Useful and medicinal properties of plantain flea

( flea)

A small annual plant with a branchy stem 15-30 cm high. Leaves opposite, linear, with abundant glandular pubescence in the upper part. The flowers are small, unattractive, in dense oblong or ovate inflorescences in the axils of the leaves. Fruit is a box with two shiny seeds. Seeds are scaphoid shaped, oval-pointed, with curved edges, odorless, 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. The plant has a reddish-brown color, and the seeds resemble fleas( hence the popular name - flea), black, shiny. Blooms in May-June.

Grows in sandy infertile places;in the wild it is found only in Transcaucasia. Cultivated in the Voronezh region.

With a therapeutic purpose, seeds are harvested, which are harvested in early autumn;they contain a large amount of mucus( up to 30%), so they have a strong enveloping and soothing effect in inflammations of the intestinal mucosa( diarrhea) and are widely used in scientific and folk medicine as a good laxative for intestinal atony and constipation. Seeds of plantain flea, if necessary, can be replaced with seeds of plantain plantain and plantain lanceolate, as they also have a lot of mucous substances. The usual dosage of seeds is from 5 to 15 g, i.e. 1-3 h. Of a spoon for taking.

Outwardly, these drugs are used as lotions for inflammation of the eyes( with mandatory filtering through dense material) and as an ointment for inflammation of the mammary glands.

Application

As a laxative: 1 tbsp.spoon( 20 g) of crushed or whole seeds of plantain flea are taken at night or in the morning on an empty stomach, washed down with water.

As enveloping: 10 g of crushed seeds( 2 tsp) are poured into the glassware, 2 teaspoons of water are poured,

is shaken, 90 ml( 6 tablespoons) of boiling water are added, shaken again until it cools, then passes throughgauze or dense material and used as a lotion for inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes. Inside take on 1 tbsp.spoon 3 times a day.

Ointment: crushed seeds mixed with petroleum jelly.