Medicinal Plants : Rumex crispus

Name

Yellow Dock

Biological Name

Rumex crispus
Polygonaceae

Other Names

Yellow Dock, Curled Dock, Curly Dock, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock, Garden Patience, Rumex

Parts Used

Root

Active Compounds

Anthraquinone glycosides, about 3-4%, including nepodin, and others based on chrysophanol, physcion and emodin

Miscellaneous; tannins, rumicin and oxalates.

History

Yellow dock has a long history of use as an alterative. Alterative herbs have nonspecific effects on the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. As a result, they are thought to treat skin conditions that are attributed to toxic metabolites from mal-digestion and poor liver function.

Remedies For

Alterative, laxative, hepatic, cholagogue, tonic, depurative, astringent, antiscorbutic, detergent.

Used for:

Poor Digestion
Skin Conditions

Yellow Dock is used extensively in the treatment of chronic skin complaints such as psoriasis. The anthraquinones present have a markedly cathartic action on the bowel, but in this herb they act in a mild way. Thus it is useful for constipation, working as it does in a much wider way than simply stimulating the gut muscles. It promotes the flow of bile and has that somewhat obscure action of being a blood cleanser The action on the gall-bladder gives it a role in the treatment of jaundice when this is due to congestion.

Traditional herbalists recommend this herb for: bad blood with chronic skin disease; bubonic swellings; low deposits in glands and cellular tissues, and tendency to indolent ulcers; feeble recuperative power; irritative, dry laryngo- tracheal cough; stubborn, dry, summer cough; chronic sore throat, with glandular enlargements and hypersecretion; nervous dyspepsia, with epigastric fullness and pain extending through left half of chest; cough, with dyspnoea and sense of praecordial fullness.

Combinations : It will combine well with Dandelion, Burdock and Cleavers.

Description

No information.

Dosage

Decoction: put 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the root in a cup of water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Tincture: take 1-4ml of the tincture three times a day.

Safety

Aside from mild diarrhea or loose stools in some persons, yellow dock is quite safe.

No other information available. Some herbs are known to react with your medication. Please consult your physician before starting on any herb.