The herbaceous perennial three-leafed watch, popularly known as water trifol, febrile or toad cucumbers, belongs to the shift family. Its medicinal properties have been appreciated by folk medicine for a very long time, and the plant is widely used to treat many diseases.
Botanical characteristic
The three-leaf watch plant has a long, thick and creeping rhizome. Inside it is permeated with air cavities. From each top of the shoot of the rhizome, 3-5 stems are formed, the height of which is about 30 cm. Large trifoliate leaves on long petioles are elongated and expanded at the base. They are quite juicy, bright green in color. On the flowering stem, the length of which can reach 40 cm, there are no leaves. At its end is a racemose inflorescence, consisting of pale pink flowers with a funnel-shaped corolla of five lobes, each of which is covered with velvety pubescence on the inside. The flowering period lasts from May to June. Then towards the end of the summerfruits appear - pointed bivalve boxes with seeds.
Distribution
The three-leafed watch, described above, prefers to settle on moist peat soils, therefore it is most often found in damp places - in swamps, along the banks of rivers and streams. In the vicinity of sedge, cinquefoil, horsetails, it can form entire thickets.
Grows almost throughout Russia, including Siberia and the Far East. It especially densely populates swampy forests in a number of areas, which makes it possible to harvest this medicinal plant on an industrial scale.
Chemical composition
The leaves of this plant contain such active substances as amorphous glycosides (menianthine, meliatin), gentianine alkaloid, ascorbic acid, flavonoids (rutin and hyperzoid), tannins. Also in the composition of the plant there are resin and fatty acids (linoleic, palmitic, etc.), choline, iodine. The roots are especially rich in inulin and pectin.
Healing properties
The three-leaf watch plant is highly valued in folk medicine. Its medicinal properties are due to the presence in the composition of biologically active substances that can naturally stimulate the work of the digestive organs, the secretion of gastric juice and improve bile secretion. In addition, this plant has anti-sclerotic, anti-inflammatory and laxative properties. Due to the presence of organic compounds of iodinethe level of cholesterol in the body decreases. The three-leaf watch is also known for its antiseptic properties.
Procurement and storage
In medicine, the leaves of this plant are used for medicinal purposes. They are usually harvested after flowering, when they are in the full development phase (apical and young ones are not suitable for drying). The leaves are cut along with the petiole so that the length of the latter does not exceed 3 cm.
The collected leaves are laid out in the open air and dried to remove residual water. After that, for further drying, they are laid out in a dark, well-ventilated place. You can use a special dryer for this purpose - in this case, the color and shape of the leaf blades are very well preserved. The degree of readiness is determined by the bending method. If at the same time the rest of the petiole and veins break easily, and do not bend, the drying process can be considered complete. The product yield is 16–18%. Finished raw materials are packed and stored for two years. Re-harvesting of plants in the same place is carried out no earlier than after 3 years.
Indications for use
With many he alth problems, a three-leaf watch is used. Useful properties and use of this plant in the form of infusions and decoctions are described in various reference books on traditional medicine.
Preparations based on this plant are used to stimulate appetite, gastritis with low acidity, constipation, flatulence. It is an excellent choleretic agent used in chronic cholecystitis, cholangitis and gallstone disease.
In dentistry, a three-leaf watch helps to cope with periodontal disease, stomatitis and gingivitis. Rinsing the mouth with decoctions prepared from it helps relieve toothache. Pregnant women use infusions of this plant for toxicosis as an antiemetic.
The leaves of the watch are part of many herbal preparations - laxatives, diuretics, sedatives, etc.
The watch is also used for outdoor use. Broths from it are washed with difficult healing wounds and trophic ulcers. A positive effect is observed even if you simply sprinkle the affected area of the skin with dry leaves crumpled into powder or applying fresh ones. With various diseases of the skin and mucous membranes, baths with the addition of watch infusions have an effective effect. Decoctions from it will also help get rid of acne and blackheads.
The three-leaf watch has an effective effect in some heart diseases associated with rhythm disturbance, as well as indications for its use are menopausal disorders, thyrotoxicosis, migraine, liver disease, malaria, gout, dropsy.
As a remedy, you can use the powder from the dry leaves of the watch, sprinkling them daily with food. It is only important not to overdo it - the maximum amount of it is notmust exceed 2 g per day.
Recipes
The three-leaf watch is used for therapeutic purposes in a variety of forms:
- Infusion of leaves. In a water bath, the leaves of the watch in the amount of 10 g poured with a glass of boiling water are heated for 15 minutes. Then they are cooled, filtered and squeezed out the remains. The resulting infusion is diluted with boiling water to the original volume and taken 3 times a day half an hour before meals, 70 ml each. This stimulates appetite and improves digestion. Infusion is recommended to be used in the form of microclysters for constipation. To do this, dilute it with water - two parts of water for one part of the infusion.
- Decoction. Crushed leaves (1 tablespoon) are poured with a glass of boiling water and left in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. The resulting broth is insisted for at least two hours and filtered through cheesecloth. Take three times a day before meals, one tablespoon.
- Tincture. Its preparation is not difficult. To do this, 10 g of dry leaves are poured with alcohol in an amount of 50 ml and, covered with a lid, are removed in a dark place. After 3 weeks, the tincture is ready for use. It is pre-filtered and taken as a choleretic agent, 10 drops 3 times a day.
- Vodka tincture. This is the most effective remedy for relieving attacks of fever and malaria. Such a tincture is prepared from freshly picked leaves, which are poured with vodka (1 liter of vodka is taken per 100 g of raw materials) and left for 2 weeks. If an attack occurs, take 100 ml, after which you must definitely go to bed and take cover warmly.
Contraindications
Three-leaf watch, the use of which helps to cope with a number of diseases, has practically no contraindications. This makes the products prepared on the basis of this plant available to everyone. It should only be remembered that their overdose will not affect the effectiveness of treatment.
