Symphytum Officinale
(Symphytum Officinale L.)

Tribe: Boraginaceae
Crude Name: Symphyti Radix , symphyti herba .

Description
This plant is very common in Europe and western Asia, which grows in wet grass or the edge of the gutter. In Indonesia, usually planted in pots or in gardens as a medicinal plant.
Herb, forming clumps, 20-50 cm high. Quasi-trunk plants. Single leaf, ovate, pointed tip and the base, flat edge, the surface rough-haired, 27-50 cm long, 4,5-14 cm wide, pinnate bone, the stem grows at the base to form alternate roots, it's green. Compound interest, the shape of a funnel, yellowish white. Round fruit, each fruit consists 4 seed. Seeds rounded, small, hard, and black. The young leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. Propagation by root division.

Nature and Usefulness
Leaf efficacious as anti-inflammatory and antipyretic, nutritious roots while to stop bleeding (hemostatis).

Chemical content
Leaves contain symphytine, echimidine, anadoline, pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAS), tannins, essential oils, allantoin, and vitamins (B1, B2, C and E). Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are known to cause liver damage, called hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD). While the roots contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids with a huge amount of leaves.

Portion used
Leaves and roots.

How to Use
20-30 g of fresh roots were boiled, then the drink.
For external use, fresh leaves, finely milled, finely ground root mixed with a little lime to cure festering wounds, ulcers in the leg, then dab on a sore spot.

Note
• Excessive use of lead poisoning, particularly liver damage.
• For external use, the use of leaves as a remedy for healing wounds and broken bones are not problematic.