This remedy is so effective, and so commonly required that every home should have some available, and be aware of how to use it. Arnica, or Mountain Daisy can be found all over the globe, its benefits were familiar to many peasants and tribal people. Arnica was first mentioned in the writings of St Hildegarde of Bingen, a famous healer from the eleventh century. In the sixteenth century it was praised by Professor Joel from Gottingen and found its way into the medical texts which recorded its use in external applications for bruises and sprains. Dr Margaret Tyler, reports that a grandson of Nelson, came from the Andes telling of how the people there used Arnica, by pouring boiling water on the plant, giving the infusion to the injured to drink, and producing astounding results.
However, its true value was not realised until Samuel Hahnemann the father of homoeopathy studied and proved the remedy in homoeopathic potentisation. Since then, Arnica has become one of the most famous of remedies. A note of caution is needed here. Only homoeopathic preparations of Arnica should be used internally. The raw plant or tinctures should never be used internally or on broken skin.
So what is Arnica to be used for? In a nutshell for traumatic injury, soft tissue damage and shock. Any injury whatsoever. It may be bruising from a fall in the home, a car accident, straining of the ankle, something falling on you or a sporting injury. In all of these cases, a few doses of Arnica should work wonders.
A few examples will illustrate its value. Take our friend and neighbour, Laurie, for instance. He was helping us to attach a trailer full of concrete rubble to a car when he slipped and the hitch landed on his foot. Unaware of what happened, we went on our way. An hour or so later, we went to thank him for his help and found his big toe was swollen, like a balloon -- apparently, his doctors said he had broken it! Quickly we fetched him some Arnica 30 C. and told him to take a dose three or four times a day. Three days later, we spoke to him and he asked us for more Arnica -- he explained to us that the pain and swelling had reduced within hours of taking the Arnica and that he had then stopped taking it. That was a mistake. During the night he awoke to a swollen and throbbing toe. He resumed the Arnica and swelling subsided. This time, he continued, the remedy for a week. Within two weeks the toe is completely normal -- he didn't even lose the nail.
Another good example was young Jake, a very active four year-old, who took a fall and bumped his head on a steel cattle grate. Within minutes there was a nasty bruise and large swelling on the forehead. His screaming was constant. We fetched the Arnica and gave him a dose -- almost instantly, the crying stopped. A couple more doses before bedtime and by morning there was only the slightest evidence of a bruised left. A dose of ledum and all evidence of discoloration left. These results are by no means unusual. There are thousands of Arnica users who can tell similar stories. However, the best thing is to obtain some for yourself and try it -- you'll be amazed by the results. Oh yes , and don't forget your pets, if they get hurt, a little in their water will help them too.
