Folk names: lily, juvenile, field lily, meadow hellebore, mytnaya grass, hare ears, hare salt, forest tongue, rannik, lantus, pagan, etc.
Botanical characteristic. Lily family. Perennial herbaceous plant 15-30 cm high. Rhizome horizontal, creeping, thin. Several leaves, up to 20 cm long, and a thin flower arrow, almost equal in length to the leaf, depart from the rhizome. The leaves are elliptical, bright green. White spherical-bell-shaped drooping flowers are collected in a brush. The fruit is a globular red-orange berry. Blossoms in April – June, the fruits ripen in August – September (Fig. 27).
Spreading. It occurs mainly in shady birch forests, among shrubs in water meadows almost throughout the European part of the USSR up to the Urals, in the Caucasus, in Eastern Siberia, in the Far East, in the Crimea.
Medicinal raw materials. The aerial part (grass) is harvested in the flowering phase, cutting it off with a knife, scissors or secateurs. It is strictly forbidden to pull out the plant along with the roots, as this leads to the destruction of the thickets. Dry immediately after collection in the air in the shade, in attics, in ventilated rooms, but better in dryers at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, spreading a thin layer on paper, gauze, tarpaulin. The grass will need to be turned daily. Drying lily of the valley requires special attention, as the leaves and especially the flowers quickly turn black and deteriorate if the temperature is low or they are laid out in a thick layer. Dry grass is stored for 2 years, flowers – 1 year; their biological activity is monitored annually. Caucasian and Far Eastern lilies of the valley are also used.
Chemical composition. The plant contains cardiac glycosides: convallatoxin is isolated from flowers, convallatoxin, convallazid are isolated from leaves, and essential oil, organic acids, starch, manlin alkaloid are also found in the grass.
pharmacological properties.Biologically active substances of the plant normalize the function of the neuromuscular apparatus of the heart and hemodynamics, and also have a sedative property. After the appointment of lily of the valley in animals, an increase in cardiac activity, a slowdown in its rhythm, an increase in the minute volume of blood flowing through the heart, an improvement in the filling of the pulse, an increase in blood pressure, a decrease in congestion, and an increase in diuresis are noted. These phenomena are most pronounced with intravenous administration of the product, since after ingestion they are rapidly destroyed. Glycoside convallatoxin accelerates the movement of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, enhances contractions of the stomach and intestinal motility, increases diuresis; increases blood pressure due to increased cardiac activity and narrowing of peripheral vessels.
Lily of the valley glycosides are close to strophanthin in the nature of their action on the heart, they are unstable, they are quickly destroyed during storage and do not accumulate in the body.
Application. As a heart remedy, lily of the valley was recommended after research by prof. Bogoyavlensky, performed in the clinic of the famous Russian therapist Botkin. Since then, the plant has been widely used for disorders of the heart and to increase urination. In veterinary practice, lily of the valley is prescribed mainly for heart failure, heart neuroses. It can be combined with valerian products. Lily of the valley is poisonous and poisoning of animals is possible.
Preparations.
Lily of the valley tincture – Tinctura convallariae. Clear greenish-brown liquid. 1 ml of tincture contains 10.4-13.3 ICE, or 2-2.5 KED. Released in vials. Applied inside 2-3 times every day: horses and cattle 10-25 ml, small cattle 5-10 ml, pigs 2-5 ml, dogs 0.2-1 ml, chickens 0.02-0.5 ml .
Lily of the valley grass – Herba convallaria majalis. Assign inside in the form of infusion (1:30), potions, powder, boluses. Doses: horses 5-15 g, cattle 5-20, small ruminants 2-8, pigs 1-5, dogs 0.2-2, chickens 0.02-0.1 g.
Corglycon – Corglyconum. The amount of glycosides of lily of the valley leaves. An aqueous solution containing 0.6 mg of corglycone in 1 ml is used. Clear colorless liquid, bitter taste. 1 ml of the product contains 11-16 ICEs, or 1.8-2.2 CUs. It is similar in action to convallatoxin and strophanthin. Enter intravenously in a 20-40% glucose solution or isotonic sodium chloride solution in low concentrations (1:10-20). Doses intravenously: horses 3-5 ml, cattle 3-8 ml, dogs 0.5-1 ml.
cow
Rp.: Pulveris herbae Convallaria majalis Pulveris rhizomatis Valerianae aa 6.0 Farinae secalinae et Aquae distillatae qs Mf bolus Dtd No. 5
S. Inside, 1 bolus 2-3 times every day (for heart failure).
Horses
Rp.: Solutionis Corglyconi 0.06% -1.0 Dtd No. 6 in ampullis
S. Inject slowly intravenously, dissolving one ampoule in 100 ml of 20% glucose solution (for heart failure).
Lily of the valley tincture is part of a number of ready-made therapeutic agents: lily of the valley-valerian drops, lily-of-the-valerian drops with adonizide, lily-of-the-valerian drops with sodium bromide, lily-of-the-valerian drops with adonizide and sodium bromide.