WHITE WILLOW (SALIX ALBA)

Since ancient times white willow twigs were used to weave baskets. The time of collecting white willow bark is April. Willow shoots are used for extracting willow bark. Shoots are cut or husked with a knife or fingers. Then chopped into pieces with scissors to 1cm long and dried at a temperature of 40 - 50 degrees above zero. Willow bark contains salicylates, which are used to make known to all aspirin. As willow bark contains tannins and flavonoids, salicylates don’t leave harmful effects on the stomach and the digestive tract. On the contrary, salicylates promote the digestion and reduce inflammation in the stomach and intestinal tract. Traditional medicine uses willow bark powder for rheumatism, arthrosis, gout, diarrhea, to reduce the pain of the trigeminal nerve and headache.

Willow powder is made by grinding the bark in a coffee grinder. To get rid of the described above diseases take 1 g (at the tip of the knife) of willow powder three times per day. This powder is also used to stop bleeding by sprinkling the bleeding wounds with the substance. In case of epistaxis, you can simply inhale powder into the nostrils.

It’s worth saying that the action of willow bark is quite paradoxical. It is known that salicylates causes bleeding, but in the case of willow bark that does not happen. The thing is that willow bark contains a significant amount of tannins. Not surprisingly, that the willow decoction is used in the fur tanning process, while coloring it in a black color.

Bath with White Willow Decoction.

Bath with a decoction of willow bark is recommended in cases of varicosity, as well as sweating feet. Willow decoction prevents from dandruff and hair loss. You can use it to rinse hair after washing.

White Willow ointment recipe.

You can also prepare an ointment from willow bark. You will need 30 grams of bark powder per 100g of melted butter. The ointment helps to treat purulent inflammation of the skin, boils, and joint pain.