Apr

Curled Dock laxative and treatment for boils

Posted by frann under Common garden herbs

The curled dock is a common weed Curled Dock, Rumex crispus, is also called curly dock, narrow dock, narrow leaved dock, sour dock, yellow dock, garden patience and just rumex. It’s closely related to sorrel (also sometimes called narrow-leaved dock), French sorrel and sheep’s sorrel. It’s also related to the broad-leaved dock which most people remember from childhood as an instant treatment for nettle stings.

Curled dock is easy enough to grow, but I advise against it, except perhaps around the back of the shed or somewhere else out of sight because once established – like many other taprooted weeds – it will be difficult to eliminate. You’ll find it growing on any wild area, so you can gather what you require there.

The part used is the root, and it can be used crushed as a poultice to draw boils, or as a decoction to be used as a laxative. So, to make a poultice, crush the roots, wrap in a gauze or muslin bandage and dip briefly into boiling water (which should be kept hot), then place over the boil and leave until it cools, revive in the hot water, and so on until the desired effect has occurred. To make a decoction, crush 30g (1 oz) root, put in a pan containing 570ml (2.5 US cups, 1 UK pint) of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. The dose is up to 1 US cup (8 fl oz, 240ml) a day, split into 3 doses.

As it’s a widespread, some might say pernicious weed, it’s unlikely that anybody will have been feeding it with chemical fertilizers. Weedkillers are more likely, but if it’s growing amongst lots of other weeds, you can take it that this hasn’t happened either. It’s important that herbs grown for medicinal use are grown without chemicals, to avoid adulterating them and changing or eliminating their properties. To find out more about growing organic herbs visit the Gardenzone.