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Useful properties and application of hellebore
Description of hellebore
Hellebore is a perennial herb with a high above-ground stem and a short underground rhizome. It has numerous folded, stem leaves and dark red or greenish flowers. At the ends of the stems are beautiful paniculate inflorescences. Currently, about 25 different types of hellebore are known, some of them are actively used in folk medicine.
Useful properties of hellebore
Chemeritsa was widely known in the days of the Roman Empire. Then it was used mainly to control rodents, insects and to rid animals of parasites. Over time, people discovered the healing properties of this herb, and it began to be actively used in folk medicine. This medicinal plant contributed to the speedy recovery from scabies, pediculosis and other diseases. Also, folk healers advised hellebore for pneumonia or typhoid.
Hellebore contains in its composition five steroidal alkaloids, which are found, for the most part, in the roots of the herb. Moreover, the concentration of alkaloids depends on the season. In addition, tannins, amino acids, glycosides, vitamins, mineral salts, fatty oils are present in various parts of the plant, they contain many macro- and microelements. It should be noted that this plant is excluded from the official pharmacopoeia due to its high toxicity, but it continues to be used in folk medicine, albeit very carefully.
The use of hellebore
Hellebore has long established itself as an effective medicine. This medicinal plant is able to lower blood pressure, as it dilates blood vessels, it well increases muscle tone and excites the nervous system. The herb also has antiparasitic, analgesic, antifungal, choleretic, diuretic and sedative effects.
Oriental medicine recommends powder from this plant as an effective remedy for toothache.
The irritating and analgesic effect of the herb will be useful in the external treatment of gout, muscle pain, arthritis, neuralgia, diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Hellebore preparations are not prescribed orally due to their high toxicity.
hellebore tincture
Alcohol tinctures of hellebore are an effective remedy for neuralgic, rheumatic and local pains. They can be used for eczema, lichen, dandruff, arthritis and head lice. In addition, they have a diuretic, antifungal, sedative effect, and exhibit bactericidal activity. When you add petroleum jelly to hellebore tincture, you can get an ointment for external rubbing, which can help with rheumatism.
Hellebore tincture recipe. 1 g of crushed roots with rhizomes must be poured with 120 ml of vodka or XNUMX% alcohol and infused for two weeks. The product is used exclusively externally.
hellebore root
The main medicinal part of hellebore is its root with rhizomes. They are usually harvested in the fall, carefully digging up the rhizomes with roots and clearing them from the ground. It should always be remembered that when grinding raw materials, it is necessary to wear a gauze bandage or other means of protection, and upon completion of work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. This is necessary for protection, since the plant is very poisonous: if it gets into the eyes and nose, it can cause severe irritation of the mucous membrane or other unpredictable reactions.
After collection and processing, the raw materials are left to dry in a dryer or laid out in a room with good ventilation. Traditional medicine uses hellebore rhizomes to prepare tinctures, decoctions and ointments with various beneficial properties.
Hellebore white
This type of hellebore is a perennial plant, reaching a height of more than one meter. It has a short fleshy rhizome, from which multiple roots extend, not exceeding 20 cm in length and 3 mm in width. The grass leaves are alternate, sessile, with entire edges, up to 30 cm in length. The flowers of the plant do not exceed one centimeter in size; in the inflorescence they form a long multi-flowered panicle. Hellebore white lives in mountainous areas, it can be found in the Jura Mountains and in alpine meadows.
This medicinal herb boasts a high content of alkaloids and other beneficial compounds. Due to this, it is often used in folk medicine and veterinary medicine in the form of alcohol tinctures, decoctions and ointments, which are used only externally.
Chemeritsa Lobelya
Hellebore Lobel is a perennial herbaceous plant. It does not exceed two meters in height, has inconspicuous greenish flowers, large leaves and a powerful stem. The fruits are capsules with small seeds. All parts of this herb are highly poisonous. It grows in mixed and coniferous forests. It can be found in the Caucasus, the Far East, Siberia and throughout Europe.
Hellebore Lobel contains in its composition mineral salts, amino acids, vitamins, as well as micro and macro elements useful to the human body. The plant has the ability to lower blood pressure.
Contraindications to the use of hellebore
Hellebore is a dangerous poisonous plant, so it should be used exclusively externally. If dust from the root of this plant enters the respiratory tract, it causes burning in the mouth, sneezing, and discomfort in the throat. It is strictly forbidden to use hellebore during pregnancy, lactation, as well as in severe cardiovascular diseases. Before using this plant, consultation with a doctor is required.