Pelargonii sidoidis radix

Immunostimulant root of the Cape geranium.

History: Charles Henry Stevens, an Englishman with a lung disease, was cured of his lung disease in 1897 by a local doctor in South Africa, Mike Chichitse (Kijitse). He tried to introduce the remedy in England, published in Secret remedies. A decades-long medical and legal dispute began, see [Newsom SWB (2002)].

In 1930, Dr. Adrien Sechehaye published a study on 800 patients for the treatment of tuberculosis. Today, umckaloabo is used phytotherapeutically to treat colds with respiratory complaints.

Quality is defined in the European Pharmacopoeia.

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use: common cold
approved, supported by clinical studies: acute bronchitis. under discussion: sinusitis
ESCOP monograph: respiratory tract infections, common colds, sore throat and cough.
Commission E: no monograph

Empirical medicine: acute and chronic bronchitis (indication for approval!) Sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis

Umckaloabo root contains minerals (12 %), saccharides (12 %), proteins (10 %) and coumarins (2 %). Further ingredients are flavonoids, gallic acid, methyl gallate, silicic acid derivatives, phenolic carboxylic acid (40 %) and polyphenols.

The umckaloabo root has an immunostimulating, antiphlogistic, antibacterial, antiviral and secretolytic effect.

Extracts from the umckaloabo root are used for the symptomatic therapy of colds (recommended by HMPC), acute and chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, and inflammation of the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa. For these indications 29 clinical studies with more than 10,000 patients (4,000 children) are available (Timmer A et al. 2013).

Cave: not suitable for children under 6 years according to EMA.

According to the package leaflet:

Solutions: children (1st and 5th year of age) take a maximum of 10 drops 3 x daily; children 6th and 12th year of age) take 20 drops 3 x daily; children (from 12th year of age and adults) take 30 drops 3 x daily.
Dry extract 20mg: children from the age of 12 and adults: 3 x daily one ED (e.g. as a tablet).

Juice: children between 1 and 6 years of age: 2.5 ml 3 x daily; children between 7 and 12 years of age 5 ml 3 x daily.

In some cases an increase in liver enzymes has been observed. Mild gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, upper abdominal discomfort, nausea or vomiting, dysphagia), mild nose and gum bleeding, allergic reactions.

Allergy to one of the ingredients, children under 6 years, insufficient data for pregnancy and lactation.

Cave liver disease.

When coumarin-type anticoagulants are taken in parallel, an increase in the anticoagulant effect is theoretically possible, but has not yet been established.

1. Schilcher H (2016) In: Leitfaden Phytotherapie, Urban & Fischer Verlag Munich, p. 327 ff.
2. Timmer A et al. (2013) Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections.
   CochraneDatabase Syst Rev.10:CD006323.
3. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/kapland-pelargonie.php
4. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-pelargonium-sidoides-dc/pelargonium-reniforme-curt-radix-revision-1_en.pdf
5. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, p.168-169
6. Newsom SWB (2002) Stevens' cure: a secret remedy J R Soc Med. 95(9): 463-467. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1279998/
7. Sechehaye A. (1930) The Treatment of Pulmonary and Surgical Tuberculosis with Umckaloabo. Internal Medication - Stevens' Cure
8. 'An English Physician' (1931) Tuberculosis, Its Treatment and Cure with the Help of Umckaloabo (Stevens). London: B Fraser & Co
9. Sechehaye A. (1948) Le traitement des affections tuberculoses par l'umcka. Geneva: R Cavadini