Useful and medicinal properties of wormwood citrine( darminous)

Perennial half-shrub plant up to 50 cm high, with a thick rhizome and subordinate roots. Stems numerous, erect, branching, smooth, with a yellowish bark, at the base woody. The branches are thin, pressed against the stem. The leaves are twice-thrice-drained, small, greenish-sero-opushennye, upper - simple linear. Flowers are small, in little-flowered baskets, collected in spicate inflorescences. Blossoms in August-September.

grows in Southern Kazakhstan, the surroundings of Shymkent and Tashkent and Tajikistan.

Medicinal raw materials are well developed, but not blown baskets and grass, collected from the beginning of August to September( blooming baskets should not be collected).Finished raw materials - yellowish and brownish-green color, have a sharp camphor smell, bitter taste. It is stored in a covered, well ventilated place, with observance of the rules for storage of poisonous plants. Shelf life 3 years.

The flower basket of wormwood contains santonin( santoninic acid anhydride), resin, fat, bitter, essential oil, etc.

The main active ingredient of wormwood is santonin, used as an antihelminthic agent( against round worms).The highest single dose for adults is 0,1 g, daily - 0,4 g.

In the medical practice, the dried inflorescences of the wormwood are also used as antihelminthic agent( ascarids, pinworms) called citric seed. Dried flower baskets are ground in a mortar and taken after appropriate preparation of the patient in a mixture with sugar, jam, honey or syrup - 5 grams of citric seed for adults 3 times a day for 1.5-2 hours before meals for 2 days;after the last reception at night, a laxative is prescribed.

Since santonin is a poison( list B), they should be treated only as directed and under the supervision of a physician.

Symptoms of poisoning in the treatment of citrine wormwood: vomiting, diarrhea, xanthopsia, respiratory depression and cardiac activity, seizure.

First aid and treatment: gastric lavage, saline laxative, with cramps - chloral hydrate in enemas, warm baths.