Common Oak.

Common Oak

A large deciduous tree of the beech family, up to 40 m high. The root is powerful and branched. The crown is spreading.

The bark of young shoots is smooth, olive-brown, while that of old shoots is brown-gray and fissured. The leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-ovate, glabrous, shiny, with prominent veins. Blooms in May.

Flowers are unisexual. The male ones are collected in drooping clusters (earrings), the female ones are located in numerous scaly wrappers. The fruit is an acorn. Ripens in September.

Common oak is widespread in Russia, found in the Caucasus, the Urals, the European part, Crimea and Transcaucasia.

The medicinal raw materials are the bark and, less commonly, acorns.

Bark collection is permitted only in areas designated for logging. Its preparation is carried out during sap flow. The bark should not contain any impurities of wood or cork.

For ease of harvesting, ring cuts are made on thin trunks and young trees at a distance of 30 cm from each other and connected with a longitudinal cut. At the junction of the circular and longitudinal cuts, the edge of the bark is lifted with a knife and the entire incised area is pulled off. Dry under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area.

The finished raw material is strips of bark 25-30 cm long, 2-6 mm thick, the surface of which is slightly wrinkled, gray-brown. Store in wooden containers or bags for up to 5 years.

The bark contains tannins, gallic and ellagallic acids, pentosans, pectins, flavonoids (quercetin, quercite, etc.), starch, mucus and phlobaphene.

Oak preparations have an astringent, anti-inflammatory and anti-putrefactive effect. Tannin (the main active part of the tannins in the bark), when applied to a wound, combines with proteins, forming a protective film that protects the tissue from local irritation, which reduces inflammation and pain.

Tannin interacts with the proteins of microorganisms, stopping their growth or leading to death.

A decoction of the bark is used for inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa, pharynx, pharynx, stomatitis and bleeding gums. It is taken orally for diarrhea, chronic inflammation of the intestines, urinary tract and bladder.

The positive effect of the bark was noted in the treatment of chronic purulent ulcers, non-healing wounds, bedsores, weeping eczema, hemorrhoids and profuse leucorrhoea (douching). To prepare the ointment, mix 2 parts bark, 1 part black poplar buds, 5 parts butter and 1 part each St. John's wort and rose oil, leave in a warm place for 10-12 hours, bring to a boil and strain into a jar. Store in the refrigerator.

The affected area is lubricated for 10 days. Treatment is repeated 4-5 times with a break of 5-10 days.

A decoction of oak bark is used to rinse the oral mucosa during inflammatory processes up to 6-7 times a day, and in the form of lotions to treat burns.

For sweaty feet, take a bath by adding fresh birch leaves and horsetail to oak bark. Staying in an oak forest reduces irritability and normalizes sleep.

To prepare a decoction, pour 2 tablespoons of bark into 1 glass of hot water, boil over low heat for 30 minutes, cool, filter and bring the volume to the original volume.