BIRCH FLUFFY, or WHITE (Birch bіla)
Tree up to 20 m tall. Trunk with white, smooth bark and black lenticels along it. The branches are thin, flexible, often overhanging, with resinous warts. The leaves are triangular or almost rhomboid, petiolate, alternate. Flowers unisexual in drooping racemes – catkins. The fruits are winged nuts. Blooms in May-June.
Medicinal raw materials are swollen, but not blooming resinous buds, leaves, bark and juice. The buds are harvested during the swelling period (March-April), the leaves – at the beginning of flowering, the bark – from freshly cut, non-dry trees, the juice – in early spring at the very beginning of sap flow. Buds must be harvested before blooming. Branches are cut, tied into bundles and dried in the shade. Then the kidneys are beaten or stripped by hand. They are dried in the shade in the air or in dryers at a temperature of 20-30 degrees; care must be taken to prevent the buds from blooming. The leaves are harvested throughout the summer. The storage period is 2 years.
In addition to buds, leaves, bark and sap, birch charcoal and birch tar are obtained from birch.
Birch buds contain essential oil, resin, tannins, saponin, betuloretinic acid, betulen, betulol.
The leaves contain carotene, ascorbic acid, birch sap-sugar (levulose). In addition, it was found that birch leaves and buds have phytoncidal properties.
In medical practice, an infusion of birch leaves (1:10) is used, which has a diuretic, antiseptic effect, and a decoction (1:10) has choleretic properties. Some clinicians have observed a significant increase in urination under the influence of this decoction and a sharp decrease in edema, even in cases where other cardiac and diuretic drugs have not helped. When prescribing a decoction of birch buds, one should take into account the likelihood of irritation of human kidneys by resinous substances.
Alcohol tincture from birch buds (1:10) is recommended for external use in the treatment of acute and chronic forms of eczema, wounds, skin erosions, bedsores, skin irritation with purulent secretions, sluggish granulations and abrasions. Hot baths with the addition of tincture from the kidneys are also recommended for the treatment of acute and chronic eczema.
Infusion and decoction of birch leaves are used as a diuretic. Tests have confirmed that under the influence of an infusion of leaves, urination increases significantly (from 400 ml to 2.5 liters), edema disappears, shortness of breath decreases. An infusion of young leaves is used for disorders of the nervous system as a stimulant, for renal colic, jaundice, and as an anti-inflammatory and vitamin remedy.
Leaves (especially young) are recommended as a diuretic for atherosclerosis, kidney disease and rheumatism in the form of an infusion or decoction.
Birch activated carbon “carbolene” is used as an adsorbent for poisoning with poisons and bacterial toxins. Coal crushed into a fine powder is indicated for dysentery, dyspepsia, flatulence and as an antispasmodic.
Birch sap is used for gout, arthritis, rheumatism, scurvy, edema, anemia after injury, long-term non-healing wounds and trophic ulcers, furunculosis, tonsillitis, as a diuretic.
Birch bark is used in the treatment of scrofula, wounds and ulcers. “In order for the rotten meat to come out of the ulcers, then the crushed birch bark must be poured into the rotten wound,” it is written in the old medical manual.
Among the people, birch buds, leaves, bark and tree sap are used not only inside, but also externally.
Leaves are used for diseases of the kidneys and bladder. Birch preparations are used for skin diseases, acute rheumatism, inflammation of the liver and puerperal fever, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Usually in such cases, take 50 g of birch buds, insist for 10 days in 0.5 liters of vodka and drink the tincture 1/2-1 teaspoon with water three times every day for 15-20 minutes before meals.
This remedy increases appetite, promotes the healing of stomach and duodenal ulcers.
As an antispasmodic, birch products are valuable for convulsions.
For toothache, a cotton swab with tincture is applied to the aching tooth. With all these diseases (except for toothache), the people use these products internally and externally.
Tincture of birch buds, their decoction or decoction of leaves is taken as an anthelmintic for pinworms and ascariasis, as well as for bedsores.
Birch tar is used to kill scabies mites. In addition, pure tar is used for diseases of the throat and lungs (bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc.). Take orally 5-10 drops 3 times every day. Outwardly, it is used for skin diseases and wounds in the form of tar ointment: 1.5 g of tar per 15 g of paraffin or petroleum jelly.
If there are no buds or juice at hand, then with the same success they use a decoction of young, freshly cut and finely cut birch branches.
Lotions from decoctions of birch leaves and buds or tincture from the buds heal fresh, even deep wounds well.
A decoction of the leaves wash the head with premature hair loss.
Application
Leaf decoction: brew 4 teaspoons of leaves in a glass of boiling water; when the boiling water has cooled, add 0.2 g of salt (tea soda – 1/2 teaspoon) to dissolve the betularetic acid contained in birch leaves. Well brewed leaves insist for 6 hours and drink in two doses with an interval of 4 hours.
Sometimes a stronger decoction of leaves is brewed (90 g per 400 ml), that is, they take 6 tbsp. spoons of leaves in 2 cups of boiling water to take half a cup 4 times every day.
A decoction of the kidneys: 1 teaspoon of the kidneys in half a glass of boiling water; use 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times every day.
Kidney tincture for alcohol: 25%, insist for 8 days; take 20 drops 3 times every day.
Tincture of kidneys on vodka: take half a bottle of kidneys for a bottle of vodka, insist for a month; use 40 drops 3-4 times every day (with cholera – one glass every hour, until vomiting stops).
Take 3 cups of fresh juice every day as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic for cancer.
Infusion: 5 g (1 tablespoon) of birch leaves per 250 ml of boiling water, simmer, strain and take 100 ml 2 times a day for inflammation of the kidneys, bladder, neuroses and other diseases.
And also give respect to the statue Bereza bila.