THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF COMFREY
IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS
HISTORY OF COMFREY
IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS
HISTORY OF COMFREY
COMFREY
by Sabrina G. Seitz, RN
by Sabrina G. Seitz, RN
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"Natural Healing with Herbs for a Healthier You"
Comfrey has enjoyed a long, noble, and quiet existence - until the 1990’s. The tea was a common sight on most store shelves, being very popular in the 1970’s and 80’s as a wonderful healing and tonic herb. It has been part of folk medicine since 400 BC, but Dr. John R. Christopher, noted herbalist, believes that it is an herb that “harkens back to the Garden of Eden.” Having common names like knitbone, bruise-wort, wound wort, gum plant, healing herb and slippery root, it is easy to imagine some of its uses. It was famous as a universal salve for the various wounds of war and life in general, specifically in its ability to knit bones. In fact, the very name “symphytum” comes from the Greek meaning “to make grow together.” The Latin “officinale” was added when the herb became a part of the official pharmacy list of herbs kept in the apothecary’s shop. Our use of the word “comfrey” comes from the Latin “confera”, also meaning “knitting together.”
Early documents reveal that comfrey was included in the herbal (AD 50) of Dioscorides, an ancient Greek Botanic physician, who traveled with Alexander the Great’s army. Comfrey was found growing wild along the way as they went about conquering the known world. During the middle ages, several herbals and material medica of the day described comfrey’s medicinal uses, such as treatment of wounds and fractures. The roots were used as a tea for patients that would spit up blood. Most of these references indicate the Russian and, later, European varieties of comfrey. The Turks and Saracens used comfrey to heal wartime wounds. Comfrey was introduced into England and by the mid 1800’s was being cultivated by the ton, being used mostly as a crop food for animals. Later, a Quaker by the name of Henry Doubleday (1812-1902) had a hybrid from the Caucasus and European strains of comfrey imported into the US for which he also used mostly as animal fodder. Samuel Thomson, a nineteenth century botanic physician and outspoken herbalist, gave us the earliest recording of the use of comfrey in this country. Later it was included in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, but toward the end of the century, the medical community relegated it to the list of “trivial” medicines. In the last 25 years, Comfrey has gained attention, but not in a good way. This valuable herb has fallen from grace and is now on the “banned “ list, hailed not as a healer, but as a killer.
Early documents reveal that comfrey was included in the herbal (AD 50) of Dioscorides, an ancient Greek Botanic physician, who traveled with Alexander the Great’s army. Comfrey was found growing wild along the way as they went about conquering the known world. During the middle ages, several herbals and material medica of the day described comfrey’s medicinal uses, such as treatment of wounds and fractures. The roots were used as a tea for patients that would spit up blood. Most of these references indicate the Russian and, later, European varieties of comfrey. The Turks and Saracens used comfrey to heal wartime wounds. Comfrey was introduced into England and by the mid 1800’s was being cultivated by the ton, being used mostly as a crop food for animals. Later, a Quaker by the name of Henry Doubleday (1812-1902) had a hybrid from the Caucasus and European strains of comfrey imported into the US for which he also used mostly as animal fodder. Samuel Thomson, a nineteenth century botanic physician and outspoken herbalist, gave us the earliest recording of the use of comfrey in this country. Later it was included in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, but toward the end of the century, the medical community relegated it to the list of “trivial” medicines. In the last 25 years, Comfrey has gained attention, but not in a good way. This valuable herb has fallen from grace and is now on the “banned “ list, hailed not as a healer, but as a killer.