Sorrel thick (horse)
Perennial herbaceous plant up to 1 m tall. Root taproot, branched. Stem erect, branched above. Radical and lower stem leaves are long-petiolate, alternate, wide, triangular in outline, upper stem leaves are almost sessile, smaller. The flowers are bisexual, greenish, in leafy whorls, collected in a dense racemose inflorescence. Leaflets within the flower bed with nodules, growing with fruits. The fruit is a trihedral nutlet, winged, brown. Blooms in June-July.
Distributed in all areas in the South-East and in the middle zone of the European part of Russia. Grows in water meadows, river floodplains, coastal shrubs.
Medicinal raw materials are all parts of the plant separately: leaves with petioles, fruits in panicles, roots. The leaves are harvested during flowering, the fruits – in August, as they ripen, the roots – in the fall. Drying and storage according to general rules. Storage period 3 years. Drying is considered complete if the roots do not bend, but break.
The roots contain organic acids (tannic, catechol, pyrogallic, oxalic), vitamin K, essential oils and some iron.
The leaves and stems contain mainly organic acids.
Action and application. In small doses, it has an astringent property, in large doses it has a laxative, similar in action to rhubarb. The laxative effect begins after 8-12 hours from the moment of administration. The active principles have a stimulating effect on the muscles of the large intestine, contributing to the softening of fecal matter. With prolonged use, addiction to the product may occur, so it is necessary to alternate the appointment of sorrel with other laxative products.
For cleansing the intestines in case of poisoning, also at the beginning of infectious diseases, the product should not be used because of the duration of the development of its action.
It is used in the form of infusion, decoction, extract For the treatment of colitis, enterocolitis and hemocolitis, with constipation due to intestinal atony, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, as an antiseptic, antiscorbutic and hemostatic agent.
In the form of root powder – for anemia and as a means of regulating the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In small doses (2.5-5 g of root powder) it has a choleretic effect of a reflex nature. Some noted the hypotensive effect of horse sorrel products.
Horse sorrel is part of the Zdrenko medicine used for bladder papillomatosis and anacid gastritis.
In folk medicine, both roots and fruits of sorrel are used as an astringent, for pulmonary, uterine and hemorrhoidal bleeding, bloody diarrhea, scurvy, ulcerative stomatitis and gingivitis. A decoction of the inflorescences is drunk for diarrhea, dysentery, a decoction of the root – for diarrhea, dysentery, gastric diseases, pulmonary tuberculosis, kidney disease; in diseases caused by weight lifting, the root (powder) is mixed with pork fat, the ointment is used for scabies.
Outwardly, both roots and fruits are also used to treat tuberculosis and various skin diseases, a decoction of fruits in the form of compresses is used for ulcers, burns and purulent wounds, fresh leaves are applied to purulent wounds.
Application
A decoction of the root and fruits: 20 g per 200 ml; 1 st. spoon 3 times every day for diarrhea.
Root powder: 0.2-0.3 g 3 times daily for diarrhea.
Root decoction: 3 g per glass of water; 1 st. spoon 3 times every day for diarrhea.
Powder: 0.5 g at night (laxative).