Name: Goat-leaved volodushka
Diseases and effects: angiocholitis, cholecystitis, headache, dizziness, pustular skin diseases, itchy rashes.
Active substances: .
Umbelliferae family – Umbelliferae\r
Perennial herbaceous plant with a straight stem branching at acute angles, the height of which reaches 55 cm. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, gradually tapering towards the tops. There are 5-7 well-marked veins along the length of the leaves, giving them rigidity. The flowers are yellow, collected in small umbellate inflorescences. The plant is common in Primorye and in the basin of the Upper and (to a lesser extent) Middle Amur.\r
A medical study of the goat-leaved volodushka was carried out on samples of the Siberian flora. The remaining eight species growing in the Far East have not been studied medically. Meanwhile, such a study could lead to valuable results, since all the species of volodushka studied so far turned out to be carriers of medicinal properties (or substances that can act on the body).\r
A clinical study of the goat-leaved volodushka was started before the Great Patriotic War by the Tomsk scientist V.G. Vogralik. He found a rather powerful choleretic effect in the products of this plant (Vogralik, 1941; Vogralik et al., 1946; see also Chass, 1952). However, it turned out that volodushka is not an absolutely reliable remedy: when it was used as a choleretic agent, in 4-5% of cases, instead of a therapeutic effect, an exacerbation of the process occurred. It is possible that the paradoxical reactions in the treatment with volatushka were associated with some features of the disease.\r
According to M.M. Kochetova (1941), volodushka products also stimulate the secretion of gastric juice.\r
In the course of further studies, not only were the data on the choleretic effect of the goat-leaved voles, but it was also found that it was somewhat inferior in activity to another species, the golden voles (Lapik, 1953). Therefore, golden volodushka (not found in the Far East) was chosen as an object of further study. Its results are briefly summarized in the monograph by Prof. A.S. Saratikov (1962).\r
The main indications for the use of volodushka products in medical practice are diseases of the liver and biliary tract (angiocholitis, cholecystitis). Regarding their use in cholelithiasis, there is no consensus in the literature. There are both supporters (Krylov, 1969) and opponents (Ibragimov, 1968) of such treatment. An infusion of the herb of the plant is used: one tablespoon of crushed raw materials is poured into a glass of boiling water and, after four hours of infusion and straining, they drink a tablespoon 3 times every day (Bereznegovskaya et al., 1968). Sometimes the dose of infusion is increased to half a glass per reception (Krylov, 1969). As a rule, the course of treatment with volodushka products lasts from three to four weeks.\r
The study of volodushki was undertaken in connection with the fact that they are widely used in folk medicine. They are prescribed not only for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. It is known about the use of volodushka products as tonics, also for headaches, dizziness, and diseases that occur with elevated body temperature (Krylov, 1969). According to M.N. Varlakova (1932), in Eastern Transbaikalia, volodushka is also used for gynecological diseases.\r
As a local remedy, an infusion of the herb volodushka is used to wash the affected areas with abrasions, pustular skin diseases and itchy rashes.