Symphytum officinale BORAGINACEAE
Russian comfrey and garlic could together, according to natural health usage, almost halve the present ills of western civilization. Here I am throwing down the gauntlet; but when I read of the amazing healing powers of comfrey in chest and bronchial troubles, its use in natural T.B. sanatoriums in Europe and Scandinavia, its success in the treatment of gastric and varicose ulcers, its external use in ointments for healing skin ulceration and tissue damage resulting from severe burns, acne, and other skin conditions, its value in many female disorders, and its bone and teeth-building powers in children, I am amazed that it is not growing in a position of honour in every garden. Its benefits are not confined to aiding the health of mankind and raising improved livestock; for its value is enormous to the home gardener in maintaining and increasing soil fertility, in breaking down the compost heap more quickly, and in adding its own rich stores of minerals to his garden.
The "miracle worker" in comfrey, for the rapid healing of damaged tissue both internally and externally, is a substance called allantoin. Allantoin has been found to be a cell-prolifer-ant, a substance that speeds up the rate of natural replacement of body cells. This is important when body tissue has been damaged or injured in any way; but it is also important in a healthy body, to maintain the cell growth and replacement rate and to keep illnesses at bay. Comfrey taken internally acts through the bloodstream, where its natural calcium and B12 vitamins also get to work through the system. Then it's a case of "new cells for old", with comfrey waving the magic wand.
Comfrey has had the name "knit-bone" since the wise ancient physicians first learnt of its properties. The leaves were pulped, mixed with oil or wine (water tended to be suspect, even in those days), and applied externally to fractures as a healing poultice; the juice of leaves and roots was taken internally. There is an ever-growing list of reports of amazing recoveries in cases in which tissue damage has been prolonged and severe, as in tuberculosis. Comfrey is extensively used today in natural medicine, and I have proved its efficacy in my own family. We prefer to put one or two of the leaves through the juicer when making a vegetable cocktail (perhaps carrot and celery juice), so that it is used immediately in its fresh state. It can be cooked, the older leaves steamed like spinach and served with a drop or two of lemon juice. The young leaves can be eaten in a salad; but, like borage leaves, they are slightly hairy, and not to everyone's taste. I have found them quite palatable chopped into tiny pieces and sprinkled through a salad bowl (one or two leaves should be sufficient). Have some every day!
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Tags: Herbal
Tags: Herbal