Liverwort zvichayna – common liverwort

Anemone hepatica); the Zhovtets family (Ranunculaceae); common liver disease 

It is known that not all plants are safe. There are poisonous ones among them. Therefore, you need to know them and be careful. If it is a medicinal plant, it is better to consult a phytotherapist. One of the most “unpleasant” families, to which representatives of varying degrees of toxicity belong, is Zhovtetsev. They are often found among primroses: spring wheat, anemones, puddle, open dream, various types of yolks. Another medicinal plant from this family, tender and beautiful, but, unfortunately, also toxic. This is common liverwort, or coppice, rhizomatous perennial that blooms in late April – early May. Its leaves grow from the basal rosette after flowering, they are long-petioled, trilobed. The flowers of the liverwort are bluish-lilac, quite large, on erect flower stalks 5-20 cm high. The flowering plant is amazingly beautiful: as if someone had scattered big blue drops on the brown forest carpet. It grows among shrubs, in deciduous and mixed forests of the middle zone of European Russia and the western regions of Ukraine.

Common liverwort is used only in folk medicine. For the preparation of products, the entire aerial part is harvested, the leaves separately, and sometimes only the flowers. The collected raw materials are dried as soon as possible in a warm, ventilated room. The leaves are sometimes used fresh. It is necessary to collect the plant carefully and carefully so that the caustic juice does not get on exposed parts of the body, otherwise blisters may appear. After collecting, wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Store ready raw materials separately from other medicinal plants. There is an opinion that when dried, the toxicity of the plant disappears, but it is still better to strictly follow the dosage.

The whole plant contains coumarins, and the leaves also contain saponins and flavonoids, the flowers contain only flavonoids.

Liver preparations stimulate bile secretion, urination, have an expectorant and antiseptic effect, and activate metabolism. Infusions of the herb (or only leaves) are used for gallstone disease, inflammation of the spleen, kidneys, and bladder, for bronchitis, tracheitis, and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, rheumatism, gout, and malaria. Infusion of flowers when taken internally helps well with furunculosis and various rashes on the skin. Alcoholic tincture relieves pain in the liver (it is not by chance that the plant got its name) and gall bladder, and it is used externally for polyarthritis for rubbing. An infusion of herbs is used to gargle the throat, wash wounds, trophic ulcers and wipe skin rashes. Liverwort is also used in homeopathy for the same diseases.

Herbal infusion (with flowers). 1 teaspoon of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water. Insist, filter. Take 1/3-1/4 cup 3 times a day before meals.

Infusion of leaves . 1/2 teaspoon of raw material per 200 ml of cold boiled water, infuse for 8 hours. The entire amount of infusion is drunk during the day in small sips.

Infusion of flowers. 1 teaspoon of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water. Insist for 10 minutes, filter. Drink 1 glass in the morning and in the evening in small sips.

Tincture of grass or flowers . 30 g of grass or 2 tablespoons of flowers per 250 ml of 40% alcohol (vodka). Insist for 2 weeks, filter. Take 15-20 drops on a piece of sugar or in a small amount of water 3 times a day.

Herbal infusion (external). 1 teaspoon of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water. Infuse, filter and use for washing, rinsing, wiping and lotions.

Before the course of treatment, a consultation with a phytotherapist is necessary. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosage of ordinary liver products.