Cat’s paw (veterinary practice)

feline foot -antennaria dioica l.

 

Popular names: pink immortelle, gourd.

Botanical characteristic. Compositae family. Low (10-30 cm) perennial herbaceous white or grayish-pubescent plant with creeping rooting shoots. The stem is simple. Leaves on the underside are silky-white tomentose, sometimes glabrous. Basal leaves are spatulate, stem leaves are almost linear. Flowers in males with white baskets, in females – with pink ones. Blooms in May-June.

Spreading. It grows in pine, birch, mixed dry forests, along dry meadow slopes almost throughout the entire territory of the USSR.

Medicinal raw materials. Not fully bloomed inflorescences are harvested to avoid shedding flowers, with the remains of the stem no longer than 2 cm. Cut with a knife or secateurs. Dry in a dark, well-ventilated room or in the shade in the open air.

Chemical composition. The plant contains tannins and bitter substances, vitamin C, saponins, essential oil, phytosterol, resins, etc.

Pharmacological properties and Application. The hemostatic and choleretic effect of the plant’s herb has been established. Flower baskets are used as a good choleretic remedy for all kinds of diseases of the liver and gallbladder. An infusion of herbs is recommended for gastric, intestinal and postpartum hemorrhages. In veterinary practice, herbal infusion is used as a choleretic and digestive aid. The infusion is prepared at the rate of 1:20. Doses inside: cattle 20 g, sheep and goats 1-2 g.