Comfrey officinalis

Parts used: rhizome.

Pharmacy name: comfrey root – Symphyti radix (formerly: Radix Symphyti).

Botanical description. From a thick juicy rhizome (black outside, white inside), branched stems grow up to 1 m in height, bearing lanceolate, stiff-haired leaves tapering into a petiole. Red-purple, sometimes yellowish-white flowers are collected in a drooping racemose inflorescence (curl). Blooms from May to September. Prefers damp forest edges, banks of ditches and streams, fields, meadows and shrubs. Quite common throughout Europe.

Collection and preparation. In early spring or late autumn, rhizomes are dug up, cleaned of adhering earth, cut into strips, strung on a thread and hung to dry.

Active ingredients:allantoin, tannins, flavonoids, vitamin B12, mucus, starch, various vegetable acids, triterpenes, and some alkaloids of the pyrrolizidine group. Healing action and application. Already the abbess Hildegard von Bingen and Paracelsus used comfrey as a healing agent in the treatment of wounds, ulcers and all kinds of bone diseases. An absolutely amazing therapeutic effect is observed when treating and applying comfrey lotions to wounds, even in cases where conventional remedies do not help, for example, with chronic suppuration due to osteomyelitis, with trophic ulcers of the lower leg and inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue. This action is caused by allantoin. This substance dissolves the discharge from the wound, liquefies the pus and stimulates new tissue formation. No other plant contains so much allantoin. However, later researches forced to abandon the use of comfrey. (By the way, allantoin is secreted by fly larvae, and for more than 40 years M. Robinson in the USA has been using them to achieve sensational healings.) With bone fractures, dislocations, sprains and ruptures | ligaments use lotions and compresses from comfrey, which is also confirmed by the German National Health Service. The swelling disappears and the pain stops. Comfrey ointment has the same effect. o Comfrey compress: 100 g of comfrey rhizomes are boiled for 10 minutes in 1 liter of water, then the decoction is filtered and a warm compress is made from it. sprains and tears | ligaments use lotions and compresses from comfrey, which is also confirmed by the German National Health Service. The swelling disappears and the pain stops. Comfrey ointment has the same effect. o Comfrey compress: 100 g of comfrey rhizomes are boiled for 10 minutes in 1 liter of water, then the decoction is filtered and a warm compress is made from it. sprains and tears | ligaments use lotions and compresses from comfrey, which is also confirmed by the German National Health Service. The swelling disappears and the pain stops. Comfrey ointment has the same effect. o Comfrey compress: 100 g of comfrey rhizomes are boiled for 10 minutes in 1 liter of water, then the decoction is filtered and a warm compress is made from it.

Use in homeopathy. In homeopathic practice, Symphytum is prepared from fresh rhizomes dug up before the plant blooms. For internal use, dilution D6 is recommended. Give 3-5 times every day, 5-10 drops to stimulate the formation of callus in case of bone fractures, bruises, poorly healing wounds, blood flow disorders, as well as arthrosis and joint pain.

Application in folk medicine. All that has been said above also applies to the use of comfrey in folk medicine.

Side effects. The alkaloids of the pyrrolizidine group are toxic substances, therefore, ingestion of products from the rhizomes of comfrey should be avoided. External use is indicated only with intact skin (according to the instructions of the German National Health Service). You can not use it during pregnancy!

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