Among the large number of medicinal plants, there are many representatives that have received quite accurate and succinct names that very accurately reflect their essence, revealing the main beneficial properties. One such plant is the larkspur. This natural healer is able to heal various injuries that arise due to diseases of the spine, bruises due to arthritis, and is able to fuse bones together even with particularly severe fractures. After all, it’s not for nothing that it is called comfrey in some regions of Russia. The name seems to indicate that the plant copes well with soldiers’ injuries received during combat operations.
History of the plant
Larkspur root, photographs of which can be found in large quantities in our article, is well known to any traditional medicine specialist. Since ancient times, this miracle root has been actively used by healers in many countries of the world. This is evidenced by documentary evidence that has reached our hands, despite millennia. For example, back in Ancient Greece, various ointments based on larkspur root were used to treat joints and bones in case of serious injuries. However, the medicinal properties of larkspur are not at all limited to the treatment of fractures. The Romans discovered that the plant was very effective in healing most open wounds.
The second name of larkspur - comfrey - also indicates the healing properties of this herb and is translated as “growing together”. It was mentioned in a treatise by Avicenna himself, dating back to the 15th century. Alchemists of the Middle Ages used larkspur root as the main ingredient in creating the “elixir of life.”
During the times of Ancient Rus', medicinal herbs bore many different names:
- larkspur;
- black grass;
- salsify and others.
The root was actively used in folk medicine to make ointments that cure back pain and were used for fractures, sprains and bruises. In Soviet times, the industrial cultivation of larkspur began. Scientists have discovered an interesting fact: the plant not only has a number of medicinal effects, but also contains a large amount of protein, which was immediately “adopted” in agriculture. It was planned to grow grass in large quantities to make nitrogen fertilizers and as livestock feed.
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!
Distribution and description
Comfrey (larkspur) is widespread in Western Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central Russia, Europe and the Carpathians. The plant prefers to grow in fertile, moist soils, so it can be found in large quantities along river banks, near lakes and streams. He likes to settle near artificial or natural depressions in the soil, trenches (ditches), for which, as you might guess, he was awarded his second name.
Larkspur is a perennial plant from the Borage family that can reach a height of one meter or more. The stem is covered at the base with stiff hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately and have an indescribable cucumber smell. They have a rough and hard surface. An adult plant boasts a powerful root, which is black on the outside and white on the inside. If it is broken or cut, a slimy, viscous substance will form at the site of damage over time.
Medicinal properties and composition
The root system of larkspur is rich in useful microelements. It contains alkaloids: cynoglossin and lysiocarlin. In addition, it contains gums, mucus, resins, essential oils, glycosides and various organic compounds.
It is recommended to harvest raw materials in late autumn. The root of the herb can be used to prepare various dosage forms: ointments, infusions, decoctions. All preparations based on it have an astringent, enveloping, hemostatic, regenerating and antifungal effect.
Larkspur root is also used in many countries around the world to improve appetite and tone the body. Larkspur (plant) has also found application in medicine . Preparations based on it provide effective treatment for peptic ulcers and other digestive disorders. It is recommended to take infusions from the plant to reduce inflammation and painful symptoms in cancer.
Larkspur (root) has also been used for severe bronchitis and tuberculosis. Medicinal ointments based on the root system are simply irreplaceable for thrombophlebitis, in the treatment of bruises and fractures. To prepare the healing remedy, prepare porridge from the roots of larkspur (necessarily fresh), after which a warm compress is applied to the affected part of the body. In addition, comfrey preparations are very successful in treating the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- purulent wounds;
- inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa;
- trophic ulcers.
For preventive purposes, it is also recommended to take courses of larkspur tinctures or simply eat the prepared plant with honey on an empty stomach.
Root harvesting
Since the plant is perennial, the roots are available almost all year round. But if harvesting is needed, it is better to do it in early spring (before flowering) or late autumn (in November). The dug up rhizome is cleared of the soil, part of the roots is separated - cut off or cut off - and the main part is returned to the ground in its original place.
The harvested roots are washed well, cut lengthwise and air dried in a well-ventilated place, protected from direct sunlight. After drying, the roots are collected and stored in paper bags or fabric bags.
The storage place should be dry, dark, and well ventilated. You can also store dried roots in a glass container, but it must be opened periodically for ventilation. Store for no more than 3 years, use in decoctions and tinctures in the treatment of larkspur (root).
Features of use
Larkspur is one of the few plants that can fight a wide range of serious diseases. However, those who plan to begin a course of treatment in the near future should be sure to know that larkspur is a poisonous plant. Because of this property, it is even prohibited from being used in traditional medicine in several countries. This decision was made based on the conclusion of scientists, which states that long-term use of medicines based on the root of the plant is very harmful, since it can cause carcinogenic and mutagenic effects.
For what diseases is larkspur tincture useful?
The mucous consistency envelops the affected areas of internal organs or damaged skin, which promotes healing and creates an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect. Various pathologies can be treated with larkspur, the main ones being:
- fractures and diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- pathologies of the stomach and intestines;
- abscesses and any inflammatory processes;
- tuberculosis;
- diabetic foot;
- upper respiratory tract diseases (bronchitis, pneumonia);
- mastitis;
- diseases of the throat and nose (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis);
- cystitis;
- chronic kidney diseases (nephritis, pyelonephritis) and many others.
In addition, larkspur in herbalist recipes is described as the root of immortality, due to its healing and immunorestorative effects. It is considered a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and healthy salts.
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
How to prepare the tincture
One of the standard recipes for preparing the tincture is as follows. Peel and grind the root of the plant using a meat grinder, blender or grater. Place the resulting slurry in a glass jar and pour moonshine in a ratio of 1:3, where the smaller part is larkspur. It is necessary to use moonshine or vodka, and not alcohol, since they are softer and this will prevent the root from losing its healing properties. The resulting solution should be placed in a dark place and shaken at least 4-5 times a day. The contents of the jar should be infused for a week, after which the tincture should be placed in the refrigerator; in a cool place it can be stored for about three years. This recipe is better suited for external use.
