by Judith C Evans

Created on: September 30, 2009

Knitbone, bruisewort, healing herb: these are some of the common names for the herb known as comfrey (Symphonium officinale). For centuries, country people and wise women have cherished this herb for its powerful healing properties. Juliette de Bairacli-Levy wrote that comfrey is "good for almost every ill of mankind." A member or the Boraginaceae family, comfrey's genus name describes its healing gift: "Symphytum" originates from the Greek "sympho", which means "to unite." The name "comfrey" is derived from "con firma," or "uniting of bones."

Comfrey grows wild along riverbanks and in moist areas in Europe and temperate Asia, and is especially popular in England. In the United States, it is grown only as a cultivated herb. Its hairy stem grows from 2 to 3 feet, and its hairy, oval leaves can grow to 10 inches long. The hairs on the leaves can cause itching and irritation. The leaves diminish in size toward the top of the stem, where drooping clusters of creamy yellow or purple flowers grow on short stalks.

The healing properties of comfrey include: anodyne, astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, refrigerant, and vulnerary. Allantoin, which promotes rapid cell regeneration, is present in the leaves, roots, and flowering tops. This substance is responsible for comfrey's fame as a healer of all forms of wounds, and is easily absorbed through the skin. Both the leaves and rootstock are used medicinally. The leaves are rich in nutrients, including calcium, chromium, fiber, manganese, niacin, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, silicon, Vitamins A and C, and amino acids.

The presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) in comfrey has caused concern for the safety of those who ingest the herb; experts agree that external use is completely safe. PA has been shown to cause venous liver congestion, a fatal condition. The highest level of PA is found in the roots and young leaves of comfrey, but only in minute amounts in mature leaves. The cultivated species of comfrey (Symphytum uplandica) does not contain PA; comfrey leaves sold in bulk are generally derived from the cultivated plant. To ensure safety, only harvest the leaves after the plant has reached full flower, and do not take internally for more than a week or two at a time. A trained herbalist can advise you on the safe use of comfrey.

Comfrey soothes and heals both externally and internally. The rootstock powder is an effective hemostatic: that is, it stops excessive bleeding when applied as a poultice

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