2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Snake dock / Arum maculatum L / is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Araceae family. In different parts of the country this grass is known by various names.
It is also known as rabbit dock, snake squirrel, weed, snake wheat, snake grapes, spotted snake, snake rush, snake, fig bread, gypsy grapes. The plant is also found in other European countries. In English-speaking countries it is called lords-and-ladies, in France it is known as Pied de veau, and in Germany - as Gefleckter Aronstab.
The snake dock is characterized by an upright stem, which is thickened at the base and forms a rounded tuber. The leaves of the herb are elongated, arrow-shaped, with spots. The flowers are male and female, arranged in several rows, forming a cob inflorescence. It ends with a yellowish or purple appendage. The fruit of the plant is a watery strawberry, colored reddish or orange.
The snake dock blooms in the spring months. It grows freely in wooded areas where there is enough moisture and shade. It is distributed in all parts of Bulgaria, and the largest quantities of the herb can be found in deciduous forests, near bushes. It can be seen up to 1800 meters above sea level.
History of the snake dock
The healing effect of the snake dock has been known to people for a long time. In the Middle Ages, the plant was added to wine. It was a valuable psychoactive ingredient. Old chronicles show that in the past mothers used the herb to protect their children from lessons.
It is believed that this happened when a dried leaf of a snake dock was placed in the baby's cradle. It was also believed to protect against bad dreams. Later, the plant began to take its place and traditional medicine. In the 1970s, scientists analyzed the herb and discovered that its healing effects were not just a myth.
Composition of a snake dock
Snake dock is a source of essential oil, alkaloids, flavonoids, starch, saponins, coumarins and other substances.
Collection and storage of snake dock
The tubers of the snake dock / Tubera Ari / are used for medicinal purposes. The rhizome is removed from the ground in the spring days or in September and October. Then there are three possible ways of storage. One is to place in moist sand in a dark and cool place. According to experts, this method is the most appropriate, as the beneficial properties of the drug are preserved for up to three years.
If you do not like it, you can wash the tuber and dry it in ventilated warehouses, hung on strings. It is also permissible to dry in an oven at a temperature of about forty degrees Celsius. When handling the drug, it should be borne in mind that fresh tubers are poisonous, so they should be kept away from non-poisonous herbs.
Herbalists also note that the plant should not be confused with the eastern anemone (Arum orientale MV), which is characterized by disc-shaped tubers. Also, be careful that the plant does not fall into the Italian Arum italicum Mill, which has a wider appendage of the inflorescence.
Benefits of a snake dock
The snake dock has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hemostatic and epithelializing properties. This makes it very valuable in the fight against a number of serious diseases. According to folk healers, Arum maculatum helps mostly with respiratory diseases and problems of the gastrointestinal tract.
The plant is recommended for external hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, as well as problems with the duodenum. It is also effective in uterine fibroids, sand in the kidneys, bladder problems, bronchitis, pharyngitis, gastritis. It has a beneficial effect on prostate cancer, liver disease, thorns.
Helps deal with nocturnal enuresis. Used for voice loss. It works for psoriasis, skin irritations, rheumatism, neurosis, cough, heartburn, malaria and others.
The snake dock It is also very valuable in the cosmetics industry, as it produces anti-wrinkle creams. In fact, in the past they called Arum maculatum a flower of beauty.
The plant is known among the people with another property. It is said that its strong smell is able to repel snakes. However, this theory is still not scientifically proven.
Folk medicine with a snake dock
In folk medicine, small parts of the tuber of the snake dock are applied both externally and internally. In hemorrhoids and neuroses, a piece of raw tuber as big as a corn kernel is taken. However, it is not taken alone, but wrapped in a piece of bread. It can also be combined with tahini or olive oil or taken with water as a pill. Do not try to chew the tuber, as you will feel an unpleasant bitter taste in your mouth.
You can also take a snake dock in the form of an extract. For this purpose, the tubers are cut into small pieces and left to soak for eight hours in cold water in a ratio of 1: 1000. Fifty milliliters of the resulting liquid is drunk three times a day after meals. When using the herb, do not overdo the dose. Also, try not to combine it with other drugs and do not drink alcohol.
Damage from a snake dock
In case you intend to use the snake dock, we advise you not to take self-medication. Consult either an experienced herbalist or a doctor to decide if you really need this herb and what the exact dosages will help.
As already mentioned, fresh tubers of the plant are poisonous, so the correct dosage in the preparation of extracts, decoctions and others is of great importance. Collecting the herb is not recommended for people who have no experience in herbal medicine, because when you touch it you can feel burning on the skin. In addition, it should be known that the plant is strongly attracted to insects, so care must be taken with them.
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