Shandra Common

Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Common names: wall horehound, white horehound. Parts used: aerial part of the plant. Pharmacy name: horehound herb - Marrobii herba (formerly: Herba Marrubii).

Botanical description. Horehound reaches a height of 60 cm. Its hollow tetrahedral stem has thick felt pubescence. The lower leaves have long petioles, rounded-ovate, up to 3.5 cm in length. They are crenate-toothed, slightly pubescent on the upper side, and covered with dense felt pubescence on the lower side. As you move up the stem, the petioles become shorter and the leaves become smaller. White flowers are located in the axils of the leaves in dense false whorls. Blooms from June to September. The homeland of this medicinal plant is Southern Europe; it is currently distributed throughout almost all of Europe. Grows in gravelly areas, near hedges and fences.

Collection and preparation. After the flowers open, the tops of the plants are cut off, tied in bunches and hung to air dry. To get good material, you should not take rough lower parts.

Active ingredients: approximately 0.3-1.0% marru-biin (an actone from the diterpene series, bitter in taste), other bitters, resins and essential oil; significant tannin content (approximately 5-7%).

Healing action and application. I consider it unjustified that scientific medicine is currently refusing to use this medicinal plant, because it is an effective remedy against diarrhea of ​​various types, as well as cough, and stimulates the appetite well. This use is quite justified, since bitterness increases the secretion of gastric juice and the secretion of bile. Essential oil and tannins help with diarrhea, and the expectorant effect on coughs is due to marrubiin. In all these cases, tea is taken.

Pour two teaspoons of this mixture into boiling water and let it brew for 10 minutes, covered. After straining, the tea is ready for drinking. Drink 1 cup 3 times a day in small sips and slowly; The tea should be warm enough, but not hot.

Use in folk medicine. Here the action against cough is in the foreground - and this, perhaps, goes back to P. A. Matthiolus, the court physician of Ferdinand I. In 1563 he wrote the following: “Leaves of white horehound, infused with water or wine, with the addition of honey or sugar , and drunk, thin and remove mucus from the lungs and chest. They also help against cough."

Mattiolus also cites other indications: horehound allegedly acts against worms, jaundice, stomach pain, bloating, nervous disorders, liver and gall bladder diseases, general weakness, poorly healing wounds, pain during menstruation and other female diseases. All this has not yet been forgotten in folk medicine, but, in my opinion, the use of horehound should be limited to cases of cough, diseases of the gallbladder and liver, as well as loss of appetite. However, not only Sebastian Kneipp highly valued horehound as an expectorant - even the ancient Egyptians and Romans knew about it.

Side effects are unknown.