spring into new leafy shoots that still remain connected to the other shoots underground, often forming extensive colonies. The stems grow to 15–30 cm tall, with one or two leaves 10–25 cm long; flowering stems have two leaves and a raceme of 5–15 flowers on the stem apex. The flowers have six white tepals (rarely pink) with 6 curved lobes, fused at the base to form a bell-shape, 5–10 mm diameter, nodding on an angled scape 15 cm high, bearing 1 sided raceme; stamens 6; ovary is superior and trilocular and sweetly scented; flowering is in late spring, in mild winters in the Northern Hemisphere it is in early March. The fruit is a small orange-red berry 5–7 mm diameter that contains a few large whitish to brownish colored seeds that dry to a clear translucent round bead 1–3 mm wide. Plants are self-sterile, and colonies consisting of a single clone do not set seed.

Macroscopically rhizome horizontal or oblique, elongated, usually branched, cylindrical, variable in length, form 1 to 3 mm in diameter, externally moderate yellow to light brown; nodes with an occasional circular hollow stem scar and with 3 to 9 thin, tortuous, brown, branching roots or root remnants or root scars at each node; occasional terminal or lateral buds up to 8 mm in thickness and with many scales; occasional groups of annulate leaves scars;

1 fracture short or fibrous; internally whitish. Odor indistinct, taste sweetish, becoming bitter and acrid.

Microscopically rhizome: in transverse section shows a layer of epidermal cells with outer walls highly cutinized; cortex of about 20 rows of parenchyma cells, containing more or less spherical starch grains, others raphides of calcium oxalate. Endodermis of usually 2 layers or occasionally 1 to 3 layers, the radial and inner walls of which are strongly thickened and lignified; stele a broad central region consisting of a matrix of starch and crystals bearing parenchyma through which course closed collateral and concentric fibrovascular bundles, the bundles arranged in an interrupted circle just within the endodermis. Roots: in transverse section show a hairy epidermis; hypodermis of a single layer; cortex of about 6 rows of cells, some containing starch, raphides of calcium oxalate or oil; an endodermis of thin-walled cells whose radial and inner walls are slightly more thickened than the outer walls and with casparian spots on their radial walls; cambial layer, polyarch stele and central pith.

Parts Used: The whole plant. Composition: Tincture θ. Drug Strength 1/10

Active ingredient: Convallaria, fresh pulp containing solids 100 gm. And drug moisture approximately 400 cc. = 500 gm.

Excipient: Strong Alcohol = 635 cc.

To make one thousand cubic centimeters of tincture.

Clinical: Diarrhoea. Heart, affections of. Herpes. Pruritus vulvae. Vomiting (of pregnancy).

Guiding Symptoms:

1. Convallaria is a popular remedy for heart affections, and it has been introduced into old- school medicine principally as a heart remedy. 2. It is strongly purgative and causes morning vomiting. 3. Nash used it in 30th with very satisfactory results in women complaining of great soreness in uterine region with sympathetic palpitation of the heart. 4. Cardiac dropsy when this uterine soreness has been present as well. 5. "Movement in the abdomen as from the fist of a child," like sul., Thuj., Croc. In the case of Conval. the symptom occurs "when lying on the back." 6. Sleepiness accompanies many symptoms.

Particulars: Mind and Head: Dull intellect. Grieves easily. Dull headache, worse, ascending, hawking. Scalp sensitive. Irritability. Hysterical manifestationsFace: Hydroa in nose and lips; raw and

sore. Epistaxis. Sees imaginary gray spot about three inches square.Mouth: Grating of teeth in the morning. Coppery taste. Tongue feels sore and scalded; broad and thick with heavy, dirty coating.Throat: Raw feeling in back of throat when inspiring. Abdomen: Sensitive. Clothes feel too tight. Gurgling and pain on taking deep breath. Movement in abdomen like fist of a child. Colicky pains.

Urinary Organs: Aching in bladder, feels distended. Frequent urination, offensive, scanty urine.

Female: Great soreness in uterine region, with sympathetic palpitation of heart. Pain in sacro- iliac joints, running down leg. Itching at urinary meatus and vaginal orifice.

Respiratory: Pulmonary congestion. Orthopnea. Dyspnoea while walking. Hot feeling in throat.

Heart: Feeling as if heart beat throughout the chest. Endocarditis, with extreme orthopnea. Sensation as if heart ceased beating, then starting very suddenly. Palpitation from the least exertion. Tobacco heart, especially when due to cigarettes. Angina pectoris. Extremely rapid and irregular pulse.

Back and Extremities: Pain and aching in lumbar region; aching of legs; in big toe. Trembling of hands. Aching in wrists and ankles.

Fever: Chilly in back and down spine, followed by fever, little sweat. Thirst and headache during chill. Dyspnoea during fever.

Modalities:

Worse: in open air. Better: in warm room (like Cepa).

Relationship:

Compare: Digit, Crataeg, Lilium, Adonis (feeble heart action due only to functional disturbance).

Dose & Administration: Mother Tincture 04 or 05 drops mixed with water three or four times daily and for symptoms of heart failure, tincture, one to fifteen drops or as directed by the Homoeopathic Physician.

Side effects: No significant side effect has been observed in proper doses. Contraindication: There is no known contraindication. Use in Pregnancy and breast-feeding: The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been studied; therefore it should be used with caution during pregnancy. If necessary consult with Homoeopathic Physician. Storage: Keep out of reach of children. Keep away from sunlight. Store in a cool and dry place.

Presentation: 30 ml, 100 ml & 450 ml in bottle.

References: 1. HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA by Dr. William BOERICKE, M.D. 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki 3. http://www.photomazza.com/?Convallaria-majalis-3894 4. A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICAL MATERIA MEDICA by Dr. John Henry CLARKE, M.D. 5. Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of M. Bhattacharyya & Co., India. 6. Infallible Mother Tincture and Indian drugs by Prof. Dr. A. K. Chaklader. 7. Encyclopedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia by Dr. P.N. Varma & Dr. Indu Vaid.