Cuscuta
Convolvulus, Cuscuta (lat.)
Medicinal purpose
For medicinal purposes the whole plant is used. It is gathered in blossom season and immediately dried in cool and windy place, then put in a gauze bag and stored in dry place.
Avicenna has used convolvulus against headaches, melancholia, mental problems, dizziness, nightmares, bronchial asthma, earaches, heart arrhythmia, vomits, etc. In all these cases he has used the medicinal plant separately or mixed with other ones. Mkhitar Heratsi mentions the chologogue quality if convolvulus, and its use against mental diseases. Mixed with other medicines, Heratsi has used convolvulus against 4-day malaria, fever, gal-bladder inflammations, and spleen diseases. The medicinal plant was used as pills against headaches, and a number of eye and bone diseases. According to Heratsi, mixed with laxatives, convolvulus has positive affect during intestine diseases, intestine vomits, and stomach inflammations. Convolvulus was included in well-known for that times Galen’s pills which was widely used against mentioned diseases.
Amirdovlat Amasiatsi mentions that convolvulus normalizes the liver and spleen functions, reduces or eliminates paleness, normalizes the urinary and menstrual functions, and has positive affect on stomach. He also mentions the abortive quality of the plant. The seeds of the plant were used by the author against constipation, lever and spleen inflammations, as well as to stabilize the menstrual process and clean the stomach.
In Turkmen and Iranian folk medicinal practice, the liquid extract of convolvulus seeds was used as fever reducing and cholagogue means. In different countries convolvulus was used to cure menstrual problems; in homeopathy it was used against skin irritations, flue, and a number of feminine diseases. In a number of European countries the officinal type of convolvulus is well known as a good laxative. The liquid extract from the fruit and seeds of convolvulus kills certain viruses.
To prove the cholagogue qualities of the plant, duodena of several patients has been made. To stimulate gall-bladder reflex, convolvulus extract was used (5 grams to 100 ml water). It should be mentioned that all the patients had all the parts of gall. 8-10 minutes after pouring the plant decoction into duodenum gall-bladder reflex occurred in terms of gall generation. The generated gall was enough to conclude about the gall disease. This feature of convolvulus was used not for diagnostically purposes only, but also to cure gall-bladder discinesia. It has been discovered that the plant decoction (20 grams to 200 ml water), if used 1 table-spoon, 3 times a day, 10-15 minutes before eating, for two weeks, stimulates the function of gall-bladder.
Use
To make a decoction, 20 grams of plant preparation is boiled in 200 ml water for 20 minutes, and then taken 1 table-spoon, three times a day. To make an extract, 8-10 grams is soaked in one cup of hot water for two hours, then filtered and drunken all at once as tea. To make a decoction from the seeds, 5-6 grams is soaked in one cup of hot water for one hour and taken 1 table-spoon, three times a day.
Other use
Convolvulus is a dangerous weed. It causes big harm to grapes, cotton wool, and other plants. Despite its medicinal qualities, spread of its natural habitats should be eliminated. Some sorts of convolvulus are poisonous, especially for a number of farm animals.
Warning
These are folk remedies and are no guarantee is made as to either their effectiveness, or their safety.