Poisonous
Effect:
anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anesthetic, sputum-promoting
Areas of application:
Skin cancer, ulcers, skin problems, fibroids, warts, moles, lesions (asthma, whooping cough, flu, croup, gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pneumonia, sore throat, menstrual problems, excessive bleeding, cramps, gingivitis , tooth decay, tartar, plaque, fever, rheumatism, to induce vomiting) Homeopathy: sore throat, coughing up mucus
See note below!!!
Plant parts used:
root
Collection time:
Autumn
To find:
In moist thickets, dry forests, floodplains and near streams in America.
Ingredients:
Sanguinarine, isoquinoline alkaloid
Miscellaneous:
Canadian Bloodwort is a stemless, rhizomatous wildflower that blooms in early spring. The plant grows up to 40 cm high. The leaves go dormant in mid to late summer. When the flower emerges, it is usually encased in a deeply cut, grey-green, palmate basal leaf. Bloodwort has a hermaphrodite flower with 8 to 12 delicate white petals, yellow stamens and two sepals located below the leaves, which fall off after the flowers open. The root is a blood-red rhizome that branches and forms new rhizomes.
🛑 Gloves should be worn when harvesting so that the medicine is not absorbed through the skin. Great caution is required with this plant, it is poisonous and cannot be dosed well. This should be left to a doctor! Bloodwort can cause tunnel vision, nausea, and can even be fatal. When applied topically, it can also cause permanent scarring or disfigurement. If the juice is placed on the skin, it can cause tissue damage. There are definitely better plants than these for the above uses!!!
The Canadian Bloodwort is not related to the bloodroot (Potentilla erecta) from the rose family that occurs in Eurasia.
An ointment was mainly made from Canadian Bloodwort. They were applied to the affected areas, bandaged and left to act for about a week. The bloodroot kills the cancerous or damaged cells and covers the area with scabs. Be careful, do not apply to healthy skin areas.
The sap of the Canadian Bloodwort is red and discolors the skin very quickly. It was used by Algonquin Indian tribes for ritual skin painting.