Division and its use

Divizna, popularly: sedge, sedge, sedge, ploughshare, royal candle, etc., grows on stony slopes, in meadows and in forest clearings. In the first year, a rosette of ground-level, slightly felted leaves is formed, which die in autumn, and in the second year, a stem up to 2 m tall grows. Blooms from May to September.

The division contains mucilaginous substances, flavonoids, a small amount of essential oil, sugars and saponins (from the Latin sapo=soap, it foams when poured with water).

For medicinal purposes, the flower is used (corolla with stamens without green calyx). The flowers open in the morning and fall the same day in the evening, they are collected in dry weather when they are dry from the morning dew, they are dried in a well-ventilated and dry place, they would turn brown in moisture. Dried flowers are stored in well-sealable containers, e.g. in a mason jar. In paper and cloth bags, they could get wet and lose their effectiveness.

The division is used with:

- in the form of an infusion (tea) to facilitate expectoration in coughs associated with mucus production and to alleviate irritating coughs, as they form a slimy coating on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which protects them from drying out; in cold diseases, it promotes sweating and has mild diuretic effects;

- in the form of a gargle as an anti-inflammatory agent for inflammation of the mouth and larynx;

- in the form of an ointment as a supportive treatment for hemorrhoids, to speed up the healing of wounds and around leg ulcers.

Preparation

- you prepare the infusion by pouring 1-2 teaspoons of flowers (fresh or dried) over 2 dl of hot water, after infusing (10-15 min) pour through a thick sieve to remove fine hairs that could irritate a cough; although the division has a "honey" taste, you can add honey or sugar to the tea, and if you are diabetic, add an artificial sweetener;

- you prepare the ointment by putting 100 g of rendered pork lard into a bowl that you place in a water bath and letting it melt, in the meantime wrap 2 handfuls of fresh or dried flowers in cheesecloth and place them in the lard, after 30 minutes remove the bowl from the water bath , squeeze the gauze and remove it with the division flowers and mix the lard until it cools; store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

21/07/2018
M.Sc. Radka Brichcínová

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