scabwort, elf dock, wild sunflower, horseheal, velvet dock
a true native of southern England, temperate Europe and Asia, but it is cultivated in northern Britain.
the root
diuretic, tonic, expectorant, antiseptic, astringent, and gently stimulant. It is used principally in coughs, consumption and pulmonary complaints such as bronchitis. It is also used in acute catarrhal problems, dyspepsia and asthma. Internally, it is normally combined with other herbs as a decoction. Applied externally, it is rubefacient (causes the skiun to redden and peel off) and is used in treating sciatica and facial neuralgia. The active bitter principle in the herb, helenin, is a very powerful antiseptic and bacterial chemical. This means elecampane has been used against tubercle bacteria and in surgical dressings.
powedered root, fluid extract, tincture, poultice, infusion.