Burdock large (burdock) - arctium lappa l.

Family: Asteraceae, Compositae.

Botanical characteristics. Refers to the family of Compositae. Biennial herbaceous plant up to 100-180 cm in height. Has a powerful, fleshy, unbranched root, white on a fracture. From the straight ribbed stem, branched in the upper part, large petiolate heart-shaped ovoid leaves. The color of the leaves is green on top, they are greyish-gray from below. The lower leaves of burdock sometimes reach huge sizes. The flowers are bright, dark purple, collected in globular baskets with hooked wrappers - these are well-known "burdock". Blooms in July-August in the second year of life. Seeds ripen in August-September.

Spread. It is widely distributed as a weed plant in the European part of Russia, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. In recent years, it has been cultivated in gardens and orchards by amateurs as a medicinal and vegetable plant.

Used parts of the plant. Roots, less often - leaves and fruits.

Chemical composition. The burdock roots contain polysaccharide inulin (up to 45%), proteins (about 12.3%), essential oils (up to 0.17%), acids (stearic and palmitic), protein substances, mucus, tannins and resins.

Burdock leaves contain a large amount of ascorbic acid (up to 350 mg%).

Application. Burdock in folk medicine is used very widely. It is prescribed for renal and cholelithiasis, for diseases of joints and osteochondrosis, for dropsy; With enterocolitis, accompanied by constipation, with allergic reactions and diabetes. Burdock helps with acute fever, with intoxication (poisoning with salts of heavy metals and others), and also - with insect bites.

Burdock preparations have anti-tumor effect and are used in folk medicine in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors.

Fresh burdock leaves are used for compresses for pain in the joints, for mastopathy, for the treatment of long-healing wounds. The plant is applied externally in the treatment of eczema and with hair loss (in the form of burdock oil or in the form of broths).

The burdock root is an indispensable component of the charges for the treatment of furunculosis and similar diseases.

Long-healing wounds are treated with ointment, which is prepared as follows: 75.0 g of crushed fresh burdock root insist the whole day in a warm place in 200.0 g of sunflower oil (preferably almond oil), then boil for 15 minutes over low heat and filter (M. A. Nosal, IM Nosal).

Preparation

• Decoction of the roots of a large burdock : 1 tbsp. L. Dry roots of burdock pour a glass of water, boil for 1 minute, insist 1 hour. Filter, take a quarter cup 3 times daily before meals with diabetes, peptic ulcer, poisoning, radiation damage.
• Infusion of burdock root is large : 1 tbsp. L. Dry crushed roots of burdock pour 400 ml of boiling water, insist in a thermos for 1 hour. Filter, drink half a glass 3 times a day after eating with diabetes, kidney disease, allergies, tumors.
• Infusion of leaves of a large burdock : 1 tbsp. L. Crushed leaves of burdock pour a glass of boiling water, insist 30 minutes. Filter, drink 1 tbsp. L. 4 - 6 times a day 1 hour after eating with diabetes, gastritis, peptic ulcer.
• Infusion of fruits of a large burdock : 1 tbsp. L. Seeds of a burdock fill in with a glass of boiled water, insist 20 minutes. Filter, drink 1 tbsp. L. 3 times a day after meals with diabetes, tumors, allergies.
• Powder of burdock root is large : Burdock roots are dried, ground into a powder. Take 0.5 g 2 - 3 times a day for tumors.
• Burdock oil : Crushed raw roots are poured with hot sunflower or olive oil at the ratio of components 1: 5, insist 2 weeks. Used for rubbing into the roots of hair in baldness.
• Juice from burdock leaves : Fresh young burdock leaves are crushed and squeezed juice. Applied for irrigation of wounds, ulcers, pressure sores, burns.
• Ointment from the roots of burdock : Grind cleaned fresh burdock roots, pour hot sunflower oil (1: 2.5). Boil on low heat for 15 minutes after the daily infusion. Use as an ointment overlay on suppurating wounds, burns, bedsores.
• Dried burdock leaves large for compresses : Large burdock leaves are dried under glass for both herbarium. Store by carefully wrapping in paper. They dissolve and apply a compress to the joints with joint pain for gout, diabetes, rheumatism, festering wounds, bedsores, ulcers.
• Bandage from fresh burdock leaves : Large leaves of burdock are rinsed, rinsed with boiled warm water, after draining the water and drying the top surface of the sheet, a bandage is applied to the skin with erysipelas or on the site of pustular lesions.
• Burdock improves hair growth . To do this, decoction of the roots moistens the scalp daily for a long time (fill a small pot with 1/3 of its roots and pour the water almost to the top, simmer for 30-40 minutes, filter). The broth is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days. Use as needed, pre-heated.