The fig (fig tree)
.This tree belongs to the mulberry family. Occurs in Transcaucasia, Crimea and Central Asia on stony open slopes. Figs are cultivated in gardens in the southern zone of Russia.
Medicinal fig is a single- or double-dominant deciduous tree (or branching shrub) with smooth light gray bark and milky bark in all organs. Leaves are simple, large, petiolate. Flowers unisexual, seated in the cavity of a fleshy globular or pear-shaped sprawling inflorescence axis. The fruits are numerous small nuts enclosed inside the fig.
The fruits are harvested as they ripen. The copepods, which are wine berries, are also used for treatment. Folk healers use for medicinal purposes and milky juice of figs.
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Fig stems are very valuable as they contain a lot of sugar. Quite a lot of figs are proteins, which are well digested by the body, vitamins, a lot of salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, fiber and oxalic acid. In addition, fig fruits contain the plant enzyme ficin, which has the property of fibrolysin (which helps to thin blood clots).
In folk medicine, figs, boiled in milk, used as a remedy for acute catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiectatic disease. Medicinal figs have long been recommended for gastritis, chronic constipation, as well as to improve blood composition, as an expectorant and diuretic. Decoction of figs, jam and prepared from dried figs coffee have diaphoretic and antipyretic effect and have a favorable effect in laryngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis. Boiled figs in milk accelerate the maturation of abscesses (when used externally).
Medicinal figs are contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus, acute inflammatory bowel disease and patients with oxalic acid metabolism disorders.
Horse Chestnut
.In our country, horse chestnut grows in the southern regions and in the middle belt of the European part. The tree reaches a height of 30 meters, it has a broad and dense crown with dark brown bark. Leaves are petiolate, palmately compound, the middle leaflet larger than the others. The flowers are white, irregular. Inflorescences are erect pyramidal panicles. The fruit is a rounded boll dotted with spines. Seeds are large, brown. Horse chestnut blooms in May-June, fruiting in September-October.
Medicinal raw material is bark, less often seeds and their peels, flowers. The flowers are harvested in May-June, the bark in early spring, and the seeds as they mature. Chestnut flowers are used both in fresh and dried form, seeds - in fresh form.
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Branch bark contains glycosides, tannins and essential oil. Flavonoids, rutin and pectin substances are found in the flowers. The seeds contain flavonoids, tannins, and starch.
Our ancestors knew well that horse chestnut increases the stability of blood vessels, improves blood composition. It is proved that the medicinal raw material from this tree favorably affects the activity of the cardiovascular system, so a decoction of chestnut leaves is useful for coronary disease, rheumatism. Biochemical studies have shown that chestnut consumption reduces blood clotting, prevents thrombosis and lowers blood pressure. Clinical trials have confirmed the conclusions of biochemists: horse chestnut preparations are effective in the treatment of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids.
Infusions and decoctions made from leaves or seeds of horse chestnut, used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, gout, biliary secretion disorders, sciatica, stomach and intestinal disorders.
Siberian cedar (Siberian pine)
Siberian cedar is a powerful tree of Siberian forests for its long life reaches a height of 20-40 meters. Its crown is dense, columnar. The conifers of the tree are 6-13 cm long, triangular, collected five at a time in protruding dark green tufts. Cedar cones are 5-13 cm long, erect, barrel-shaped, light brown. Nuts (seeds) 8-14 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, with thin dark brown shell, edible.
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Siberian cedar blooms, or, as they say, dusts, in late May through June. Seeds mature in the second year of the cedar's life (in the fall), which begins fruiting at the age of 25-30 years, and sometimes even at 60 years.
Needles are harvested throughout the year; oleoresin - in spring and summer; nuts - in fall. It is best to collect needles from thin, small branches 3-4 mm long. After collecting needles, it is washed with cold boiled water, crushed with scissors, poured into an enameled bowl (for medicinal purposes) in the ratio of 1 cup of needles to 4 cups of hot water. The water is slightly acidified with vinegar. And after a few hours, the infusion is strained through a double layer of gauze. Store the infusion in a cool place for no more than 10 days.
Siberian cedar is rich in vitamin C and carotene. In addition, pine needles, as well as buds and young shoots contain essential oils and trace elements (manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, iodine). Pine nut kernels contain a lot (up to 60%) of oil, starch, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins B, D and E, organic acids, tannins.
Cedar needles have antimicrobial, expectorant, antiscingotic action. The nuts have both anti-scurvy and blood cleansing properties, while the resin has wound healing and disinfectant properties.
Siberian cedar and its components, including the nutshells, are used for tuberculosis, kidney and bladder diseases, various nervous disorders. A good therapeutic effect is observed when using tincture of ground pine nuts to treat rheumatism, liver disease, arthritis. Milk obtained from nuts is useful in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Cedar resin helps to get rid of furunculosis. Pine nuts are useful to sufferers of atherosclerosis, hypertension, gastritis (with increased acidity of gastric juice), peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Useful nuts and in anemia.
Pine drink enriches the body with vitamins, primarily vitamin C..
