Herbs, Health and History: 2016

Making Comfrey oil

Gather comfrey leaves, enough, that when chopped, they will fill a quart-size jar. (roughly 10-15 large leaves)

Pick off all damaged, eaten or browned leaves

Chop coarsely and discard heavy stems

Place in a quart-size jar with a tight-fitting lid

Fill the jar completely with chopped leaves, but do not pack it too tightly.

Take a chopstick (or a similar tool) to poke into, and around, the leaves, to be sure that there is enough room for the oil to reach all of the leaf surfaces (this is why you don’t want the jar to be packed too tightly.)

Cover the chopped leaves completely with organic olive oil (a fully-packed quart-size jar will take about 2 ½ cups of oil – make sure oil covers all of the plant material.)

Close lid tightly.

Leave sitting on a windowsill for 6 weeks. Be sure to label the jar, both with the name of the contents and the date that it will be ready.

After six weeks, strain out the herbs very well, careful to get every possible bit of oil pressed out, before discarding the plant material (that oil is all good medicine!)

Use a small bottle (a recycled dark-glass tincture bottle is excellent) to keep a supply of comfrey oil on hand. Keep the rest of the batch in a clean quart jar, and store in the refrigerator. Oil will keep for about 1 year. When you take more oil from this jar, be careful to have clean hands, and to use clean utensils, so as not to contaminate the main supply.

Uses :

Injuries

Comfrey’s ability to promote the healing of bruises, sprains, fractures, and broken bones has been known for thousands of years. It encourages ligaments and bones to knit together firmly. A comfrey compress (see below) applied immediately to a sprained ankle can significantly reduce the severity of the injury. The combination of tannins and mucilage help to sooth bruises and scrapes.

Skin Problems

Comfrey oil or ointment is used to treat acne and boils, and to relieve psoriosis. It is also valuable in the treatment of scars.

Key Preparations - Chop leaves, apply as a poultice for boils; Infused oil of leaves, apply to sprains ; Ointment of leaves, apply to bruises; Tincture of root, apply undiluted to acne

Cautions

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids – Comfrey contains Pyrrolizidine alkaloids and research shows that, as isolated substances, pyrrolizidine alkaloids are highly toxic to the liver. It is still unclear whether they are toxic in the context of the whole plant, as they are only present in minute amounts, often being completely absent from samples of dried arial parts. The highest concentration is in the root, and until its safety is confirmed (or denied) comfrey root should not be used internally. (The aerial parts are considered safe.)

Making Comfrey Oil

First, find a reliable source for your fresh comfrey, make sure it is free of pesticides and other such contaminants. If you are lucky enough to find it where you can wild harvest, find out who owns the property; ask permission to harvest; and find out if the area is sprayed. Also, make sure that it is at least 5o yards from roads (where the fumes of passing cars will contaminate the plant.) Your very best bet is to grow your own, or to find a local organic grower.