MEDICINAL PLANTS

The beech is a large tree (there are copies of up to 40 meters high) has a smooth bark and silver-gray branches are slender and brown. Throughout the winter remains leafless branches sprouting new leaves and the month of April. Have male and female flowers, the first assembled in a kind of globillos of protruding stamens, and enclosed in a female involucres then, the mature fruit, forming a hardened container that opens in four valves. It breeds throughout the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian mountain range, reaching Galicia, where forest is highly localized.

FLOWERING

The flowers have the early spring, bearing fruit in late summer. The cortex is the part used for medicinal purposes, although they may take active principles from the leaves. The dried bark of the branches were collected at the beginning of spring.

APPLICATIONS

The leaves of this tree contain significant amounts of fitosterina, a wax and a glycosidic substance. The fruits are a high percentage of oil, whose main component is the olein. In the bark of the tree is tannic substances, pectin, waxes, fitosterina and some organic acids. Beechwood with preparing an excellent charcoal, this coal is of great use in medicine, and in any medicine cabinet should have a sufficient amount of charcoal, because it represents the best remedy for putrid fermentation gases absorb abnormal bowel-in bloating, flatulence and dysentery in all cases where it is appropriate to absorb excess gases produced. Oral hygiene as booming nowadays this coal is also an excellent dentifrice. Also used as a first emergency measure in certain intoxications. In a first distillation of beech wood, you get the pitch there, and with successive distillations high concentrations are achieved widely used guaiac-century earlier to combat tuberculosis. As for the powers of antipyretic birchbark, studies suggest that the matter is more of a legend than a real effect. The fruit, called beechnuts, provide an oil that has been widely used in the manufacture of ointments instead of Vaseline. These same fruits are a delicacy for certain rodents.

ADMINISTRATION

Decoction. It uses 10 to 20 g. Of bark per quart of water. Boil for 5 minutes and once you drink warm small sips. This operation can be repeated 3 times a day.
Powder. If we have is the bark powder, can take up to 6 g. Day.
Syrup. 3 tablespoons a day. At the pharmacy you can find an alcohol solution of the cortex, which is also part of a presentation made.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Fagaceae
HABITAT: Pyrenees
FLOWERING: Spring
PART USED: Bark
CASTILIAN: Faya, fago
CATALAN: Faig
BASQUE: Phago
GALICIAN: Faia

USES

Strong Antiseptic, Strong anti-inflammatory, Strong painkillers.