TARAXACUM OFFICINALE

Description:--

A deciduous, perennial herb, having a vertical, fusiform or cylindrical root, a foot or more in length, ½ to 1 inch in diameter, simple or slightly branched, smooth, externally yellowish-brown or black, internally white. The numerous spreading leaves, 6 to 7 inches long, are radical, pinnatifid, with sharp unequally toothed lobes pointing downwards, tapering, sessile, smooth, bright shining-green. The flowers appear from April to September on scapes, longer than the leaves, erect smooth, brittle, naked, in heads ½ inch wide, of a uniform golden-yellow, and expand only in the morning and in fine weather. The whole plant contains a milky juice, of a saltish, bitter taste. This is not to be mistaken for the fall dandelion.

Found in :- Europe, temperate Asia Pakistan, India, Algeria, the Azores, Japan and North America, but not in the southern hemisphere; a troublesome weed difficult to eradicate from fields and pastures, everywhere in the north.

Introduced into homoeopathic practice:--

Dr. Hahnemann, R.A.M.L., V. in 1819. ( Allen’s Encyc. Mat, Med. IX. 509.)

Part Used:--

The whole plant gathered before the perfection of the flowers.

Preparation:--

(a)Tincture Q: =	Drug Strength 1/10
Taraxacum, moist magma containing solids	100 gm
Plant moisture 300 Cc.	= 400.
Distilled water	200 cc.
Strong alcohol	537 Cc.
To make one thousand cubic centimeters of tincture.

(b) Dilutions: 2x to contain one part of tincture, four parts distilled water, five parts alcohol ; 3x and higher with dispensing alcohol.