Burnet (Pharmaceutical)

Burnet

Rosaceae - Rosaceae. Common name: redhead. Parts used: grass and rhizome. Pharmacy name: burnet herb - Sanguisorbae herba (formerly: Herba Sanguisorbae).

Botanical description. A perennial plant reaching a height of 1 m. The odd-pinnate leaves form a basal rosette, extending from a powerful dark brown rhizome; They are dark green above, sometimes glossy, and pale green below. The leaves are round or oblong, with a serrated edge. The erect stems have few leaves, and the number of leaflets on the small pinnate leaves decreases upward.

Small dark red flowers are collected in ovoid or cylindrical heads; There can be 1-5 such inflorescences on a stem. Blooms in July-August. You need to look for this medicinal plant in damp meadows.

Collection and preparation. The grass is harvested during flowering. The root leaves are also collected. Dry in the shade, in the air. Rhizomes, as is generally accepted, are harvested either in early spring or late autumn. If necessary, cut them lengthwise into halves before drying.

Active ingredients. The composition has not yet been sufficiently studied. Saponins, tannins, flavones and vitamin C are considered the basis of the healing effect. The tannin content in rhizomes is higher than in grass.

Healing action and application. Antiseptic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, fixative (stool) and enveloping - this is how the effects of burnet can be characterized. This gives rise to a variety of possibilities for its use for inflammation in the oral cavity and pharynx, especially the gums, and other mucous membranes. True, now in Germany this plant is used only occasionally, while in Russia and China it is a common local hemostatic agent.

Use in homeopathy. The homeopathic remedy Sanguisorba is prepared from freshly picked flowering herbs. For varicose veins in women, you should take it in D1 dilution several times a day, 5-10 drops. Sanguisorba D1 is used for menopausal bleeding!

Use in folk medicine. Burnet cannot be called a home remedy: it is used too rarely. And yet, to this day, and not without reason, there is an opinion expressed by P. A. Mattiolus in his “New Herbalist” (Prague, 1563): “Buroke reliably stops all kinds of bleeding. Better than other medicines, this herb helps with too much heavy menstruation in women. Drinking an infusion of the leaves in wine or water can stop even bloody diarrhea." Tea made from grass and rhizomes or only from rhizomes is used for excessive menstruation, diarrhea, pulmonary bleeding, worms and for treating wounds. A mixture of equal parts of burnet and horsetail has proven to work well for treating wounds.

Side effects. Only in case of an overdose is mild stomach irritation possible.