The 21st century is in the yard, but despite this, some natural substances and medicines of the “old generation” were, are and will be in active use. Such funds should include tar. What is tar made of? What properties does it possess and are they useful? What diseases are tar indispensable for? How will he help to become more beautiful? You can find answers to all these questions and many others in the article.
What tar is made of
Tar production is based on a dry distillation process in which branches, chocks and peel of trees of certain species take part. Most people are for some reason sure that tar can only be made from birch.
In fact, this is far from the case. Let's dispel this myth once and for all. The only correct answer to the question of which tree tar is made of is from the bark and wood of any tree belonging to deciduous or coniferous species. Also, coal can become the basis for its manufacture. It is worth noting that for the preparation of tar, both specialized conditions and equipment, as well as home conditions, are suitable. In the latter case, the apparatus for distillation of the starting components is done independently.
The healing properties of birch tar
What tar is made of, we have already considered, now let's look at what properties it has. Of course, we will focus on healing properties.
So, birch tar is an excellent analgesic, absorbable and anti-inflammatory drug that can be used both individually and in combination, for example, as part of a particular drug.
Tar contains a lot of healing substances. This led to its use in the course of therapy. Tar helps stimulate and accelerate the regeneration of the epidermis, improves blood circulation to tissues. It is known in traditional and traditional medicine, in cosmetology and even in the construction industry.
Tar is effective in treating a variety of skin diseases (eczema, erysipelas, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, folliculitis, scaly lichen, fungal infections, scabies, bedsores, head lice), trophic ulcers and others.
It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects on burns and wounds of various origins. Dandruff, acne, dropsy of the abdomen, urolithiasis, digestive upsets, urethritis, bronchial asthma, tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, mastitis, bleeding and even gangrene - tar will say goodbye to all this.
Tar as a medicine
From time immemorial, wood tar has been actively used in traditional medicine. The most common product is from pine, birch, beech, juniper and coal.
The action, the effect of the drug depends on the concentration of tar in it. As a rule, preparations containing tar are anti-inflammatory drugs that contribute to the resorption of infiltrates, reduce the degree of redness of the skin. It has an antiseptic, antiparasitic, antipruritic effect.
Tar: instructions for use
Due to the wide range of therapeutic effects, tar is used as the main drug in the treatment of many different skin diseases. These include pyoderma, neurodermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, fungal diseases of the skin , scabies, improper keratinization.
If subacute or chronic dermatosis is diagnosed, tar should be applied externally: make compresses from solutions, lubricate problem areas with tar ointments or pastes, the concentration of the active substance in which does not exceed 20%.
People who succumb to dermatitis and acute eczema, after the elimination of the foci, is prescribed treatment of wounds with zinc oxide, in which about 2% is the share of tar.
In the fight against chronic eczema, which corresponds to the stationary and regressing stages of psoriasis, ointments with a 3-5% concentration of the active substance are used.
Tar paste and ointments 5–20% will help with seborrhea, scabies, pruritus, chronic eczema. Also, with such ailments, tar baths are prescribed with the calculation of using 50-100 grams of tar at one time.
If the skin is struck by a fungal disease, tar is applied in 5-10% concentration. Tar is used as a resolving agent in the form of ointments, solutions, and pasty masses of 10–20% concentration.
The concentration of tar in the drug depends on the complexity and neglect of the inflammatory process. The sharper this process, the less the specific gravity of the active substance in the preparation should be.
Tar preparations
Tar birch. It is an oily thick liquid of black color. The smell is specific.
Tar water. A mixture of tar and water in a ratio of 1:10. It has a yellow tint and a characteristic odor. Despite the fact that traditional medicine, due to the carcinogenicity of the substance, it is forbidden to use tar inside, reviews of people who have been treated with water with it refute fears and demonstrate an amazing therapeutic effect.
It is used for diseases of the cardiovascular system, digestive tract, and atherosclerosis. When using tar inside, you need to drink a tablespoon of the drug before bedtime, then wrap yourself in a warm scarf and go to bed. Gradually, the dose increases.
To effectively cleanse the body, tar tar should be taken for 1.5 weeks, 2 tablespoons before meals once a day. After treatment, a ten-day break is required, after which the course is repeated. Then pause, but for three weeks, and after it, drink the drug for another 10 days and for 12 months completely forget about tar.
However, before using such a medicine, a doctor’s consultation is mandatory.
Liquor carbonis detergens Hippocastani decoloratus - a drug produced in the form of a solution, ointment, shake mass, etc. It has no color. The concentration of tar can be from 2 to 20%.
Tar in cosmetology
In modern cosmetology there is a mass of all kinds of skin care products, hair, nails that contain tar. In a word, there is plenty to choose from. Birch tar is made from birch peel by heat treatment.
Tar soap is an excellent way to care for problem skin. It makes it clean, promotes drying and has an anti-inflammatory effect. When applied to the skin, tar penetrates the enlarged pores, cleanses them and normalizes the intensity of fat secretions, prevents inflammation, ridding the skin of acne and blackheads.
Birch tar shampoo is a natural hair care product. It has an antiseptic effect on the scalp, promotes the regeneration of its cells, and relieves irritation. Ideal in the fight against dandruff and excessive oily hair.
Also from the pharmacy birch tar, you can make various creams, masks at home.
When is tar prohibited?
The priceless benefit of tar is obvious. He is endowed with healing properties. But along with the obvious benefits, this drug can be harmful to human health. So, it is forbidden to use tar in the form of compresses on certain areas of the skin (axillae, folds of the skin and on the bend of the knee). The substance should not be used for a long time, as this can cause irritation and worsen the course of the eczematous process. Inside, it is allowed to use exclusively purified medicinal product of natural origin - natural tar.
Contraindications contain information regarding the prohibition of the use of pharmacy tar products inside. The reason for this is the presence of carcinogenic substances in their composition . During exacerbation of the pathology, tar therapy is unacceptable. Pregnant and lactating mothers the drug in question is also contraindicated. Do not forget, before using tar as the main or complex therapeutic substance, you should pass a test for sensitivity and tolerance. To do this, it is enough to apply a little funds on the skin in the area of the elbow bend of the hand.
Tar in construction
The scope of the use of tar is not only medicine. It finds its application in construction. But if in medicine you can clearly state why it is needed - to combat a certain list of diseases, then in construction tar can be part of special mixtures that are used for laying asphalt, repairing pavement or for construction purposes.
It is worth noting that tar as such is not used in the construction industry. In most cases, certain substances are obtained from it, which subsequently become components of building mixtures.
What tar is made of, we already know. But what do they make of it?
Pitch. Produced by distillation of tar, eliminating moisture and light oils. The resulting substance is used in combination with other components for the production of building materials. As a rule, such a mixture cannot be dispensed with when building roads.
Emulsions. Obtained by combining tar, water and substances capable of lowering the level of surface tension of water in order to completely dissolve the particles of the active substance. Actively used in the road industry as a basis for soil asphalt and clay.
Rules for working with building tar
When working with tarry substances, you must adhere to certain rules:
1. Work with tar implies the presence of special protective equipment: gloves, goggles, respirators, protective clothing.
2. Compliance with fire safety rules is mandatory! Do not forget that the properties of tar, the main raw material, include flammability, which persists even after processing. Store tarry substances away from fire, avoiding direct sunlight.
3. Avoid contact of substances from the tar on the skin during the sultry season, as they can cause burns. As a prevention of such a negative effect, the skin should be treated with glycerin or creams, which are based on starch, and then cover the exposed parts of the body with special protective clothing.
Cooking tar at home
You will need:
- cast iron with a capacity of 9-10 liters;
- large pan;
- pan;
- clay.
Step-by-step instruction:
1. Take the cast iron and make a hole about 4 cm in diameter at the bottom of it. This will be the outlet for wood distillation products.
2. Choose a pan in which the lower part of the iron fits tightly.
3. Put the cast iron in the pan and carefully coat the place of contact of the two vessels (the edges of the pan and the wall of the cast iron) with wet clay.
4. Put the dried branches (from which tree tar is made, we examined above) in cast iron and cover it with a frying pan of an appropriate diameter.
5. Coat the pan with moist clay.
6. Bury pots and the bottom of the iron in the ground.
7. Put a load of about 30 kg in the pan.
8. Make a fire. It should be around cast iron. The degree of combustion is moderate. Duration - 2.5–3 hours. While the fire is burning, it is necessary to monitor the integrity of the clay layer, which was applied to the edges of the pan. In case of cracking, immediately cover with clay again. This is done in order to exclude the possibility of volatilization of resinous epaulettes and phenols, which are one of the main components of tar.
9. Extinguish the flame.
10. Remove cast iron and pot from the ground and allow the home-made distillation apparatus to cool.
11. Separate one container from another and drain the accumulated tar from the pan into a glass vessel. The latter should be hermetically sealed to avoid the loss of volatile substances.
After such a distillation of tar, the output is about 0.2 kg.
Manual production of the substance was more relevant in the old days. What was the name of the one who makes tar? The man who made it wore the proud title of "tar". Now there are practically no tar, since the production process of the substance is fully automated.
It is interesting!
Would you like to know the answer to the question regarding what use of tar was in antiquity and has completely disappeared today? Question with a twist, agree! In antiquity tar was processed from what bast shoes are made of. Tar was used to impregnate planks that were worn on bast shoes for walking in rainy weather. Due to the tar coating, the wooden lining did not rot or get wet. Such an “addition” was called wooden galoshes, or hollowed-out tablets-blocks.
And what else can be between ancient bast shoes and tar? What tree are bast shoes made of? Tar was made from birch. But it was this tree that was used as a raw material for weaving bast shoes.