Male fern is considered a perennial medicinal plant. It has short thickened rhizomes with thin brown roots. The plant can be found in the forests. Usually it occupies a large territory. A fern in the forest prefers to grow in moist shaded areas. It grows in the form of continuous thickets. There is widespread use of fern in folk medicine.
This plant has always been considered sacred. Infusions and decoctions of rhizomes are of particular benefit. In ancient times, it was the fern that helped to combat various diseases. Signs indicated that its flowering can be seen once a year on the feast of Ivan Kupala.
Plant description
Fern is a perennial herb of the Shchitovnikovye family. It has a horizontal rhizome covered with brown and soft scales. On top are leaves.
The thyroid is propagated by spores. They are on the back of the sheet. But disputes cannot be seen with the armed eye, they can be seen only under a microscope. They begin to ripen in the middle of summer. Leaves live one season, and by the fall they wither.
Plant habitat
Male fern grows in spruce and oak forests, in places rich in humus. It can be found in mountain beech forests in the Caucasus, in the spruce taiga of Siberia and cedar forests in the Far East.
The plant has spread throughout the CIS countries. It occupied huge areas in Ukraine, in the Moscow and Tver regions. You can also meet ferns in the garden.
How does fern harvesting occur?
Male fern is not used in medicine entirely - only its rhizome is needed. Fresh, it has an unpleasant odor and a bitter aftertaste. Cutting the rhizome, you can see that it is yellowish-green in color. Although it is poisonous, it has healing properties.
Rhizomes are harvested in mid-autumn or early spring. You can find ferns in the garden. They need to be dug up, cut off young roots, cleaned from the ground and, if necessary, get rid of the decayed lower part. Then the rhizome must be cut along and across. It should be dried at a temperature of 40 degrees. You can store such raw materials only a year. Since it is toxic, it must be stored in glass jars with a tightly closed lid.
In some cases, forest fern is used fresh. But then, for medicinal purposes, the leaves of the plant will be required. Collect them in the summer and dry in the fresh air. Then the raw materials are used to prepare medicinal infusions.
Biologically active components
Forest fern has many biologically active components.
- The root of the plant contains filixin and flavaspidic acid.
- Also included are phloroglucin, filmaron, albaspidine, and aspidinol.
- Rhizome contains essential oil and starch.
The main active substances are fernic acid and filaron. They are classified as muscle poisons.
Pharmacological properties of the plant
It is known that the anthelmintic effect is what the fern has in the first place. Useful properties and contraindications are a very important point that you need to familiarize yourself with before using the plant.
Preparations made from fern rhizomes have a number of properties:
- they are able to fight with worms;
- can anesthetize;
- cleanse;
- heal.
In medicine, drugs from plant rhizomes are used to remove tapeworms. They are also necessary when detecting bovine, pork or dwarf tapeworm, tapeworm and other types of tapeworms in the body.
The tool can be sold in the form of an ether extract or tablets. Take drugs only under the supervision of doctors. Fern hoods will be needed for rheumatism, cramps and hemorrhoids. They are also used for varicose veins and ovarian inflammation in women. Male fern can be used externally. Its properties help treat skin diseases.
The use of male fern in folk medicine
Everyone knows that the thyroid is a poisonous plant. But people have learned to use it for noble purposes. In folk medicine, preparations from its rhizomes are used internally for pain in the gastrointestinal tract. Male fern is also used parenterally for mental and nervous disorders, diarrhea, eczema.
Therapeutic tincture can be used as an anesthetic for neuralgia, arthritis and rheumatism. You can also use baths with a decoction of the rhizomes of the plant. They are used for varicose dermatitis, leg ulcers and nerve inflammation.
In addition, the male fern is able to heal purulent wounds and ulcers. To do this, it is enough to prepare a decoction from its rhizome. Then they need to wash the problem areas. Also, a herb remedy is used as compresses.
But in any case, we must not forget that fern is a poisonous plant, so you need to monitor the dosage of medicines based on thyroid. Basically, such funds are taken externally.
Medicines and their doses
A decoction of thyroid rhizomes is prepared from 10 g of dry raw materials and a glass of water. The ingredients should be combined and boiled until the liquid is reduced to half. Then the broth needs to be filtered.
The drug is taken from tape parasites as follows:
- children from 2 to 6 years old need to take the drug, 8 drops at a time;
- children from 6 to 10 years old should take the drug in 10 drops once;
- from 10 to 16 years - 12 drops;
- adults - 15 drops.
The broth can be taken with other diseases, but in this case it will be necessary to mix it with vodka in the calculation of 1: 1. The finished product must be stored in the refrigerator.
A decoction for external use is prepared from 200 g of rhizomes and 2 liters of water. This tool should be simmered for about 2 hours. Then the broth needs to be filtered.
Side effects
As side effects, degenerative changes in the liver can occur. In addition, the following violations are observed:
- Sometimes nausea and vomiting appear.
- The use of drugs leads to diarrhea.
- Dizziness and headaches may appear.
- In some cases, there is a weakening of the heart.
Contraindications thyroid-based drug
Not all categories of patients can take this remedy:
- Fern-based preparations should not be taken for children under 2 years old.
- Also, such a remedy is contraindicated in heart failure, liver and kidney diseases.
- It is better not to take this drug for pregnant women.
- The drug is contraindicated in stomach ulcers and diseases of the 12 duodenal ulcer.
- The drug is not prescribed for anemia and tuberculosis.
Thyroid-based recipes
- With ovarian inflammation, it is necessary to purchase a dry or fresh leaf of fern. You need to take a glass of boiling water and a large spoon with chopped leaves. Heat the product in a water bath for about 15 minutes. Then the medicine should be infused for 40 minutes. After which the broth needs to be filtered. It is necessary to take it 50 ml 3 times a day before meals. The course of admission can be carried out up to 3 weeks.
- With varicose veins, a remedy is prepared from the fresh root of the plant. It needs to be crushed to a state of gruel. The resulting mass must be combined with sour milk in the calculation of 1: 1. The compress from the finished product should be applied in a thick layer to the problem area and wrapped with gauze for 5 hours.
- With oncology, you can prepare a remedy from a fresh root. To do this, you need to wash and grind it. The resulting slurry must be placed in a glass jar. Then natural cognac should be poured there and the product should be closed with a lid as tightly as possible. It should be infused for about 3 weeks, but every three days the liquid needs to be shaken. Take this remedy should be 15 ml 3 times a day between meals.
Fern is considered a poisonous plant, but healing. It is used to get rid of many different diseases. In addition to the usual decoctions and infusions, bathtubs based on the thyroid gland are very popular. Care must be taken to take the remedy from fern, as it has a number of contraindications and side effects. That is why it is very important to consider the dose and in no case exceed it.