Carminative

A carminative, also known as carminativum (plural carminativa), is a medicinal drug with antispasmodic activity that is used against cramps of the digestive tract in combination with flatulence. They are often mixtures of essential oils and herbal spices with a tradition in folk medicine for this use.

Often ingredients used for the same purpose are

• Anise seed
• Asafoetida
• Basil
• Calamus
• Caraway
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Coriander
• Dill
• Epazote
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Lemon balm
• Liquorice
• Marjoram
• Muña
• Nutmeg
• Onion
• Oregano
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Saffron
• Spearmint
• Thyme
• Wormwood

Modern drugs used for the same purpose include simethicone which, rather than having antispasmodic activity, simply lowers the surface tension of gas bubbles. See anti-foaming agent.

Literary references

• The English author Aldous Huxley includes a long passage (chapter 20) about the word "carminative" in his novel Crome Yellow. The character Denis explains how unfortunate it is that some words don't mean what they ought to mean.

External links

• Herbal property dictionary (also as pdf)
• Uses of essential oils
• Downloadable Gutenberg etext of Crome Yellow - see chapter 20
• Online text - Chapter 20 of Crome Yellow