Comfrey Herbs Benefit Problems With Diarrhea
Comfrey has a long history of effectiveness as a healer plant. It has the reputation of being able to knit bones together thus accounting for many of the common names (boneset, nipbone, knitbone, and healing herb).
Comfrey leaves look a lot like Foxglove leaves, but they have smaller veins that don’t extend into the wings of the leaf-stalk. The Comfrey leaf stem is 2 to 3 feet high and is covered with bristly hairs. The lower leaves are up to 10 inches long and also covered with rough hairs which cause itching when people touch them. The flowers are either purple or creamy yellow and grow on short stalks, appearing in April or early May.
Comfrey is a contact tissue healer. Until the early 1800’s, it was only used on the skin to treat burns, cuts, bronchitis, skin ulcers, varicose veins, and rheumatism. Then the Comfrey leaf was made into a tea and used as a mouthwash or gargled to treat hoarseness, throat infections, and bleeding gums. It is rich in vitamin C and calcium and contains B12, carotene (vitamin A), and chlorophyll.
Internally and externally comfrey is used in the treatment of colitis, varicose veins, assorted pulmonary complaints (pleurisy, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia), rheumatism, metritis, diarrhea, and periostitis. It is utilized as a diuretic and bulk laxative and is credited with scar healing. It is also used as a sedative.
Comfrey’s effective healing agent is Allantoin. This is able to help accelerate the healing process by growing new flesh and bone cells. It also reduces the inflammation that results from pulled tendons. A tincture may be used to treat acne and athletes foot. Comfrey tea and extract has been used as a douche for yeast infections. Poultices are applied to sore and caked breasts to cause tenderness to subside quickly.
Some eat comfrey leaves and shoots as a vegetable. It is ground up in a blender with other green vegetables or herbs to make a healthy drink. It is increasingly popular with health conscious people.
Comfrey tea is made by mixing an ounce of leaves with a pint of boiling water. A tincture usually consists of 10 drops from the extract of the root mixed with water and applied wherever needed. Internally, the leaves are taken in the form of an infusion, 1 oz. of the leaves to 1 pint of boiling water.
Comfrey is safe for anyone anytime, according to most herbalists. But its effective healing power may cause a wound to heal on the surface before it is healed deep, leading to abscesses. Of course, be sure the wounds are protected from infection by thorough cleaning.
