Elecampane belongs to the Asteraceae family. The plant is herbaceous, perennial, growing in the form of bushes. It blooms in the second half of summer with orange or yellow single flowers, as well as collected in corymbose or racemose inflorescences. The leaves of elecampane are oblong and pointed at the ends, and its stem is straight and fleshy. This plant is common in Central Asia, the European part of Russia, Western Siberia and the Urals. It grows mainly in meadows, near water bodies, in ditches and quarries.
In Russia, elecampane began to be used for a long time "against nine ailments." But elecampane roots help not only with nine diseases, they are used much more widely. This plant also has many other names. This is alant, yellow color, divosil, venison grass, doubts, divochil, wild sunflower. Elecampane roots are used as medicinal raw materials, they are harvested in the fall. To do this, select plants no older than three years, the stem of which is straight and tall. They are dug up, cleaned of soil and cut off the groundpart. Then the roots are washed, cut into small pieces and dried in the air for several days.
Contain elecampane roots such substances as polysaccharides, inulenin and inulin, some alkaloids, essential oil, saponins and vitamin E. These roots have a spicy, burning and bitter taste and a peculiar smell. Elecampane improves digestion, stimulates appetite, normalizes the secretory function of the intestines and stomach and improves metabolism. It is also a good antihelminthic, diaphoretic, diuretic and astringent. Elecampane also has antiseptic, expectorant, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Traditional medicine has long used the root of elecampane for delayed periods, as well as for painful and irregular menstruation. It has also always been considered an effective remedy for exudative diathesis, non-specific arthritis and gout. Elecampane is used for epilepsy, headaches and palpitations. It can be used as a hemostatic agent. And for external use, decoctions and infusions are made from elecampane, which contribute to the treatment of eczema, hard-healing wounds, neurodermatitis, hemorrhoids and gum disease.
An infusion of elecampane is prepared as follows: a teaspoon of dry and crushed roots is poured into a glass of boiling water. Then the mixture is infused for eight hours and filtered. Such an infusion can be taken four times a day for a quarter cup, as a gastric and expectorant, one hour before meals. With bronchitis, flu and other similar diseases will helpdecoction of elecampane root. To prepare it, you need to pour a spoonful of chopped root with a glass of boiling water. Then this mixture should be heated for half an hour in a boiling water bath, stirring constantly. Then the broth must be cooled and filtered. It is taken an hour before meals 2-3 times a day in doses of half a glass.
Also, a tincture is prepared from elecampane. For this, the dry roots of the plant are infused in vodka for 10-12 days. And if the crushed roots of elecampane are poured with half a liter of port wine and boiled for 10 minutes, you will get an elixir. It will be an excellent firming and tonic remedy for a general decline in strength. Such an elixir is taken before meals 2-3 times a day in portions of 50 milliliters. If you suffer from heartburn, then you can take elecampane powder in small doses. These are the same crushed roots and rhizomes of this plant. They also make an ointment and a decoction for baths, which help with skin diseases.
