Crocus sativus M.T.

It is native of Europe and Asia. In India, it is found in Kashmir. In Hindi, it is known as ‘Kesar’ and ‘Zafran’. A perennial, low growing,bulbous plant; corm globular producing 6 to 9 sessile surrounded in lower part by 4 or 5 broad membraneous scales. Stigmas 3, united or separate, attached to style; usually about 25 mm in length,cornucopia-shaped, of dark red colour, margin fimbriate or dentate;styles about 10 mm in length, more or less cylindrical, solid, moderate yellowish-brown to yellowish-orange. Upon chewing, the saliva is coloured bright orange-yellow.It contains volatile oils (terpene, terpene alcohol and esters) crocin (bitter glycoside) carotenoids and vitamins.A homoeopathic tincture is made from the dried stigma. It is covered by both: Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India and German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. It was proved and introduced by Dr. Stapf and Dr. Gross.

It is a remedy often useful in haemorrhages that are black and stringy. It is used for chorea and hysterical affections; for frequent and extreme changes in sensations and mental conditions. It is also used in case of anger with violence followed by repentance. Drowsiness and lassitude;better by literary labour. Reports available of inducing menses and calming abdominal pain of non-specific origin. Recent studies have shown it possess anti-cancer properties, anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects.

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Recommended dose: 1x to thirtieth attenuation.

Caution: 1x not advised during pregnancy.

1. Fikrat I. Abdullaev, Cancer Chemopreventive and Tumoricidal Properties of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Experimental Biology and Medicine 2002, 227:20-25. From: http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/227/1/20.full.pdf+html

2. Hossein Hosseinzadeh1 and Hani M Younesi, Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Crocus sativus L. stigma and petal extracts in mice, BMC Pharmacology 2002, 2:7. From: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2210/2/7/