CALENDULA
(Marigold)

Common names: Pot Marigold, Mary Gowles, Golds. Calendula has a noteworthy place among our native herbs. It belongs to the plants which are beneficial in cancer and cancerlike growths. It is found in many gardens in the country, sometimes growing wild on wastelands. Since its healing powers have become recognized again and are in demand, it is now met not only in gardens, but also in fields. Calendula reaches a height of 30 to 40 cm. Its flowerheads are bright yellow to orange. Stems and leaves are fleshy and sticky to the touch. There are several varieties with full flowerheads, with dark or light stamens. The medicinal value is the same. Should its flowerheads be closed after 7 o'clock in the morning, it will rain the same day. It was considered a rain indicator in earlier times.

In folk medicine the plant's flowers, stems and leaves are gathered and used. Gathering should occur in bright sunshine, when its healing powers are at their best. It can be picked fresh in the garden well into late autumn, if free from mildew.

Calendula strongly resembles our Arnica but is superior in its healing power. Arnica should only be used under medical supervision, since the tea could do more harm than good to people with heart trouble. On the other hand, Calendula tea can be drunk without worry.

As a blood cleanser, it is a great helper in infectious hepatitis. 1 to 2 cups a day work wonders.

 Calendula cleanses, stimulates circulation and improves the healing of wounds. A man accidentally put his hand in a circular saw. He had great pain In the wounds, after release from the hospital. I heard about it and told him to use Calendula ointment. He was enthusiastic about the results and told me that the pain, which had cost him many sleepless nights, had disappeared after a short time. His wife now plants Calendula in the garden every year. On a visit, the lady of the house showed me her legs covered with varicose veins. I fetched Calendula from her garden and prepared the ointment. The residue 1 put immediately on her legs (the residues can be used 4 to 5 times). She spread the ointment, the thickness of the back of a knife, on a piece of linen and bandaged her legs with it. You will be surprised, when 1 tell you that, 4 weeks later, when she visited me at home, the varicose veins had disappeared. Both legs had nice smooth skin. A nun told me that she saw a woman in the street with especially bad varicose veins and advised her to use Calendula ointment. Great Was her surprise when, after a month, the same woman joyfully showed her her legs, smooth and free of varicose veins.

The ointment brings swift relief in phlebitis, varicose ulcers, fistulas, frost bites and burns. Use the ointment and also the residue of ointment preparations for ulcers on the breast, even if they are malignant. An acquaintance of mine had to have her breast removed. While she was in hospital, 1 prepared Calendula ointment. Later she used it on her huge wound from the operation, whereby the great tension of the wound was quickly eliminated. In a check-up her scars from the operation, compared to the scars of other patients, showed such a beautiful heal that she needed only part of the prescribed ray treatment., The Calendula ointment is also excellent for Athlete's foot. Many letters 1 have received bear this out, especially in cases where all other remedies were of no avail. A decoction of the fresh herb can also be used with success. Should fungus infestation start around the area of the genitals, bathe the affected area or use sitz baths. Take 50 gm. dried or 2 heaped double handfuls of fresh Calendula per sitz bath. A woman from Stuttgart wrote that her husband had suffered from Athlete's foot and what had they not tried ... baths, ointments, powders, none showed results. Then he tried Calendula ointment. After 8 days the open parts had healed and stayed that way. Besides the ointment, a Calendula tincture (see "directions") should be prepared. This tincture diluted with boiled water is especially suited as a com- press for wounds, contusions, bruises and sprains, even for festering or cancer-like sores, bedsores, ulcers and swellings.

Not only does the Abbe Kneipp believe in Calendula as a natural remedy for malignant growth, but also well known physicians like Dr. StAger, Dr. Bohn, Dr. Halenser and others. Dr. Bohn names the Calendula as the most important remedy in cancer illnesses if it is too late for an operation and recommends the daily drinking of Calendula tea for a prolonged period. The freshly pressed juice of Calendula can be used successfully even in cancer of the skin. Strawberry marks, covered with the fresh juice several times a day for a prolonged period, can be made to disappear; the same goes for pigment spots and brown spots on elderly people, also rough, cancerlike skin patches. In recent times the American physician and scientist Dr. Drwey points out the unique healing quality of Calendula in cancer; he was able to note good success with Calendula. Internally, Calendula as a tea, is used for gastro-intestinal disorders, stomach cramps and stomach ulcers, as well as inflammation of the large intestine, dropsy and blood in the urine. It is excellent for virus infections and bacteria in the urine. What wonderful results the use of the tea of fresh Calendula has is noted in a letter a physician sent to me: "A small 2 1/2 year old girl became very sick after repeated polio inoculations. She had chronic diarrhorea, loss of weight, visual weakness and difficulties with food. In a clinical checkup, paratyphoid fever was diagnosed and the child was therefore under clinical supervision. One week after drinking tea, made of fresh Calendula flowers and some homoeopathic medicines, the child was substantially better. The examination for typhoid bacillus, carried out three times shortly afterwards, was negative for the first time."

Since Calendula is also beneficial for infectious hepatitis, it is an excellent remedy in disorders of the liver. Flowers, leaves and stems are brewed with boiling water. The tea should not be sweetened. For the above mentioned disorders drink 3 to 4 cups a day, about a tablespoonful every quarter of an hour. A tea made from 1 tablespoon of flowers to 1/4 litre of water will expel worms. The juice of the fresh stem gets rid of warts and scabies, the boiled infusion heals herpes and glandular swellings, if the affected parts are bathed in it. The tea, drunk regularly purifies the blood. The eyes, bathed with an eye bath of the lukewarm tea, are strengthened.

Cancerlike ulcers and growths, cracked feet, ulcerated legs, thigh ulcers and also malignant, suppurating, non-healing wounds are helped by washing with an infusion of equal parts of Calendula and Horsetail. Use a heaped tablespoon of this blend to 1/2 litre of water.

To stress the unique effect of Calendula tea 1 would like to cite a few more successes. A nurse who suffered from inflammation of the large intestine for eight years, had an appointment with a specialist. She was advised to take the Calendula tea as per my book. For 4 days she sipped 2 cups of Calendula tea during the day. She could hardly believe it when after this short use of Calendula all the complaints were gone.
A nun told me she suffered from diarrhea. Although she drank Camomile tea, it did not get better. Only after she had used Calendula tea was there an improvement. A nun in Bavaria suffered from Athlete's foot for 15 years and also repeatedly from phlebitis. Through the application of Calendula ointment she experienced finally a healing of her feet. Scabs in the nose can be easily remedied with Calendula ointment. 

(From An Illustrated Herbal)