Matricaria Chamomilla

Specific Indications. - Nervous irritability, with fretfulness, peevishness, impatience, and discontent;

Action and Therapy. - Matricaria, better known to some as chamomilla, is pre-eminently a child's remedy, especially for the very young child. It has two wellmarked, specific fields of action - (1) on the nervous system, subduing irritability; and (2) on the gastro-intestinal tract, allaying irritation. Its influence is well seen upon the infant during the period of dentition. In such conditions it is adapted to the restless, peevish, irritable, discontented, and impatient infant, who is only appeased when carried about in order to quiet its nervousness and unrest.

The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D. (1922)

What the Science Says

Chamomile has not been well studied in people so there is little evidence to support its use for any condition.

Some early studies point to chamomile's possible benefits for mouth ulcers and certain skin conditions. In combination with other herbs, it may be of some benefit for upset stomach and for diarrhea in children.

NCCAM-funded research on chamomile includes studies of the herb for generalized anxiety disorder and for chronic pain caused by children's bowel disorders.