WHAT TO COLLECT?
If, again, grated comfrey is mixed with a grated raw potato you get a great natural remedy for sore throats.
Collect the root by digging it out with a garden fork either in spring – before the vegetative stage begins – or in September or October. Quickly wash it, cut into halves and let it dry in the sun or inside at a temperature that should not exceed 113° F (45° C) You can also store it in sand like horseradish or carrots. Sometimes the leaves are also used for healing wounds and broken bones. They are large, oblong and hairy. Fresh comfrey tops are to be collected slightly before and during the blossoming period. Comfrey flowers blossoming from June to September are small and bell-shaped, and are of different colors, typically cream or purplish, and may be striped.
Ointment Add 2 handfuls of cleaned sliced roots (may also be leaves) to 1 lbs (½ kg) of lard and fry for 10 minutes. The next day warm the ointment gently, strain through a Tammy cloth and pour into tubs. Burn ointment Fill a glass jar with 5 tablespoons of crushed comfrey and 10 tablespoons of St. John’s wort and cover with 17 fl oz (1/2 l) of olive oil or other quality oil. Then screw the cap on the jar and store for two weeks before using.
WARNING
Tincture
Comfrey is a good servant, but a bad master. As mentioned above, it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can be harmful to the liver. Long-term use of comfrey or high doses can do damage - especially to people who already have a compromised liver – so it is not advised to use comfrey for long internally. The herb should not be taken for more than 10 days in a row. So, if you are only going to use it in the short term, it will certainly benefit you. But, if you have a more serious problem which requires longer treatment, you should consult your practitioner or a herbal specialist.
Fill a glass jar with a tight cover with cleaned and sliced comfrey root and pour 40% plum brandy or vodka over it. Screw the cap on the jar firmly and let it stand for 10 to 14 days in the sun or close to the heating. Shake occasionally. In 14 days pour the black fluid into vials. If possible, let the tincture stand for at least two years, since then it is even more effective and viscous. Bath additive Macerate 1 lbs (500 g) of fresh or dried comfrey leaves in 17 fl oz (5 l) of cold water. The next day bring the liquid to a boil and pour it into the bathtub. Comfrey wine
COMFREY PHARMACY
Steep 2 to 5 fresh washed and finely chopped roots in a liter of natural white wine for 5 to 6 weeks. Comfrey wine is a great remedy and prevention of respiratory diseases.
Periodontal or gum disease You can rinse your mouth with a comfrey decoction. Chewing the root quenches thirst.
Stomach tea
Poultice
Infuse 1 teaspoon of comfrey tea in 8.4 fl oz (1/4 l) of hot water and let it stand for 3 minutes. The most common benefit associated with drinking this tea is helping the digestive system to function better. It is said to help control both diarrhea and constipation, and soothe general indigestion. There is also a claim that it may help you deal with stomach and intestinal ulcers. Drink slowly and have three to four cups a day.
Cook 2 tablespoons of dried crushed root in 17 fl oz (½ l) of water for 15 minutes. Then let it infuse for another 15 minutes, sieve and and use to prepare the poultice. Similarly, you can mix grated comfrey with curd and honey to make a compress to ease abdominal pain or symptoms of bronchial infection.
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