Poisonous celandine belongs to medicinal plants
Among medicinal plants, there are also dangerous species, with the wrong use of which you can do yourself a "disservice". Perhaps the primacy among them can be given to celandine - grass with poisonous milk juice.
Plant characteristic
Celandine is a perennial herb from the poppy family. This is a rather tall shrub with straight, slightly fleecy shoots up to 1 m high and weak branching. The rhizome is short, rod-shaped, red on top and yellow on the inside. Beautiful light green leaves grow in pairs, with a bluish color on the back. They are large, up to 10 cm wide and 20 cm long.
When a branch is torn off, a milky orange-red sap flows out of the break, which is very poisonous. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the roots.
From May to September, the shrub blooms several times, throwing out small yellow flowers, in place of which thin pods are formed. After ripening, they burst and small dark seeds pour out from there.
For the ability of a medicinal plant to relieve various diseases, it is also called a warthog, jaundice, purity, bloodstain. And translated from Latin, the name of the grass means "swallow", perhaps because it blooms when these birds arrive, and dries up when they fly south.
What part of the shrub is used in medicine?
For the preparation of medicinal tinctures, the whole plant is used - from the top to the very roots. Since ancient times, unwanted formations on the skin such as warts were smeared with fresh juice, which subsequently dried out and fell off.
Procurement time celandine differs depending on which part of the plant needs to be collected:
- leaves and shoots are cut in summer when the bush is in bloom;
- the rhizome is dug up in the fall.
After drying, celandine can be stored well for up to three years in cardboard boxes or cloth bags in a cool, dark room.
What is the benefit?
Celandine, as a medicinal plant, is used to treat a wide range of diseases, from skin diseases to internal organs. It has such beneficial properties as:
- relieve headaches and other types of pain;
- heal wounds;
- suppress various types of fungi;
- stimulate the discharge of sputum with rhinitis, bronchitis and tuberculosis;
- stimulate the excretion of bile and urine from the body.
Celandine successfully treats skin ulcers, inflammatory processes of the digestive tract, joints and bones. In addition, it is used to treat female diseases.
Celandine vodka tincture is used to suppress the development of cancer cells.
What is the harm?
Uncontrolled use of decoctions and tinctures of celandine can lead to serious complications and even death. With prolonged and excessive consumption of such a medicine, the following effects may occur:
- upset stool;
- nausea and vomiting;
- intestinal irritation;
- lowering pressure;
- hallucinations;
- convulsions.
You can not use celandine in medical therapy for children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as persons suffering from mental illness and epileptic seizures. In addition, it is not recommended to use the plant in the presence of bronchial asthma and angina pectoris.