Pine (Pinus sylvestris) - medicinal plant

Pine cone is a representativefamily pine, under good natural conditions, it can reach a height of 50 meters. The duration of her life can be 400 years. If the tree has comfortable conditions, then its annual growth reaches 80 centimeters.

Pine tree - description of the plant

This plant has a straight trunk, whichcovered with red-brown bark. The leaves of the pine in the form of needles that are dark green, very long and stiff, their lifespan is about 2-3 years. The pine forest has staminate spikelets that are twisted at the base of the shoot, the pistillate spikelets are gray-yellow in color and very numerous, and the stamens and pistils are on the same tree. After fertilization, the cones grow and rive, the seeds ripen after only one and a half years. Usually in early March they fall out of cones and sprout. The pine of Scots pine begins from the age of 15, this occurs in May-June. This tree is distributed throughout the forest zone in the territory of the CIS countries.

Pine needles have medicinal qualities. It is used for poultices and compresses for more than 5 thousand years. In ancient times, the resin of this tree was used for embalming. Some of the found compounds retained their bactericidal properties despite the fact that it has been about 3 thousand years. In ancient Rus pine needles helped many to strengthen the gums and teeth, and also disinfected the oral cavity, for this it was simply chewed.

Pine coniferous - collection of raw materials

In medicine, not only the needles of this tree, but also the kidneys, resin, and pollen are used. From pine they get turpentine, rosin, tar, wood vinegar.

Collection of kidneys begins in early spring, at that time,when they have already swelled, but have not yet blossomed. If you start to collect them earlier, they will be small in size and they contain few more biologically active substances. You can not collect apical buds on young trees, this should be done only during sanitary cleaning or spring cutting. After the kidneys are ripped off, they are dried, usually in an attic or in a sheltered place from the sun and a well-ventilated place. If there is favorable weather, then within a week or a week and a half the buds dry up completely. You can use them for two years.

Conducting the collection of pine needles at any time, but it is best to make harvesting in winter or late autumn. It is at this time in it the greatest amount of essential oil, as well as ascorbic acid.

To prepare coniferous paws thatare used in the preparation of coniferous-vitamin flour, chlorophyll paste or pine extract, it is possible to go out into the forest at any time, shoots are prepared, the thickness of which is not more than 8 mm.

During the vegetation period, the preparation of the gum is carried out. After the cleaning of the gum has been carried out, rosin and turpentine are obtained from it.

When tarred stumps are uprooted, theypass a dry distillation. Thus, it turns out turpentine, charcoal and liquid tar. And after the distillation with the use of water vapor through the legs - get essential oil.

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) - use in medicine

As an expectorant is used decoction ofkidney pine. It excites the secretory activity of the epithelium of the respiratory tract, therefore the viscosity of the sputum decreases, the functions of the ciliary epithelium are stimulated. Also, this broth has a diuretic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant effect. Drugs from pine need an expectorant, antimicrobial, disinfectant, diuretic, antiscorbutic, analgesic effect on the body.

Infusion of cones helps in the treatment of heart disease. Tea from pollen is indispensable for rheumatism and gout, and tincture in the treatment of lung diseases.