Common bearberry
.Common bearberry (bear's ear) is a perennial evergreen low evergreen semi-shrub in the heath family. The stem is branched, trailing on the ground with underground shoots. Leaves are regular, leathery, oblong-obovate, entire-edged, lighter in color underneath, gradually changing to a short petiole. Flowers are pink, small, collected in short drooping clusters. The fruit is a globular mealy, bright red bones (Fig. 79).
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It blooms in May to July. Common bearberry is similar to lingonberry and often grows near it. Lingonberry leaves are larger, with a matte green coloration on the underside and a shiny green coloration on the upper side. The leaves of bearberry, on the other hand, are almost the same shiny green, smaller leaves on both sides.
Common bearberry is distributed in the northern and central regions of the European part of the USSR, in the Urals, the Caucasus and Siberia. Grows in dry coniferous forests, between shrubs, on sandy places, on seaside dunes, rocks.
Used bearberry leaves, collected during the flowering period of the plant. The taste of dried leaves is bitter, strongly astringent, odorless.
Chemical composition
.Bearberry leaves contain arbutin glycoside, methylarbutin, tannins (up to 30%), flavonoids, gallus, ellagic, ursolic, cinnamic, formic and other acids.
Action and application
.Bearberry leaves have antiseptic, diuretic and astringent properties. They are used to prepare a healing decoction. The active ingredient of bearberry is the glycoside arbutin, which, breaking down in the body into glucose and hydroquinone, has an irritant and disinfectant effect. Excreted through the kidneys, hydroquinone increases diuresis and at the same time has a disinfectant effect.
In some cases, common bearberry when taken orally causes a feeling of nausea, diarrhea and even vomiting may occur.
Preparations bearberry are widely used in the form of decoction, infusion or extract as a disinfectant, diuretic, with cystitis, pyelitis, urethritis and inflammatory processes in the kidneys. Included in diuretic tea. Toloknyanka ordinary was included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR in 1968.
In Bulgaria, bearberry leaves are used as an antiseptic for chronic cystitis and pyelitis.
In domestic folk medicine decoction of bearberry leaves is also used as a diuretic and astringent and, in addition, for gout.
The ground fruit is added to flour.
We use bearberry leaves as a disinfectant, diuretic in diseases of the kidneys, renal pelvis and bladder.
Common Pumpkin
.The common pumpkin is a well-known herbaceous plant in the pumpkin family, native to Mexico and the southern United States. In the wild state, it is unknown. In the USSR it is widely cultivated in horticultural and field crops. Common pumpkin blooms in June - July. The fruits ripen in August through September.
The seeds, peeled but with the inner grayish-green skin, and the pulp of the fruit are used for treatment. Pumpkin seeds should not be stored for more than a year. They have no odor and the taste resembles that of almonds.
Chemical composition
.Pumpkin seeds contain fatty and essential oils, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, vitamin B1, phytosterols, protein, lecithin, sugars, organic acids, resinous substances that kill intestinal parasites, and the hydrocarbon milene.
In the pulp of the fruit are found vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, carotenoids, nicotinic acid, phosphorus, silicic acid, salts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, cobalt. Ascorbic acid (up to 620 mg%) was found in the leaves, flavonoids and carotenoids in the flowers.
Action and application
.Pumpkin seeds have anthelmintic properties; the pulp is a good diuretic. The seeds are used against tapeworms and in some cases against roundworms. Their action is similar to that of male fern, but less toxic and somewhat inferior in activity. Raw pumpkin seeds along with the skin are crushed in a meat grinder, after which pour double the amount of water. Evaporate for 2 hours in a water bath, over a light heat, skimming the oil film from the surface of the decoction. The finished decoction is filtered through gauze. Adult dose from 500 g of seeds, children from 50-150 g of seeds. The day before it is necessary to cleanse the intestines with an enema. Take on an empty stomach for 20-30 minutes the entire decoction obtained after evaporation. In 2 hours after taking the decoction, a salt laxative is necessary. You can't take an oil laxative. A diet of a dairy and vegetable nature should be followed on this day. Eliminate fatty foods from the menu.
Pumpkin pulp improves intestinal function in constipation, increases the excretion of chloride salts from the body, increases diuresis without irritating the kidneys. It is prescribed for kidney and liver diseases, gout, heart disease accompanied by edema.
In the GDR, pumpkin seeds are used as an anthelmintic, especially in children's practice, as they do not irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
We recommend whole kernels or crushed mixed with water, sugar, honey or cocoa, as a paste.
Pumpkin pulp can be used to make delicious and healthy second and sweet dishes. Pumpkin seeds can be substituted for almonds in the preparation of confectionery (Dorfler and Roselt, 1964).
In domestic folk medicine, in addition to anthelmintic remedy pumpkin seeds are used for bladder pain. Pumpkin seeds are used to make milk like almond seeds.
We consume pumpkin seeds as an anthelmintic and the pulp as a diuretic and metabolism-improving agent. We recommend using pumpkin seeds (against tapeworms) as follows: 50 g of seeds peel off the skin, leaving the green skin, which contains the main active ingredients, and grind with 50 g of honey. At night to cleanse the stomach, in the morning take the porridge with honey an hour before meals. Four hours later, take a salt laxative. For 2 days the diet should be dairy and vegetable with the exclusion of fatty foods and oils.
Pumpkin pulp, boiled with honey, is very useful to eat with liver disease, kidney disease and all diseases that are accompanied by edema..
