Highlander bird (knotweed, murava, kuroyed, goose, ostudnik) - an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the buckwheat family. His root is woody, thin. The stalk is thin, elastic, branching from the base, lying or rising, densely planted with small reed leaves (lanceolate or elliptic) and thin membranous sockets. The fruit is a dark brown matte trihedral nut. The flowers are small, barely noticeable, five-membered, pinkish or white, located in the axils of the leaves. The knotweed blooms all summer and until frost, for which it is called knotweed (from "spore" - the rapid restoration of damaged shoots). The highlander plant bears fruit until late autumn.
This unpretentious grass grows everywhere, literally underfoot: it overgrows field and forest paths, village streets, vacant lots, banks of streams and rivers, parks, yards, stadiums, airfields, dry pastures, racecourses, curbs,
You can meet the mountaineer on all continents (it is not only in the Arctic and Antarctica).
Knock-knot for medical purposes
For medicinal purposes, the aerial part of the knotweed is used - grass, less often - the roots.
The aerial part (without roots) is collected during the flowering period or is pulled out with the root. It is not necessary to collect it directly on the paths, in places of grazing animals and in other places that are too polluted. After collection, it must be dried at a temperature of no more than 50 °, in the shade, on clean paper or burlap, after which it is placed in a place protected from sunlight.
Chemical composition
The knotweed grass contains resins, mucus, tannins, fats, bitterness, carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, glucose), essential oil, hyperin, coumarins (scopoletin, umbelliferone), myricin, campferol, phenolcarboxylic acids (salicylic, gallic, coffee, vinegar , chlorogenic, valerian, apple, coumaric, formic), flavonoids (avicularin, quercetin, hyperin, isoramnetin), anthraquinones, vitamins (E, K, provitamin A, ascorbic acid), trace elements (calcium, copper, vanadium, iron, magnesium silicon, silver).
Anthraquinones (emodin with its glycosides and chrysophanol) and anthocyanins were found in the roots.
Properties and application of knotweed
From ancient times to today, the people have called birdworm as a hemostatic, astringent and anti-inflammatory agent. He also established himself as an antispasmodic, diuretic, antipyretic, restorative, diuretic, choleretic, antiseptic, tonic, wound healing, diaphoretic, anthelmintic, laxative, hypotensive agent.
Highlander infusions and decoctions are used for bronchitis, colds, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal diseases, asthma, hemorrhoids, kidney diseases or urinary tract problems, headaches, gout, liver and bladder diseases, long-healing ulcers and wounds, tumors. It was also established that the mountaineer bird reduces the permeability of the walls of our vessels and increases blood coagulation.
They use knotweed grass in case of metabolic or water-salt metabolism disorders, inflammation of the lips and oral mucosa, urolithiasis or gallstone diseases (prevents and treats stone formation), vitamin deficiencies, pneumonia, peptic ulcers, scurvy, pleurisy, and any types of gastritis , with angina pectoris, diarrhea, catarrh, malaria, neuralgia and radiculitis, dysentery, thrombophlebitis, bleeding (intestinal, hemorrhoidal or uterine), infertility and diabetes.
Recently, the plant is used even in the treatment of tumors of different origin; it is included in the collection Zdrenko, which is used in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. It is also part of "Breast tea", used for whooping cough and other cough-related diseases.
Highlander preparations are good for heart ailments: they accelerate the pulse and lower blood pressure, and fresh juice, moreover, has powerful phytoncide activity.
For childhood skin diseases, baths from knotweed grass are recommended.
Outwardly, the highlander is used for skin diseases (boils, acne, etc.), in the treatment of bruises, ulcers and wounds.
Decoctions of knotweed on milk help with convulsions of different origins.
And now I offer you some time-tested recipes with knotweed.
For use inside, make a decoction or infusion.
To obtain a decoction, 20 g of the aboveground part is crushed and poured with boiling water, insisted on a water bath for half an hour, after which it is cooled and filtered. Take two tables. tablespoons before meals, three times a day.
In case of cholelithiasis , an infusion is prepared: take a table in a glass of boiling water. a spoonful of knotweed. For half an hour they languish in a water bath and drink 100 ml of this infusion 10 minutes after using a decoction from the rosehip root.
In case of inflammatory gynecological diseases, in case of obesity or thinness (due to normalization of metabolism), in case of weakness or nervous exhaustion, to strengthen strength in elderly people and after illness, as well as for the ability to conceive, this recipe will help: take 3 liters of boiling water 3 -4 table. spoonfuls of knotweed and 4 hours insist in a thermos or just in a warm place. Take half an hour before eating half a cup, 4 p. in a day.
For painful menstruation: 1 part of knotweed grass and horsetail grass , 3 parts of centaury grass and 5 parts of goose cinquefoil grass . Brew a table. a spoonful of this mixture in 200 grams of water, for an hour, insist, cradle and drink sips throughout the day.
In infertility, the mountaineer is used as follows: 20 grams of grass is brewed with a glass of water, heated for a quarter of an hour in a water bath and 45 minutes. insist, squeeze and take 2 meals before meals. 3 p. in a day.
For the treatment of old or bleeding ulcers and wounds, juice of fresh grass of the mountaineer of the bird is used: they moisten a napkin with them and, having washed the wound with the same juice in advance, put it on the damaged tissue.
Contraindications to the use of bird highlander
The highlander is low-toxic, but in cases of acute inflammation of the bladder and kidneys it is contraindicated. It does not apply during pregnancy, since it has an abortive effect. It should be used with caution in cases of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hypotension and angina pectoris, and with excess sputum.
Heal with the help of natural remedies, it is both inexpensive and effective. But before applying knotweed, consult your doctor.