Knotweed plants Chinese rhubarb
Plant description
The home of the medicinal rhubarb is China. Today it is also cultivated in Europe. However, the largest amount of the drug comes from wild growing 5 to 10 year old plants.
The root is strong, with numerous secondary roots and tubers. The basal leaves grow as leaf rosettes, long stalked and broadly heart-shaped. From it grows an upright stem, hollow, glabrous or also stiffly hairy.
The stem leaves are clearly smaller. The small whitish flowers are in tufts at the end of the stems. From them grow triangular fruits which can also be winged.
The plant is very similar to our garden rhubarb. The rootstock and roots of plants that are at least 5 years old. They are dug out, cleaned, peeled in fresh condition and then quickly dried.
Ingredients
Anthraquinones (Emodin, Rhine) and its derivatives, tanning agents.
Curative effects and application
The drug has an expectorant and laxative effect. It is used to prepare special preparations and extracts. It is still used today when a mild laxative effect and soft stool are desired, for example in hemorrhoids. Rhubarb root is rarely found in teas.
Application in homeopathy
Rheumatism remedy is made from the peeled and dried rootstock. It is often used in pediatrics for diarrhea. To use a laxative drug as a stuffing agent corresponds to the healing principle of homeopathy: “Similar things should be cured with similar things”.
Especially during the teething phase, in case of summer diarrhea. The diarrhea is foul-smelling, sour, foamy. Even the skin of children smells sour.
The children often have colicky stomach aches, they are very restless, moan and cry. In adults, flatulence and diarrhoea caused by fermentation processes can be positively influenced. The most common potencies are D2 and D3.
Side effects
Side effects are not to be feared with normal dosage. It should be noted that laxatives are generally not suitable for long-term use.
