BURDOCK. Arctium lappa. N.O. Compositae.
Synonym : Hill, Lamm, Thorny Burr.
Habitat : This large plant, which grows to a height of five feet, is very commonly met along roadsides and in all waste places—indeed, wherever we see nettles, there also will be found Burdock.
Features : Stout stems with wide spreading branches carrying alternately fleshy, heart-shaped leaves. The purple flowers bloom luxuriously in July and August, and the bristly burs or bracts adhere lightly to the clothes and coats of animals. The root is thick, brownish-grey externally, whitish inside. Roots and seeds have a sweetish, slimy taste, the leaves and stems being bitter.
Part used : Root, seeds and the herb itself are used.
Action : Possesses alterative, diuretic and diaphoretic qualities, the root and herb being predominantly alterative, while the seeds affect more specifically the kidneys.
The liquid from 1 ounce of the root boiled in 1f pints of water simmered down to 1 pint, is taken four times daily in wineglass doses for many forms of skin trouble, noticeably boils, carbuncles and similar eruptions. Obstinate cases of eczema and even psoriasis have been known to yield to these decoctions of Burdock root, either alone or combined with other remedies.
An excellent lotion may be made by infusing the leaves in the proportion of 1 ounce to 1 pint of water.
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