Western Herbalism
Autumn Crocus
Colchicum autumnale
Also known as Meadow Saffron, Colchicum, I.
Highly toxic Narrow therapeutic index requiring precise colchicine-standardized dosing and medical supervision Traditional use limited by toxicity Primarily pharmaceutical rather than folk herbal use
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Acute gout attacks
- Rheumatic conditions
- Chronic gouty arthritis
- Acute joint inflammation and pain
- Familial Mediterranean fever
- Inflammation
- Fever
Safety
Recognised toxicity. This plant carries a toxicity flag in the record; it is for trained practitioners only.
Low dose botanical. Used in drop doses in the classical practice; not a plant to dose freely.
Pregnancy: Pregnancy Caution
Breastfeeding: Not for use while breastfeeding
The record lists 3 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Acute gout: initial oral dose 1 mg colchicine, then 0.5-1.5 mg every 1-2 hours until response (max 8 mg/day) | 1-1.5 mg | |
| Familial Mediterranean fever prophylaxis: 0.5-1.5 mg colchicine daily | 0.5-1.5 mg | |
| Dose of the bulb, from. two to eight grains; of the seed, from one to five grains. | 130-518 mg | |
| Specific Colchicum | Dose, from one-fourth minim to three minims. | 0.02-0.18 mL |
| Fluid Extract of Colchicum Seed | Dose, from one to five minims. | 0.06-0.31 mL |
| Dose, Corm, 1 to 5 grains | 64.8-324 mg |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Clinical Notes. Highly toxic Narrow therapeutic index requiring precise colchicine-standardized dosing and medical supervision Traditional use limited by toxicity Primarily pharmaceutical rather than folk herbal use
Therapy. Colchicum is an extremely dangerous medicine and should be used with the greatest of caution. It is the remedy for acute gout, temporarily giving quick relief if administered short of purgation. For some unknown reason attacks recur more frequently when colchicum has been used, though it almost magically relieves the paroxysms.
Therapy. A recent Homeopathic writer, finds the indications for colchicum very often present in vomiting and the nausea of pregnancy. His success has been so prompt and gratifying, that he seldom uses other remedies.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. This forms an excellent agent in inflammatory rheumatism and gout, and has proved a superior remedy in phlegmasia dolens, or the swelled leg of parturient women. The dose is from 10 to 60 drops, or more, as circumstances indicate, every 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours. Iodide of potassium, 15 grains to 1 ounce of the tincture, may frequently be added with advantage (J. King).
Drawn from Scudder's Specific Medication and Specific Medicines; King's American Dispensatory, 18th edition (Felter and Lloyd); Ellingwood's American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy; Felter's Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and the Bountiful Herbs editorial.
Often paired with
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CayenneCapsicum frutescens
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May applePodophyllum peltatumNearby on the shelf
AshwagandhaWithania somnifera
AsparagusAsparagus
AspenPopulus tremuloides
AtibalaAbutilon indicum
AvensGeum virginianum
BabchiPsoralea corylifolia
BaelAegle marmelos
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