Medicinal black root is one of more than 80 representatives of the genus Black root, which is part of the Borage family. As soon as they don’t call it among the people: rat racer, scrofulous grass, night blindness, burdock, lihodeyka, bone crusher, live grass, etc. The appearance of the plant cannot be called attractive, so it is grown only to repel rodents and insects. For centuries, the healing properties of this poisonous plant have been used in the treatment of many diseases.
Appearance
The scientific name of black root officinalis is translated from Greek as "dog language". The lower leaves of the plant look like a dog's tongue: they are just as elongated (15-20 cm) and rough. The plant has a straight stem branching to the top, up to one meter high, but more often the plant has a height of about 50 cm. The color of the root is notreflected in the name of the black root, it is brown.
From May to June, the top of the stem is decorated with dark purple or purple small flowers located on pedicels. The fruit looks like four nuts covered with small spines and interconnected. You can meet black root officinalis in the Caucasus, in Central Asia and in the European part of Siberia, in Ukraine and Belarus. It grows in hilly and rocky areas with infertile calcareous soil, as well as along roads.
Use in traditional medicine
In the past, traditional healers advised the use of medicinal black root for many diseases. Moreover, both leaves, and flowers, and fruits, and the root of the plant were used. For example, healers believed that if you hang its root around your neck, you can get rid of a headache. A decoction of the leaves, roots and flowers of the plant was prescribed for pain in the abdomen and intestines, diarrhea, convulsions, purulent processes, and lung diseases. For ulcers, wounds, tumors and burns, as well as snake and dog bites, lotions were made.
Today, the use of medicinal black root for medical purposes is not so popular. This is partly due to the presence of toxic substances in it, and partly due to the fact that more effective and safer ways to treat these diseases have been found. However, the medicine of some countries, for example, Tibetan, still often resorts to the help of medicinal black root. It is mainly used externally for rheumatism, tumors, bone fractures, wen, abscesses and wounds.
Internal use
Digging up a medicinal root is usually done either at the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn. All that needs to be done is to clean it well and dry it with good air circulation. From May to June, the leaves and flowers of the plant are harvested for further drying.
For pain in the stomach or intestines, cramps and diarrhea, and as a sedative, prepare an infusion or tincture for internal use according to the following recipes:
- Infusion. It is necessary to grind 1 tsp. leaves or roots, pour a glass of boiling water and, wrapped, insist until cool. Take 1 tbsp. l. three times a day after meals.
- Tincture. Alcohol tincture is prepared in a ratio of 1:10. She is insisted for three weeks, filtered. Inside take 20 drops at a time, and also used for external use.
There are also many other recipes. You should not exceed the dosage indicated in them, which has been proven over the years, or try to invent your own methods of treatment based on medicinal black root. We must not forget that the plant is largely poisonous and, if handled incorrectly, can cause serious harm to the body.
External use
For lotions and compresses, use infusions prepared in the following ways:
- Pour 4 tbsp. l. finely chopped roots with a liter of water, boil for 5 minutes, insist 12 hours.
- Leaves or root are poured with boiling water, wrapped in gauze. A compress for arthritis and rheumatism is ready.
Those who treated various injuries on their bodiesskin, noticed that the dog's tongue promotes rapid healing of tissues. External use of medicinal black root does not pose a threat.
Mice and Insect Repeller
Although the use of the plant in medicine today has lost its former relevance, now, as before, black root is used for mice and insects. Rodents do not tolerate its smell, so they do not approach the place of its localization. They say that ship rats rush into the sea, smelling the smell of this plant, and if there is nowhere for the rodents to escape, they will die. Aphids and caterpillars also do not like this plant.
Numerous reviews confirm that it is very practical to use black root officinalis in the fight against pests. Growing this plant in the garden protects fruit trees from pests. You can also pour dry parts of the crushed plant into the root zone before winter or pour infusion from it. In addition, the roots and grass of the plant are often used to protect cereal stocks and their own homes from rodents. Previously, for this purpose, small cakes of black root powder mixed with bacon and bread were arranged indoors.
In autumn, beekeepers often lay out the roots and grass of the plant in the lomshanik so that the mice cannot get into the hive. And if you plant medicinal black root near the apiary, you can achieve a double effect. Firstly, to protect it from the invasion of rodents, and, secondly, to improve the honey flow.
Features of cultivation
Growing dog grass near valuable treesor near the house to escape from rodents and insects, and also satisfy their medical needs, but it is not suitable for decoration. The appearance of medicinal blackroot is not the most pleasant of all representatives of the Blackroot genus, many of which also repel rodents. In order to grow blackroot officinalis in the right place next year, the seeds must be collected as soon as they ripen.
Seeds are planted in early spring. Some gardeners recommend propagating the plant not by seeds, but by buds. They believe that it is better not to let the plant bear fruit. The Rat Racer, as it is popularly called, loves calcareous soil and sunshine. It tolerates cold and drought well.
Mainly medicinal black root is used today for protection against rodents and insects. Until now, treatment with its help is practiced. It is necessary to use the rat rat for medical purposes with extreme caution, as it is poisonous. When you see a plant along a road or on some hill, you will easily identify it by paying attention to the leaves that look like a dog's tongue and small dark purple or purple flowers. In autumn, in their place, you can see fruits covered with thorns in the form of nuts, collected in groups of four.
