In nature, there are a large number of medicinal plants that help a person restore he alth and maintain it. Among them, with full confidence, can be attributed marsh wild rosemary, which allows you to quickly defeat a cough, get rid of smoking and has a lot of other useful properties. We will talk about them below.
Description of the plant
An inconspicuous-looking plant, marsh wild rosemary, a member of the Heather family, is an evergreen shrub that can be over a meter high, although typically 50-60 cm.
The botanical features of the plant are as follows:
- A thin root close to the surface.
- The stems and branches have a gray-orange color due to the red hairs covering them.
- Narrow leathery leaves, arranged alternately, have a double color: they are dark green above, reddish-gray below. Their length is 2-4.5 cm.
- Small white flowers are collected in a corymbose inflorescence, each up to 25 flowers.
- The fruit is a box offive nests containing a large number of small seeds.
This is the medicinal wild rosemary. A photo of this plant is presented below. Grass tolerates winter well if it is completely hidden in a snowdrift. If the shoot is not covered with snow, then it will die from the cold.
Distribution
You can meet a medicinal plant in peat bogs, sun-drenched meadows, in coniferous forests, it prefers to grow in large thickets. It belongs to the cold-resistant representatives of the fauna, it is able to survive even on the poorest soils, therefore it is often found in the tundra and forest-tundra zones, sometimes it grows on birch forests, along river banks, because it prefers moisture. You can meet the wild rosemary plant (see photo below) in the European part of Russia, in the Far East and Siberia, in Altai, in the CIS countries. The shrub also grows in Northern Europe, China, Japan.
The flowering period is short, from May to June, then seeds ripen by July - August.
Composition
Medicinal wild rosemary has a unique composition, which determines its effect on the human body. The shoots and seeds of the plant contain:
- Essential oil. It is found in all parts of the plant, in addition to the roots, with the leaves of the first year being the most rich in it.
- Vitamins.
- Flavonoids are useful for the normal functioning of the heart and strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
- Tannins. Due to themwild rosemary and has its own wonderful properties of wound healing, relieving inflammation. In addition, they help cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, even the most chronic ones.
- Ascorbic acid.
- Sesquiterpene alcohols gave the plant its persistent recognizable aroma and bitter taste. Thanks to them, wild rosemary has an expectorant effect.
- Gum is a natural antioxidant that helps slow down the aging process, and also stimulates the intestines, helps beneficial substances to be absorbed into the blood as quickly as possible, and suppresses appetite.
Such a rich composition determined the medicinal properties and contraindications of wild rosemary, a photo of which is presented in this material. The plant has found wide application, it is used as part of decoctions, infusions, alcohol tinctures. Ledum oil is used externally and helps to solve many skin problems.
Properties
Let's consider the medicinal properties of wild rosemary. This plant is endowed with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic effects, it is actively used to treat throat diseases, since it has an expectorant effect. Ledum has proven itself well in the treatment of such diseases:
- Whooping cough.
- Asthma.
- Enterocolitis.
- Bronchitis.
- Tuberculosis.
In addition, it has been scientifically proven that the plant can become the basis for the production of a pharmacological drug aimed atfight against hypertension. In Yakutia and Buryatia, medicinal wild rosemary has found a wide scope of application:
- Female gynecological diseases.
- Arthritis.
- Cold and infectious diseases.
- Dysentery.
- Scabies.
- Cystitis.
- Chickenpox
- Eczema.
This is not a complete list of diseases in the treatment of which this plant can be used. Ledum can also be used externally, compresses from it help relieve itching from insect bites, promote healing of burns, wounds, and frostbite. In Komi, the fresh juice of the plant helps to cope with alcoholism; for this purpose, it is added in a small amount to alcohol. The shoots of the plant in the form of a decoction or infusion help to solve a wide range of respiratory problems, help to cope with sputum that is difficult to separate.
Collecting raw materials
For medicinal purposes, the aerial parts of wild rosemary are used:
- Shoots are harvested during flowering plants or fruit ripening. For harvesting, only fresh, non-lignified shoots of the current year are used. The average length of each is about 10 cm.
- Seeds - immediately after ripening.
After collecting, the medicinal components are dried in the shade, in the open air under a canopy, placed on the surface in a thin layer and periodically turned over. Drying can also be done in the attic, but it is important to ensure that the temperature does not exceed +40 ° C. Otherwise, the essential oil will evaporate and the plant will lose most of its medicinal properties. Because thewild rosemary has a strong specific aroma, it is recommended to turn the raw materials over by wearing a cotton-gauze bandage.
Store dried raw materials for no more than 24 months, in a cool room. Double bags are best for storage.
Brewing rules
Marsh rosemary is a poisonous plant, so it must be used very carefully, strictly adhering to the dosage. Consider how to brew it correctly:
- For infusion, grass and flowers are used, no more than 5-6 g per 180 ml of boiling water. The raw material is poured with water and boiled for ¼ hour, after which it is infused for an hour, then the resulting infusion should be filtered. The dosage is as follows: drink 2 tbsp. l. no more than 4 times a day.
- Decoction is also easy to prepare. For 20 g of raw materials, 400 ml of water will be required, the components are mixed, boiled for half an hour on low heat, then, turning off the gas, let the broth brew for another 10-15 minutes. Then strain, add liquid to the original 400 ml. Drink three times a day, after each meal. Dosage - 2 tbsp. l.
- Alcohol tincture can be prepared as follows: 1 part of the raw material is mixed with five parts of vodka, after which it is infused at room temperature for a day, the resulting preparation can be used externally.
- For external use, you can prepare an ointment from wild rosemary and pork fat. To do this, one part of the raw material is taken for three parts of fat (for example, 1 tablespoon of flowers and 3 tablespoons of ghee). The components are mixed andplaced in an oven heated to a temperature of +100 ° C for 120 minutes. The easiest way to do this is to use a clay pot. After this, the product must be filtered. Stored in the refrigerator, used by rubbing into the joints 2-3 times a day, the ointment helps to relieve the pain of arthritis very well.
- Marsh wild rosemary oil is prepared as follows: take 1 tbsp. l. raw materials, add to ½ cup of sunflower oil, heat on low gas for a minute, then cover the container with a lid and leave for 24 hours. The resulting remedy should be instilled into the nose, it perfectly helps to solve the problem of a runny nose.
If there is no desire or opportunity to prepare a decoction or infusion on your own, you can purchase the pharmacological drug "Ledin" at the pharmacy, which helps to cope with a cough. For its preparation, wild rosemary was used, namely one of its components, iceol.
Possible harm
Let's continue to consider the medicinal properties and contraindications of wild rosemary. It is important to remember that the medicinal plant is one of the weakly poisonous, so it is harmless to humans, but it is important to strictly adhere to the dosage.
In addition, preparations from the plant cannot be used in the following cases:
- Pregnancy. Plant components may cause risk of spontaneous childbirth.
- Lactation period.
- Children under 16.
- Hypotension, because the constituent plants have a vasodilating effect.
Marsh rosemary, a photo of which can be seen below, can cause individual manifestations of allergic reactions. Therefore, people with a predisposition to allergies should always consult a medical specialist before taking it. Also among the contraindications of wild rosemary are: hepatitis, glomerulonephritis, pancreatitis.
Signs of wild rosemary poisoning are dizziness, fainting, nausea and vomiting, these symptoms can even occur from the aroma of the plant, so be careful.
Solving skin problems
Let's consider the medicinal properties and contraindications of wild rosemary, if it is planned to be used externally. The plant is often used in dermatology, as it helps to solve a number of serious problems:
- Psoriasis.
- Eczema.
- Pustules.
- A rash resulting from an allergic reaction.
- Acne.
- Furunculosis.
- Seborrhea.
However, it is important to remember that the plant is not safe, so you should strictly adhere to the dosage and start treatment only after consultation with the doctor. Rosemary-based ointments are an effective remedy for getting rid of cracked heels, as it regenerates tissues well.
From smoking
Let's consider how the medicinal properties of wild rosemary are used in the fight against nicotine addiction. Folk healers claim that the drug is so useful that the addiction is completelyget rid of in 30 days.
It is necessary to prepare anti-nicotine tea, the main components of which are wild rosemary and St. John's wort, each herb is taken 3 tbsp. l. Herbs are placed in a container, poured with a liter of water and put on a small fire for 20 minutes. After that, the container is covered with a lid and left to infuse for 180 minutes. The drink is ready, you need to drink it like this: divide the glass into three servings, drink one serving every 8 hours for a month. Brewed tea should not be stored for a long time, it is recommended to use it a day before.
Use in traditional medicine
Let's continue our consideration of the medicinal properties and contraindications of wild rosemary (there is a photo of the herb in the article). It has found wide application in folk medicine, in particular, it is used to treat malaria, dysentery, rhinitis, and the common cold. Ledum is also used as a diuretic and anthelmintic agent, also for angina pectoris, gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, lumbago, diarrhea. In eastern countries, infusions and decoctions of the plant were used as first aid after snake bites and poisonous insects and spiders. Ledum compresses will help relieve pain from joint diseases.
Other uses
The properties of wild rosemary are so diverse that it has found a wide range of applications:
- Dry shoots placed in a wardrobe will help you forget about moths.
- Fumigation of the premises will help to quickly expel bedbugs - pestshate the scent of the swamp plant.
- In ancient times, innkeepers added a couple of drops of the plant to spirits to make them more attractive to customers.
- Essential oil of the plant is used in the process of tanning leather, as well as in perfumery and soap making.
- Veterinary preparations are made on its basis, in particular for the treatment of pigs, horses, cows.
In addition, you can brew tea with wild rosemary and mint, nettle, linden, chamomile, add honey to it, the drink has a tonic effect and helps strengthen the immune system.
These are the beneficial properties of the wild rosemary plant, which are widely used in medicine. Infusions and decoctions are really an effective remedy for getting rid of coughs, colds, and the ointment helps to improve the condition of blood vessels. The main rule when working with wild rosemary is to remember that the plant is poisonous and be careful.
