European ungulate

What does it look like? A perennial herbaceous plant, 5-10 cm tall, with a creeping rhizome. The leaves are long-petiolate, alternate, entire, kidney-shaped and rounded, very similar to a horse’s hoof. The whole plant is covered with short hairs, so it is fluffy. Three lower scaly leaves and two dark green, long-petioled, kidney-shaped and heart-shaped leaves overwinter. The flowers are small, single, on a short drooping stem. The perianth is greenish-brown on the outside, dark red, brown on the inside, with three ovoid, curved, pointed lobes on the inside. The taste of the plant is bitter, sharp, with an unpleasant smell, reminiscent of the smell of valerian and pepper. Hoofs blooms in April – May.

Where does it grow? Almost throughout the territory of Ukraine, except for the Crimea, in shady deciduous, less often in coniferous forests.

What and when are collected? Rhizomes — in spring, leaves — during flowering (in May).

When is it used? As a diuretic (for dropsy), expectorant, emetic, anti-inflammatory, lactogenic agent. Regulates the functional activity of the stomach and heart, menstrual cycle, cures alcoholism. A component of the volatile oil azarone, which is contained in the European ungulate , is poisonous. The plant is contraindicated during pregnancy.

With scanty menstruation, the powder ground from the rhizome is taken on the tip of a folded knife (0.2-0.5), poured into a glass of milk and drunk on an empty stomach once a day. This dose is effective for fever and worms, as well as for migraine, thrush, hysteria, and hypersensitivity. If you take more powder (up to 5 g), it can cause vomiting (action of volatile oil — azaron y, borneol, eugenol, — sesquiterpenes, azarine bitterness, flavonoids, tannins, organic acids).

Decoction of rhizomes is prepared as follows. For 1 cup of boiling water (or goat’s milk), add half a teaspoon of crushed rhizome, boil for 1 minute and strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for scanty menstruation, indigestion (dyspepsia), gastritis, enteritis, liver diseases, and jaundice.

It acts as a sedative for heart diseases. Children with convulsions or the consequences of fright are given half a spoon once a day of a decoction of half a teaspoon of the rhizome in 1 glass of milk. A decoction of 5 g of the rhizome in 200 ml of water is used against alcoholism—1 tablespoon of the decoction is poured into 1 glass of vodka (hidden from the alcoholic). This remedy causes vomiting and often makes drunkards turn away from alcohol in disgust (MA Nosal).

A decoction of 1/5 teaspoon of crushed hoof leaves in 1 cup of boiling water is used against worms. In case of fever, drink 1 tablespoon of ungulate decoction twice a day for 2-3 weeks.

Infusion of leaves improves cardiac activity, causes a significant narrowing of blood vessels and an increase in blood pressure.

A decoction of the rhizome of the ungulate is used as a lotion for eye diseases. A tincture of its herbs in vinegar is rubbed on the body parts affected by scabies. Powder from the rhizome, if sniffed for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract or headache, causes sneezing.

And also pay attention to the article European hoof