Colchicum autumnale commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron[rx] or naked ladies,[rx] is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the Colchicaceae plant family, unlike the true crocuses which belong to the Iridaceae family. The name “naked ladies” comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear.[rx] Despite the vernacular name of “meadow saffron”, this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant too is sometimes called “autumn crocus”.
In this genus, the ovary of the flower is underground. As a consequence, the styles are extremely long in proportion, often more than 10 cm (4 in). All species in the genus are toxic.[rx] Joint pain‚ stiffness‚ and gout can cause inflammation‚ redness‚ stiffness‚ and pain in your joints. Your symptoms may be severe enough to prevent you from enjoying your life and participating in activities you enjoy. It can even hinder your ability to perform tasks during your normal daily routine. Fortunately‚ there are treatments available that can help relieve your symptoms and reduce painful flare-ups.
Another Name
The common names “autumn crocus”, “meadow saffron” and “naked lady” may be applied to the whole genus or too many of its species; they refer to the “naked” crocus-like flowers that appear in late summer or autumn, long before the strap-like foliage which appears in spring. Colchicum and Crocus look alike and can be confused by the casual observer. To add to the confusion, there are autumn-flowering species of crocus. However, colchicums have 3 styles and 6 stamens, while crocuses have 1 style and 3 stamens.[rx] In addition, the corm structures are quite different—in colchicum, the corm is irregular, while in crocuses, the corm is like a flattened ball.[rx] Crocus is in the Iris Family, Iridaceae.
Materia Medica of Cimicifuga Racemosa
- Mind – Irritable; holds everything in contempt. Full of desires, for what they know not.
- Head – Bones of the skull feel crushed or bruised. Pain extends to teeth and root of the tongue.
- Eyes – Inflamed, red. Pain through eyeballs. Profuse lachrymation. Cornea dim. Eyes tire from near vision. State of vision constantly changing. Spasm of accommodation from the irritable weakness of the ciliary muscle. Nausea from looking on moving objects.
- Face – Blue rings around eyes. Periodical orbital neuralgia, with lachrymation, photophobia, and smarting eyelids.
- Nose – Coryza, with stoppage of nose and nausea. Epistaxis.
- Stomach – Tongue usually clean. Mouth, moist; much saliva. Constant nausea and vomiting, with pale, twitching of face. Vomits food, bile, blood, mucus. Stomach feels relaxed as if hanging down. Hiccough.
- Abdomen – Amebic dysentery with tenesmus; while straining pain so great that it nauseates; little thirst. Cutting, clutching; worse, around the navel. Body rigid; stretched out stiff.
- Stools – Pitch-like green as grass, like frothy molasses, with griping at the navel. Dysenteric, slimy.
- Female – Uterine hæmorrhage, profuse, bright, gushing, with nausea. Vomiting during pregnancy. Pain from navel to the uterus. Menses too early and too profuse.
- Respiratory – Dyspnœa; constant constriction in chest. Asthma. Yearly attacks of difficult shortness of breathing. Continued sneezing; coryza; a wheezing cough. A cough incessant and violent, with every breath. Chest seems full of phlegm but does not yield to coughing. Bubbling rales. A suffocative cough; the child becomes stiff, and blue in the face. Whooping-cough, with a nosebleed, and from the mouth. Bleeding from lungs, with nausea; feeling of constriction; rattling cough. Croup. Hæmoptysis from slightest exertion (Millef). Hoarseness, especially at end of a cold. Complete aphonia.
- Fever – Intermittent fever, irregular cases, after Quinine. Slightest chill with much heat, nausea, vomiting, and dyspnœa. Relapses from improper diet.
- Sleep – With eyes half open. Shocks in all limbs on going to sleep (Ign).
- Extremities – Body stretched stiff, followed by spasmodic jerking of arms towards each other.
- Skin – Pale, lax. Blue around eyes. Military rash.
Uses/ Indications of Colchicum
- Plants in this genus contain toxic amounts of the alkaloid colchicine which is used pharmaceutically to treat gout and Familial Mediterranean fever.[rx] The use of the roots and seeds in traditional medicine is thought to have arisen due to the presence of this drug.[rx]
- Its leaves, corm, and seeds are poisonous. Murderer Catherine Wilson is thought to have used it to poison a number of victims in the 19th Century. The species known to contain the most lethal amount of colchicine is C. autumnale.[rx][rx][rx][rx]
- Appendicitis
- Asthma
- Cough
- Cramp
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Gout
- Intermittent fever
- Lumbago
- Myalgia
- Nephritis (rheumatic and gouty).
- Pericarditis
- Proctalgia
- Rheumatism
- Typhoid fever
Dosage of Colchicum
- Adults: 4 drops into a tsp. of water 3 times a day. Children: 1/2 dose. Repeat at greater intervals as condition subsides. Or as directed bya lic. practitioner.
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