Learn what makes comfrey work as a healing plant and how to get the most out of comfrey. Includes detailed instructions on making a comfrey poultice.
Medicinal Uses of Comfrey
Comfrey has been known for centuries as a priceless herb for wounds, sprains, bruises, and even broken bones in both people and other animals. Farmers have long fed comfrey to their livestock for various ailments or as a spring tonic after a long winter of standing in the typical barnyard mire beneath overcast skies. Farmers have also fed comfrey to their families as a nearly unparalleled source of protein, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, B12, and C. To that end, it can be eaten in salads, sauteed along with other vegetables, or drunk as a comforting tea.
While comfrey has finally gained some acceptance from the “official” medical community, there is also a quite a bit of fear surrounding the consumption of comfrey. Recently, the FDA banned comfrey from all commercially produced herbal supplements. Bear in mind that the FDA decided to ban the plant only after injecting unnaturally large amounts of the plant's inherent alkaloids into animal test subjects, which then died of liver failure, just as they would have had the alkaloids been extracted from a carrot, concentrated, and injected into their bloodstreams. If nothing else, know that under no circumstances should a pregnant or nursing woman ingest comfrey. That's a commandment that should be heeded and taken seriously for many herbs. Consider yourself fairly warned in the name of science.
Fortunately, it is not necessary to ingest comfrey to reap its greatest medicinal benefits. Used externally, comfrey is completely safe, even for babies, and it is in its use as a wound dressing that comfrey's magic shines through. The next time you get a wound, sprain your ankle, burn yourself, or even break a bone, turn to comfrey for comfort. Of course, if you break your bone or get a serious burn, you'll want to head to the doctor right away, but as was mentioned before, even doctors are often forced to admit comfrey's power to speed the healing process. Comfrey's success as a healing agent is due to allantoin—a substance that speeds the production of new cells and aids in wound granulation (healing). Whether you're suffering a bruise, sprain, burn, cut, or busted bone, try making a comfrey poultice as the per the following instructions and prepare to be amazed:
Making a Comfrey Poultice
What you'll need:
- enough comfrey leaves to cover the affected area in a paste
- Purified water in some form—preferably distilled water or spring water
- a clean piece of gauze, large enough to cover the affected area
- something like an Ace bandage to wrap around the gauze and a pin or tape to hold it in place
- a blender or mortar and pestle
- a saucepan
Grind the leaves with a a mortar and pestle or place them in a blender with about half as much purified water as leaves. Grind or blend away at the comfrey and water until a paste is formed. If it's too soupy, add more leaves. Once you've got your leaves mashed in one way or another, you're ready to heat the paste. In a small saucepan, over very low heat so as not to scald the herbs, heat your mixture to a comfortable, soothing temperature, stirring constantly. Once the desired temperature is achieved, spread the paste thickly onto the gauze, place the gauze onto the wound, sprain, etc., and wrap with the bandaging material securely around the gauze pad. (NOTE: If you have an open wound such as a bite or gash, place a fresh gauze pad between the wound and the poultice paste so as not to introduce debris into the wound. For a scrape or scratch, direct introduction of the comfrey should be fine.) Secure with a safety pin or other sturdy fastening, and leave in place until the poultice has dried out, at which point you'll want to replace it with a fresh one.
Enjoy continuing to plan your miniature herbal pharmacy, and watch for the next installment: Fennel, the staff of Dionysus.
