![]() UNITING Comfrey leaves when boiled make a green vegetable, whilst the young shoots are eaten like asparagus. Several plant genera contain significant amounts of these alkaloids, among them Heliotropium, Cynoglossum, Borago, Symphytum, Tussilago, and, most notably, Senecio. Homoeopathically, it indicates a distinct affinity for the liver. It is still unclear whether pyrrolizidine alkaloids, of which more than one hundred have been identified in plants, are toxic in the context of the whole plant. According to Mills, similar experiments have shown a protective antitumour effect in mice. These effects were evoked by feeding rats pyrrolizidine alkaloids, as isolated substances, in a proportion of 16% of their total diet over a long period. ![]() Comfrey is in several countries considered a health hazard, and subsequently subjected to legal restrictions, on account of toxic effects on the liver of laboratory rats. The acqueous extract of the plant increases the release of prostaglandins of the F series from the stomach wall, pointing to a direct action in protecting the gastric mucosa from damage.”2 Synthesized allantoin – obtained from uric acid – is popular in the cosmetic industry in cold creams, hand lotions, hair lotions, after-shave lotions and other skin-soothing products. On the surface its action is aided by the phenomenal contracting ‘plaster’ effect of comfrey’s mucilage, tannins and resins as they dry. In addition allantoin is very highly diffusable through the body and can be relied on to reach deep tissues from external application. It thus aids the regeneration of all tissues in the body, including bone, but with the possible exception of skeletal muscle. “Much of the healing effect of comfrey is known to be due to the effect of the allantoin: this promotes the constructive activity of the fibroblasts in producing connective tissue, and their near-relatives chondroblasts and osteoblasts and even neural cells it promotes keratin dispersal and has been used topically with some success for the treatment of psoriasis. 1 Other alkaloids in comfrey reportedly have a mildly paralyzing effect on the central nervous system. The leaves contain symphytocynoglossin, an alkaloid with curare-like effects on cold-blooded animals, but having no effect on warm-blooded animals and humans. 0.45% in June and 0.15% in September triterpenoids phenolic acids asparagine tannins mucilage pyrrolizidine alkaloids silicic acid, maximum amount in August. The root possesses great such a generative power that, when it is cut into pieces, each piece of root will produce a new plant, even the pieces that have no attached growth bud.ĬONSTITUENTS Allantoin, mainly in the roots, with maximum levels in spring and autumn also found in leaves, which contain c. The flowers are arranged in curled cymes and vary considerably in colour – white, pale yellow, purple, purple-blue, rose and crimson forms being found. The plant grows up to 90 cm high and prefers moist, marshy places. Symphytum officinale is the comfrey, a coarse perennial native to Europe and Asia with winged stems and large, rough leaves. SYMPHYTUM The 35 species in the genus Symphytum are coarse, hairy herbs with simple, opposite or basal leaves and pendent, tubular to club-shaped flowers. ![]() The eight remaining species are placed in the tribe Cynoglosseae, in the tribe Lithospermaea, or in the tribe Boragineae. Of the nine species used in homoeopathy, Heliotropium is the only species belonging to the former subfamily. The latter can be further subdivided into five tribes. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Heliotropiodeae and Boraginoideae. This is due to the presence of certain pigments which react to the pH of the soil, a red colour of the bloom indicating acidity, violet indicating neutral and blue alkaline. ![]() The flowers may change from red to violet to blue, during the blooming period. Many species have pendulous flowers, e.g. The flowers are predominantly insect-pollinated, with blue, white, pink or yellow flowers. The inflorescence uncoils progressively as the flowers open so that the newly opened blooms always face the same direction. Characteristically, the stems, leaves, and inflorescences are covered in rough hairs. The family is found throughout temperate and subtropical areas of the world with a major centre of distribution in the Mediterranean region. Boraginaceae.ĬLASSIFICATION The Boraginaceae or Forget-me-not family comprises some 100 genera and about 2000 species of annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, trees and a few lianas with simple entire leaves, and salver- or bell-shaped flowers with typically 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens and a superior ovary. God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars!
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