Houndstongue
(Cynoglossum officinale)
I have included Houndstongue because it is a widespread native plant with many of the same medicinal uses as Comfrey. I am not all that familiar with the plant, so the information and photographs have been gleaned from books such as The Physician's desk Reference for Herbal Medicine. The pictures have been gathered from copyright free internet sites. I have given credit to the photographers. If any images contained here are copyrighted, please let me know, and I will remove them immediately.
Other Names:
Dog's Tongue, Gypsy Flower, Rats and Mice (Due to it's smell)
Range:
Family:
Boraginaceae, Borage or Forget-me-not Family
Growth Type:
This a biennial herbaceous plant.
Height:
The plant grows 1 to 3 feet high and up to 1/2" thick.
Leaves:
The shoots are gray-green and smell of mice. The lower leaves are in rosettes, which form a tough, coriaceous sheath at the base. The upper leaves are sessile and clasping. They are covered in gray green hairs.
Stem/Trunk:
The stems are usually rigidly erect, angular, hairy and heavily foliated.
Root:
The taproot is 10 - 30 cm long and up to 1.5 cm thick. It is reddish colored with a few fibers.
Flower Season:
Summer
Flower Appearance:
The flowers are on short, bent pedicles, which after flowering, grow to 1/2". The corolla is cup-shaped and larger than the calyx. The corolla is initially dark violet, then dull brown. It is occasionally white with thickened, velvety purple or light red, tubular scales. The nutlets are flat, ovoid and light brown. They are 5 - 7 mm wide, thickened at the edge, and covered with barbs.
Seed/Fruit:
The nutlets are flat, ovoid and light brown. They are 5 - 7 mm wide, thickened at the edge, and covered with barbs.
Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A
Habitat:
Throughout North America, in wet places, waste areas, hedge rows
Parts Used:
Leaves, stems, roots
Culinary Uses:
None. Like Comfrey, Houndstongue contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It is therefore not recommended for internal use. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are hepatotoxic, and hepatocarcinogenic in effect. Meaning they are toxic and cancer causing to the liver.
The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.
Energetics
Taste: Salty/Sweet
Thermal: Cooling
Humidity: Moistening
Medicinal Uses:
This plant is used medicinally. It contains Allantoin, a compound which aids in cellular regeneration. It is therefore quite effective at healing wounds. The Physician's Desk Reference For Herbal Medicines also lists usages such as antidiarrheal, and an expectorant. It further says it has been used as an analgesic, both internally, and externally, and as a cough sedative, although I think the author meant cough suppressant.
Houndstongue supposedly functions just as well as comfrey, but is much more readily found in the wild. I cannot attest to this fact, as I have not used the plant. It was brought to my attention by an acquaintance.
Like comfrey, C. officinale contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It is therefore not recommended for internal use. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are hepatotoxic, and hepatocarcinogenic in effect. Meaning they are toxic and cancer causing to the liver. There have been studies where rats were injected with enormous amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and some developed liver failure, while others developed cancer of the liver. For years, I have used Comfrey, another plant containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids, with no ill effects.
Cautions According To WebMD
Contra-Indications
None Known
Possible Side Effects:
None Known
Possible Interactions:
None Known
Medicinal Actions:
Anticatarrhial,
Antidiarrheal,
Antimitotic,
Antitussive,
Astringent,
Expectorant,
Vulnerary
Herbal Preparations For Cynoglossum officinale
Infusion
Part Used: Above ground plant (In Summer)
Plant State: Fresh
Place 2 ounces of the fresh chopped plant material into a quart mason jar, and fill the jar with almost boiling water. Cover the jar, place it in a sunny location, and let it sit for 8 to 10 hours. If refrigerated, the infusion will last a couple of days.
Dosage: 2-4 oz As Needed
Infusion
Part Used: Root (In Autumn)
Plant State: Fresh
Place 2 ounces of the fresh chopped root into a quart mason jar, and fill the jar with almost boiling water. Cover the jar, place it in a sunny location, and let it sit for 8 to 10 hours. If refrigerated, the infusion will last a couple of days.
Dosage: 2-4 oz As Needed
Infused Oil
Part Used: Above ground plant (In Summer)
Plant State: Fresh
Natural Solar infusion method:
In a quart mason jar, thoroughly mix 2 ounces of fresh chopped herb and 6 ounces by weight of the oil of your choice. Cover the jar and place in a sunny spot for a month or so. Strain your oil, return to the cleaned jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Crock Pot Method: (My favorite)
Place 2 ounces of fresh plant material and 6 ounces by weight of grape seed oil into a crock pot. Mix thoroughly, set the dial to its lowest setting, and allow to heat uncovered for 12 hours. After this time has elapsed, place the cover on the crock pot and turn the switch to off. Allow the pot to sit covered until the following morning. Then turn the crock pot once again to its lowest setting, remove the cover, and allow to heat uncovered for an additional 12 hours. Once this time has elapsed, allow the oil to cool enough that you can touch it without burning yourself, and then strain the plant material out. Now place the strained infused oil into a pint-sized mason jar and store it in the refrigerator until needed. (When straining my infused oils, I place a coffee filter into a fine metal sieve, and set the sieve over a glass bowl. I then pour the mixture into the strainer, and let it sit until all the oil has drained. Once it appears that it has completely drained, you will notice that there is much less than the 6 ounces of oil you started with. I usually take a large wooded spoon, or something else heavy, and pack the mixture into the strainer. I am always surprised how much oil is still released from the plant material. You can expect to yield just over 5 ounces by weight of your infused oil)
Dosage: You can apply infused oil topically as needed. You can also follow the directions below to turn your infused oil into an ointment or salve.
Ointment or Salve
Infused oils are turned into ointments and salves. I have found a 5:1 ration by weight of infused oil to bees wax yields the best consistency of ointment. In a medium saucepan, heat 5 ounces, by weight, of your previously prepared infused oil over low heat. When the oil is hot enough, stir in 1 ounce of grated bees wax. When the wax is completely dissolved, dip the back of a clean cold spoon into the mixture. Allow it to cool and solidify. If you find the ointment is too hard, add a little more oil, if you find it is too soft, add a little more bees wax, until you reach your desired consistency. To make an even more luxurious feeling ointment, before it cools, try adding 1 tablespoon of lanolin to your ointments. If you are anything like me, you will love the luxurious texture, and soothing effect it has on your skin.
Dosage: Apply topically as needed
Tincture
Part Used: Above ground plant (In Summer)
Plant State: Fresh
Alcohol Percentage: 75%
Plant to Alcohol Ratio: 1:2
Label a quart mason jar with the plant name, the part of the plant used, the percentage of alcohol used, and the date the tincture was started.
Fill the jar to the neck with chopped fresh leaves, then pour in 150 proof Everclear (Or the highest percentage available to you). Next pour the contents of the jar into a blender and blend until all of the plant material is thoroughly chopped into fine pieces and incorporated into the menstrum. This will increase the surface area and provide better leaching of the plant constituents. As a matter of fact, this method works so well that, if necessary, the tincture can be used in as little as 7 days. Now pour the contents of the blender back into the jar, being careful to scrape every last bit of goodness from the blender. Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for another 3 weeks. After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out the spent plant material. Your tincture will remain viable for 2-3 years.
Dosage: Apply 3-5 ml externally to affected areas.
