Red Shank

Persicaria Maculosa, Polygonum Persicaria, Lady’s Thumb, Spotted Lady’s Thumb, Jesus Plant, and Red Shank

It grows along the banks of rivers, ditches, in wet places, in gardens and vegetable gardens, and everywhere as a weed

It is an annual herbaceous plant of the buckwheat family with a height of 20-80 cm. The stem is erect, and branched. The leaves are lanceolate, long-pointed, almost sessile, and without point glands on the lower surface. Blooms from July to September.

The flowers are small, pink, less often whitish with a greenish tinge, collected in a thick short dense brush. The fruit is a broadly ovoid convex black glossy nut. Ripens from July to autumn. The medicinal raw material is grass. Collect it during flowering, cutting off the tops 10-25 cm long.

Raw materials are cleaned from the impurities are laid out in a thin layer and dried in a well-ventilated room, outdoors, in the shade or in a dryer at a temperature of 40-50 ° C, stirring frequently. When drying with a thick layer, the grass turns black.

Dry raw materials have a faint smell and bitter taste. Stored in a closed container for 2 years. The herb of the mountaineer contains vitamin K, tannins, essential oil, acetic, butyric and ascorbic acids, flavonoids, mucus, sugars and pectin substances.

The preparations of the plant increase the viscosity and coagulability of blood, contribute to the contraction of the muscles of the uterus and intestines, constrict vessels, and have a laxative, diuretic and mild anti-inflammatory effect.

It is taken orally for hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding, for the treatment of atonic and spastic constipation, and externally for the treatment of wounds, ulcers and rashes.

With sore throats and inflammation of the larynx, as well as to strengthen the gums, the mouth and throat are rinsed with an infusion. In acute inflammation of the kidneys, preparations of the mountaineer of the kidney are contraindicated.

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