Comfrey

the root of comfrey (Symphytum radix)

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a sturdy perennial with hairy, rough leaves and bell-shaped flowers in colours from violet to dirty white. It grows in damp meadows, beside ditches and streams, where the soil is deep. The root is thick, almost black outside, white and mucilaginous inside, which is why it is called black root.

The root is dug in autumn after the parts above ground have died back, or early in spring; it is washed, cut lengthways and dried slowly, because it is fleshy. In Stična, by Ašič's tradition, it was used above all fresh, to make the ointment.

Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so preparations use it externally only and with the content of those substances controlled; taking it internally is not advised. In Ašič's collection it appears in Comfrey Ointment, one of his best known preparations.

Use and evidence

The EMA recognises traditional short-term external use for minor sprains and bruises. Internal use, and the treatment of ulcers, the lungs and fractures, are not acceptable. EMA.