Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.)

Comfrey officinalis – A perennial herbaceous plant of the borage family (Boraginaceae ) ,

Description:

A fairly tall (up to 1 m) perennial herbaceous plant, rough from harsh hairs sitting on warts. The stem is thick, branched in the upper part, winged from stem-bearing and far down decurrent leaves, with a thick, branched, almost black rhizome. The leaves are harsh, basal and lower stem larger than the upper ones, ovate or oblong-ovate, pointed at the apex, narrowed towards the base into a long winged petiole; the upper and middle stem leaves are sessile and decurrent far down the stem. Flowers on pedicels, with a tubular-bell-shaped purple-violet corolla, collected at the end of the stem and branches in few-flowered, leafy curls below. Corolla 3 times as long as calyx. Fruit of 4-sided, obliquely ovoid, grayish-black shiny nuts. Comfrey blooms in May-July.

Harvesting, description of raw materials:

For medicinal purposes, rhizomes with comfrey roots are used under the name “larkspur roots” – Radix Consolidae. Harvesting of raw materials is carried out in the fall, rhizomes with roots are dug up, cleaned from the ground, washed with water and the remnants of above-ground parts are removed, large roots are cut. Dry in dryers at 40 degrees. Celsius.

Contains active substances:

Comfrey roots contain the alkaloids lasiocarpine and cynoglossin, also allantoin (glyoxylic acid diureide), which has antitumor activity, tannins, digallic acid, resins, a lot of mucus, traces of essential oil and other substances. The fresh comfrey grass contains the alkaloid cynoglossin, the glycoalkaloid consolidin, which splits into consolidin and glucose during hydrolysis.

Medicinal use:

In medical practice, at present, comfrey is used very infrequently as an enveloping and emollient in the form of a decoction of the roots for respiratory diseases and diarrhea, as well as a hemostatic. Experimental studies conducted on animals have shown that comfrey products cause a decrease in blood pressure and powerful excitation respiration, increase tone and increase contractions of the muscles of the intestines and uterus, have antitumor activity. In folk medicine, comfrey root is used, and in its absence, grass. They drink a decoction, in the summer they use a fresh pounded root, and in the winter – steamed, which is applied in its pure form or in the form of an ointment with pork fat for bone fractures and severe bruises; there are special recipes for ointments for bone fractures: the fresh root is rubbed, dry crushed, sulfur, rosin are added, unsalted pork fat, everything is boiled, while cooling, raw egg protein is added, mixed until completely cooled or the root is overcooked with pork fat, camphor oil is added to the semi-cooled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. all boil, while cooling, add the protein of a raw egg, mix until completely cooled or overcook the root with pork fat, camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. all boil, while cooling, add the protein of a raw egg, mix until completely cooled or overcook the root with pork fat, camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. mix until completely cooled or overcook the root with pork fat, camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. mix until completely cooled or overcook the root with pork fat, camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. camphor oil is added to the semi-chilled mass, this ointment is also used for rheumatism and for various tumors; a decoction of the root is given to drink, babies are bathed in a decoction of comfrey “to strengthen the bones”; with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots. with pulmonary tuberculosis, bone tuberculosis, they drink a decoction of water or a decoction with milk, often add honey, all kinds of fats, eggs; drink a decoction for diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers), with general exhaustion; toothache; for rheumatism, sciatica, they drink a decoction of comfrey and rub it with tincture of vodka; for hemorrhoids, wounds, abscesses, burns, diaper rash, rubbed roots, comfrey grass in its pure form or mixed with fat are applied to sore spots.