White ash – white ash

A perennial herbaceous plant of the Rutaceae family. Stems are erect, simple, 30-100 (120) cm tall, pubescent above and densely covered with blackish-purple speckled glands, bare or almost bare below. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate; leaves (7-9 of them) are leathery, pubescent, elongated-elliptic, 3-7.5 cm long and 1.2-3.5 cm wide, pointed, finely cartilaginous-serrated on the edge. The flowers are large, bisexual, irregular, in an apical raceme-like inflorescence; calyx five-parted, glandular pubescent; petals (5 of them) lanceolate or elliptic, at the base narrowed into a nail, unequal in size and shape, whitish-pink or purple, with darker, reddish or purple veins; column glandular-hairy. The fruit is a box. Blooms in May – June.

Spread. White ash grows in light oak and beech forests, among shrubs in the southwest of the Forest Steppe and in the Carpathians (southeastern part).

Procurement and storage. Herb (Herba Dictamni albi) and ash roots (Radix Dictamni albi) are used to make medicines. The grass is harvested during the flowering of the plant, the roots – in the fall, after the fruits have ripened. It is necessary to collect grass in rubber gloves, because touching the plant to open areas of the body causes dermatitis (an allergic reaction occurs after 10-15 hours), and in severe cases – burns in the form of watery blisters. The first aid in case of contact of open parts of the body with the ash is to wash the affected parts of the body with water in the next 30-40 minutes after contact with the plant. The collected raw materials are spread in a thin layer on paper or cloth and dried in the shade in the open air or in a ventilated room. Artificial drying is carried out at a temperature not higher than 35°. The finished raw materials are stored in well-closed cans or tins in a dry room. The plant is unofficial.

Chemical composition . All parts of the plant contain alkaloids (dictamnine, fagarine), dictamnolactone, bitter substances, saponins, furocoumarins and essential oil.

Pharmacological properties and use . Ash preparations increase diuresis, have a calming effect on the central nervous system, have an emmenagogic, diaphoretic and anthelmintic effect. They are considered an effective remedy for the treatment of cystitis, pyelitis, kidney stone disease and rheumatism, in the case of algo-oligomenorrhea, epilepsy and hysteria. Ash tea (1 teaspoon of raw material per day) is used in febrile conditions (temperature-reducing effect), and root tincture is used in hypertension. When used externally, ash products are an effective remedy for eczema, ringworm, varicose veins, baldness and baldness.

Medicinal forms and applications .

Internally – herbal infusion (1 teaspoon of raw material is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused until cooled, strained) half a glass twice a day (morning and evening);

root decoction (1 teaspoon of raw material is boiled for 5 minutes in 400 ml of boiling water, cooled, strained) half a glass 3 times a day before meals;

root tincture (prepared in 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10) 40-50 drops 3 times a day.

Externally – compresses, lotions, etc. from a root decoction (prepared as in the previous recipe).

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