Many medicinal plants have received very succinct and precise folk names, which fully reveal their main beneficial properties. One of them is larkspur. This wonderful natural healer heals injuries and diseases of the spine, bruises, arthritis, and helps bones heal even with the most complex fractures. In some regions this plant is called comfrey.
A little history
Larkspur root, a photo of which you can see below, has been known to folk healers in different countries since ancient times. Documentary evidence of this has been preserved. More than two thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks used larkspur root. The medicinal properties of the plant have proven effective in healing wounds and treating fractures.
The second name of the plant - comfrey - is translated as “merging” and indicates the main healing properties of this herb. It is mentioned in the treatise of Avicenna himself, which dates back to the 15th century. In the Middle Ages, alchemists added the root of this plant to the “elixir of life.”
In Ancient Rus', this plant had many names - salsify, black grass, larkspur. The root has been widely used in folk medicine to treat joint and back pain, bruises, sprains and fractures. In Soviet times, industrial cultivation of larkspur began. Scientists have found that the plant is very rich in protein. It was planned to be used as livestock feed and nitrogen fertilizer.
Preparation and storage of comfrey
Comfrey roots have healing properties. They can be harvested either in spring or autumn. The roots are dug up, thoroughly cleared of soil, and washed in water. Clean roots are cut into pieces 15-20 cm long and dried. To dry, you need to spread the roots in a room with a good flow of fresh air. Final drying is carried out in dryers at low temperatures, not higher than 40 degrees.
Comfrey roots are stored in fabric bags, cardboard boxes or in tightly closed containers, in rooms with low air humidity. Subject to storage conditions, raw materials retain their healing properties for up to three years.
In some cases, comfrey leaves and flowers collected during the flowering period are used as medicinal raw materials (recipes for their use, in particular, are available in German and French medicine).
Description of larkspur
A perennial plant from the Borage family sometimes reaches a height of one meter, and sometimes more. At the base, the stem is covered with stiff hairs. The leaves are alternate and have an unusual cucumber scent. They have a hard and rough surface. The root of an adult plant is powerful, black on the outside and white on the inside. At the fracture it secretes a viscous mucous substance.
Flowering begins at the end of May. Beautiful purple, blue, violet, and much less often white flowers appear on the plant. The fruit is a pod with four nuts that ripen until September. The plant reproduces well by self-seeding and, once on a personal plot, quickly conquers new areas. It is incredibly difficult to remove it from the roots. Even from a tiny piece of root remaining in the ground, a healthy and strong plant will appear next year.
Appearance and habitat
Comfrey is a plant that can grow over vast areas. The stem is hairy, about 120 cm high. The leaf blades are lanceolate in shape, colored purple with a red tint. If you rub the leaf in your hands, the smell of fresh cucumber will appear. The inflorescences are shaped like bells, white with a yellowish tint. Comfrey blooms all summer. The root system is strong, forms a complex, intertwined lump.
Larkspur is very sensitive to growing conditions; in a personal plot it is better to plant it next to a compost pit.
In wild conditions, the plant prefers damp areas - the banks of reservoirs, ditches, forests located along rivers, meadows in lowlands.
Larkspur rapidly spread throughout Europe, this was facilitated by:
- Theoretical information and facts about its healing qualities;
- A bountiful harvest;
- High protein content - in this indicator the plant is superior to soybeans.
Comfrey is rich in useful substances, but their maximum concentration is in the rhizome.
The plant can be found throughout Russia except the Far North.
Healing properties
The procurement of raw materials is carried out in late autumn. Larkspur root is used to prepare all dosage forms: decoctions, infusions, ointments. All of them have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, regenerating, hemostatic, enveloping and astringent effects.
In addition, larkspur (root), the use of which is widespread in many countries of the world, increases tone and improves appetite. Preparations based on this plant are effective for gastrointestinal ulcers and digestive disorders. The use of infusions is recommended to reduce the symptoms of pain and inflammation in cancer.
Larkspur root is taken orally for tuberculosis and severe bronchitis. Larkspur is indispensable in the treatment of fractures, bruises, and thrombophlebitis. For these diseases, a paste is prepared from fresh roots and a compress is applied to the affected area. In addition, comfrey preparations are successfully used to treat trophic ulcers, inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa, purulent wounds, and arthritis.
general information
The plant's popularity peaked in the 16th century; until the end of the 18th century it was actively used in folk and traditional medicine. Then they forgot about it for a century and a half, but in the mid-20th century, larkspur became popular again.
Recent clinical studies have cast doubt on certain indications for the use of comfrey. However, positive reviews about treatment with this unique plant regularly appear on the Internet.
Translated from Latin, the name of the plant means “to grow together.” Another Latin name for comfrey is also known, meaning to strengthen. Both names fully reflect the scope of application of larkspur - any pathological processes that occur in the bones and skeletal system. There are many varieties of comfrey, but they are all similar in their effects on the patient's body.
Features of use
Larkspur is an excellent healer who can cope with many very serious diseases. But anyone who plans to use larkspur root for treatment needs to know that this is a very poisonous plant. For this reason, its use in traditional medicine is prohibited in many countries. This decision was due to the conclusion of scientists who considered that long-term use of drugs based on the root of this plant is harmful, since it can cause a mutagenic and carcinogenic effect.
Many of their colleagues do not agree with this opinion. While scientists argue, traditional healers successfully use the plant to treat many diseases. Below we will present you some recipes.
Reviews
On the Internet you can find many laudatory reviews about various drugs based on this medicinal plant.
For 10 years I suffered from an unpleasant disease, which is associated with a lack of lubrication in the knee joint. Friends advised me to use comfrey tincture. Before this incident, I had never even heard anything about this plant. I was very pleased with the result. Of course, the disease has not gone away, but larkspur tincture always saves me from painful symptoms.
Nadezhda877, Ukraine, Kharkov
When I was young, I remember spraining my ankle while playing football in the yard. We didn’t even go to the hospital at that time, since we lived in a village, and the nearest emergency department was 30 km from the village. My parents turned to my great-aunt for help, who gave us a homemade ointment made from larkspur root. I remember that a week later I was running after the ball with the boys again, forgetting about the pain.
kitc86, Russia, Moscow
I am 21 years old.
I decided to take up running to get in shape, but after a week of daily exercise I realized that my legs hurt around the ankles. In the first days I didn’t attach any importance to it and continued to exercise, but soon the pain intensified so much that I could barely walk. I bought some ointment at the pharmacy (I don’t remember the name) based on comfrey root, which got me back on my feet within 3 days. Victoria, Russia, Krasnodar region
Compress
You will need 100 grams of larkspur root powder and vegetable oil diluted with water in equal proportions. Pour the powder with a small amount of water-oil mixture to make a paste with a consistency reminiscent of thick sour cream. This paste is used to restore areas of bones, muscles, and tendons damaged by injury.
In addition, this composition is effective for hemorrhage, sprains, dislocations, and inflammatory processes of tendons and muscles. Apply the prepared paste to the sore area of the body, cover it with a linen napkin, and place a thick terry towel on top. This compress is left for several hours, preferably overnight. In the morning, the composition can be washed off with warm water. To enhance the effect, after the compress you can apply a ready-made (pharmacy) herbal ointment. Such daily compresses will help with diseases of the spine and problems with intervertebral discs.
Chemical composition
The main treasure in comfrey is allantoin. Although this substance itself is very common and is found in many plants, in comfrey its concentration is especially high and provides unsurpassed medicinal properties.
Thanks to allantoin, damaged tissues are quickly restored, fractures heal faster and new cells are formed more actively. Thus, the regeneration process is much more intense. Choline Vitamin B4) stimulates local blood circulation, which, when applied topically with comfrey, promotes the healing and nourishing processes of the skin. Comfrey also contains sugars, flavonoids, fiber, and ascorbic acid.
The roots and leaves of comfrey are especially rich in Vitamin B12 - an essential element of the hematopoietic system, which is also responsible for proper metabolism.
Comfrey is also a champion in potassium content; it contains polysaccharides, tannins, triterpenes, inulin, protein compounds and starch. Rosmarinic acid helps suppress inflammatory processes, fights free radicals and has an analgesic effect. The tannins, essential oils and alkaloids of comfrey support its medicinal properties.
Larkspur root: alcohol tincture
The healing properties of this drug have already been appreciated by many people suffering from joint diseases. In this case, the larkspur root fully lives up to its name. The use of this tincture for joints (for inflammation) to reduce pain in osteochondrosis and arthritis gives amazing results.
Grind the larkspur root. It can be ground in a mortar to a powder. You will need rubbing alcohol diluted halfway with water. Pour one part of the root with three parts of alcohol and place in a glass container. Leave the tincture in a dark place for a week. Shake the bottle periodically. The prepared alcohol tincture can be stored for no more than three years. To reduce pain, use the tincture for compresses or rub it into sore areas.
This tincture is effective in the treatment of sinusitis. To do this, apply compresses to the forehead in the evenings for three days. This procedure localizes the inflammatory process and increases mucus secretion.
Larkspur. Application, preparation, recipes for recovery from larkspur.
To treat back, osteochondrosis, joint disease, salt deposits throughout the body, it is recommended to use larkspur root (comfrey). The effect is so amazing that this plant and the methods of its use in treatment must be studied thoroughly. I want to share my experience.
How to properly prepare raw materials
It is necessary to collect larkspur root in late autumn along the banks of rivers, and not a young root, but a three-year-old (black) one, since during this period it is the strongest. Brown is biennial.
The root is white inside and the pulp crumbles easily. If you buy the root from your grandmothers, at the market, bite off a piece and chew - a lot of mucus should immediately come out. This means that this is the “correct” root.
Preparation, at the end of October - beginning of November during the full moon. But to do this you need to imagine what a dry plant looks like. Therefore, it is important to notice the larkspur in advance and know exactly where it grows. Osteochondrosis, back pain, fractures
Peel the root, pass through a meat grinder, or even better, crush it in a mortar. Fill it not with alcohol or vodka (it will burn out in this case), but with moonshine 1:3. Keep the jar at room temperature in a dark place, shake five to six times a day.
Leave for three to seven days. This tincture can be stored for up to three years until it turns brown.
Apply the finished tincture externally in the form of rubbing or compresses.
Comfrey tincture resolves old salt deposits, even the size of a walnut.
Leisure tourism
Second option: peeled and minced (crushed in a mortar) larkspur root mixed with lard (lard). Rub in for thrombophlebitis, abscesses, boils, salt deposits and especially for burns.
For older people suffering from osteochondrosis and joint disease - a special recipe.
Wash the larkspur root and keep it in the cellar for two weeks, then, after peeling it, wrap it in four layers of gauze and put it in the refrigerator for a week, preferably at zero temperature. Thus, in three weeks it will wither and be ready for use.
In the morning, 30 minutes before meals, thoroughly chew a 1 cm piece of root and swallow (it releases a lot of harmless mucus, which tastes like hay)
Take 5 days, 10 - break, then take 10 days, 20 - break; 20 days on, 30 days off. If the disease does not subside, repeat the course in the same sequence.
Drives salt root with honey
Peel the larkspur root, pass through a meat grinder (crush in a mortar) and pour honey 1:1. Take 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals for two weeks. Take a break for two weeks.
The mixture treats tuberculosis and salt deposits throughout the body.
Diabetic foot
People suffering from diabetes may develop cracks, wounds, and then gangrene of the foot.
Infusion. 2 tsp of dry larkspur root, poured with 300 ml of cold boiled water, leave for eight hours. Drain the water into a container and pour 200 ml of boiling water over the root. Leave until cool and add the first drained water. Leave the raw materials until complete extraction - about a day. Drink 50 ml every two hours in small sips from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. The ulcers are healing.
Ointment. Wash fresh larkspur root and pass through a meat grinder along with the peel. Mix with 1 tsp. interior chicken or rabbit fat, 2-3 tbsp. milk and heat to a tolerably hot temperature. Form pancakes, apply to the sore spot, insulate with woolen cloth, bandage and leave overnight. The next day, make a new compress.
The ground root immediately turns brown, secretes a lot of mucus and thickens quickly. Therefore, it must be mixed with other ingredients immediately after grinding. Larkspur root should not be brought to a boil.
Tuberculosis of bones
1 tbsp. dry larkspur root, wash down 1 tbsp in a thermos. boiling milk, leave overnight. Add 1 tbsp to the warm, strained broth. honey, one fresh egg, 1 des.l. animal fat. This is a daily dose, drink it in three doses 20-30 minutes before meals.
Sinusitis
Apply 2 tbsp to cotton wool. larkspur root infused with moonshine and applied to his forehead overnight. Repeat two more nights in a row. The mucus came out so abundantly that I had to get up several times during the night. But after three days you will forget about sinusitis.
For those who have inflammation closer to the sinuses, such a compress should be applied to the sore spot. Tourism goods
Do not confuse larkspur (comfrey) with field larkspur. You can get poisoned!
Precautionary measures
The plant has a wide range of beneficial properties and healing qualities, which is why it is used in folk and traditional medicine. However, it should be borne in mind that the plant lowers blood pressure and is therefore contraindicated for hypotensive patients. Allergic reactions and excessive sensitivity to individual components of the drug are also possible.
The drug should be used only in accordance with the prescribed regimen or instructions. It is advisable to discuss the treatment regimen with a specialist.
Bath, rinses and compresses
For chronic suppuration and open ulcerative processes, rinsing and baths with larkspur decoction help. Chronic pathological processes often occur in older people, people who move little, and smokers. In this case, experts recommend a comprehensive solution - baths with decoction, rinsing and compresses.
For all procedures, a decoction is prepared. You need a glass of crushed raw materials - plant roots; they are filled with two liters of water. The mixture is boiled for ten minutes, left for half an hour and filtered. When the broth has cooled to a comfortable temperature, the feet or the entire leg are dipped into it. Other parts of the body are thoroughly washed for 5-10 minutes.
Washing may be painful. In this case, you need to take a towel, thoroughly moisten it in the broth and apply it to the affected area. This compress should be secured and removed after half an hour. After the compress, the affected area must be lubricated with calendula-based ointment and the compress with comfrey decoction is repeated again.
The procedures seem troublesome, but after a short time the patient will feel relief and get rid of wounds that previously did not heal for a long time.
In medical practice, there are many cases where wounds that had not healed for years, resistant to pharmaceutical drugs, disappeared after a course of baths and compresses from comfrey and calendula ointment.