(lat. Tussilago fanfara L.)
The coltsfoot is one of the best cough remedies. The name “Tussilago” comes from the
Latin “tussis ago”, which means “I drive away the cough”. The coltsfoot has been used since time immemorial. It has an anti-inflammatory, mucolytic and excitatory effect.
The main ingredients of coltsfoot are: plant muds, inulin, tannins and bittering substances, flavonoids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
Coltsfoot is given internally in dry cough, hoarseness, laryngeal inflammation, flu, cough, bronchitis, asthma, inflammation of the mouth and throat mucosa.
Coltsfoot tea:
Take 1 teaspoon (1 – 1.5 g) of dried coltsfoot leaves and pour 1 cup of hot water on it, strain after 10 minutes, sweeten with honey and drink two to three cups a day.
In case of dry coughs, it is necessary to pour off only after 60 minutes, so that the plant sludge dissolves as good as possible. This is to be drunk repeatedly (maximum 3 cups), so that the mucous membrane is repeatedly wetted with plant mucus. This gives relieve. The plant muds liquefy the bronchial mucus, the silicic acid and tannins strengthen the mucous membranes and the high saltpeter content lowers the convulsions of the bronchi.
When used externally, the fresh leaves are crushed and used as a support for bruises, contusions, chicken eye and varicose veins. The discharge of the leaves is used in the form of envelopes for wound healing, skin diseases, itching, eczema, skin scaling, pimples, facial nerve, venous inflammation, ulcer cruris, as well as all inflammations. Due to its high sulfur content, the coltsfoot is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Paracelsus let lepers take bath in coltsfoot. “It extracts a great amount of mucous and litter.” (III, p. 730)
Other applications with coltsfoot are mentioned in folk healing:
In case of earaches, the freshly squeezed juice from the leaves is dripped dropwise into the ear.
When standing much on the feet and when feet are swollen one should apply leaves in the evening or take a foot bath from the abs of coltsfoot leaves.
In the case of headaches, fresh coltsfood leaves are applied to the forehead with the felty underside and are renewed several times.
Paracelsus: All works. Anger: Publisher Eick; 1993, Vol. III
Willfort, Richard: Health through herbs. Rudolf Trauner publishing house, Linz; 23. Edition 1986
Illustration: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany
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