What is birch tar made from? Birch tar: medicinal properties and contraindications

Birch tar has been used for several centuries. First - as an adhesive and lubricant, to extend the life of armor and tools. But soon the versatile healing properties of tar were discovered. So, back in the Iron Age, the benefits and harms of birch tar were discovered to humanity. It is still actively used in the manufacture of medicines and ointments.

Tar is extracted from birch bark by dry distillation. That is, it is heated in containers without air access, and the resinous tar flows down special gutters. Exposure to high temperature not only does not reduce the beneficial properties of birch tar - with this method of extraction they are even enhanced.

Tar improves the quality of the skin, cleanses the body, and helps in the fight against a variety of diseases. Let's explore how to use birch tar with maximum effectiveness and minimum risk.

Birch tar - benefits

Tar is an odorous thick liquid of a rich black color. It smells specifically with a hint of burnt plastic. Humanity has fully studied the benefits of birch tar and how to use it most effectively.

The composition of birch tar, rich in active substances, includes, for example, phytoncides, essential oils, paraffin, benzene, organic acids, tannins. The healing properties of these substances gave it many functions valuable for medicine.

• Destroys bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
• Soothes irritation, relieves itching.
• Improves cell regeneration.
• Eliminates swelling, hematomas and compactions.

Most often, tar is used externally to improve the condition of the skin and hair. It is added to ointments, shampoos and soaps, essential oils are extracted that retain medicinal properties, and tar water is made.

The famous Vishnevsky ointment and Wilkinson ointment, for example, partially owe their effectiveness to tar.

For many ailments, birch tar should be taken internally. This must be done with caution, strictly following the instructions. Then you can cope with a variety of ailments.

• Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity.
• Some types of malignant tumors (and prevention of degeneration of benign ones).
• Diseases of the excretory system, urolithiasis.
• Colds.
• Atherosclerosis.

Birch tar - harm and contraindications

The benefits of birch tar have been proven and recognized by medicine. But you cannot treat it as a magical substance. It only works when used correctly, and if you abuse it or ignore the instructions and directions of your doctor, you can cause serious harm to yourself.

In addition to useful ingredients, tar contains carcinogens. We have not yet learned how to remove them while maintaining all the beneficial properties. It turns out that the benefits and harms of birch tar are always hand in hand and it must be used very carefully.

Concentrated tar should not come into too much contact with the skin: it dries it out, weakens it and ages it. To reduce the harmful effects, dilute the tar with cream before application, or use less concentrated tar water.

There is a contraindication to the use of birch tar.

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding (external use is no exception).
• Personal intolerance.
• Some kidney diseases.

You need to apply tar thoughtfully, strictly following all instructions.

Here are the most important things to watch out for so as not to cause harm:

• Concentration.
• Dosage.
• Contact time.
• Duration of treatment.

Never try tar treatment recipes you heard from friends or accidentally read somewhere. First, consult your doctor, and only after his consultation begin to act.

Where is birch tar used?

Currently, the use of birch tar is very extensive.

• Traditional medicine uses tar in low concentrations in various preparations. The scope of application is very wide. For example, for healing, cleansing of pus, recovery after chemotherapy.
• In folk medicine there are recipes for almost all diseases that promise to cure a person with the help of tar. Without the use of modern real medicines this is almost impossible, but as an auxiliary measure it often greatly speeds up treatment.
• In pharmacology, tar is firmly established - it is an important component of healing and other medicinal ointments.
• Cosmetology uses tar as an active ingredient in soaps, creams, and shampoos. These products treat problematic skin, improve hair, and eliminate irritation.
• Veterinarians often use tar as an anthelmintic, as well as for the treatment of skin and coat.
• In the chemical industry, tar is often used as an auxiliary or as a raw material.
• It has been used in everyday life for many centuries. Lubrication, protecting leather items from water, protecting wooden items, and many other methods are still remembered.
• In the garden, tar helps fight pests and treat trees.

Birch tar - instructions for use

Do not forget that you cannot use tar as it is, undiluted. If you use it externally, mix it with cream, if internally, mix it with water, or better yet, with milk.

Here are ways to properly use birch tar internally to eliminate various health problems.

• Diseases of the genitourinary system. Dilute tar in a tablespoon of milk. You should start with 1 drop, each next day increase the concentration by another drop. When you have 15 drops per spoon, start reducing their number. When you reach 5, stop taking the product.
• Atherosclerosis. For exactly one and a half months, drink a mixture of 3 large tablespoons of milk with 10 drops of tar every day.
• Mastopathy. There are two ways to take it:
  • Tar is diluted in a glass of milk. You need to start taking it with 3 drops and increase the dose by 2 every three days. After 9 days, you need to stop taking it for at least 10 days, then you can repeat the procedure.
  • Another method suggests taking tar dripped onto a small piece of bread. On day 1, 5 drops, then 1, then add 1 drop at a time, gradually increasing the concentration to 10. Take this amount for another 14 days, and from the 15th, start reducing one drop at a time until you return to 5 drops. After this you need to stop taking it.
• Lung diseases. Infuse the tar with clean drinking water for 2 days in a ratio of 1:8. Take the mixture one tablespoon each for exactly 10 days.
• Removal of helminths. On the first day, eat a spoonful of honey with a drop of pure tar. Over the next 11 days, increase the number of tar drops by 1. After 12 days, stop taking it.

If you want to learn more about the medicinal properties of sea buckthorn oil, then follow the link -.

Birch tar - instructions for external use

The most effective use of birch tar is to treat wounds and other skin problems.

Ready-made products with tar are very common. You can purchase the tar itself and use it separately. But by no means clean - you will have to prepare a homemade ointment.

To avoid causing harm, the concentration of tar in your product should be no more than 20%. It must be applied only for a strictly defined time; if you overdo it, you can get burned even with strong dilution.

These are the diseases that can be cured using birch tar for external use.

• Scabies. Mix tar with any cream in a ratio of 2:8. Apply to affected areas, then rinse with marshmallow infusion. There is no need to rinse with water after this.
• Splinter. If you cannot remove the splinter, lubricate it with a tar mixture and bandage it. Even a deep splinter should come out within a day at most.
• Psoriasis. There is a special ointment for this disease. You need to mix butter, copper sulfate and pure tar in a ratio of 2:1:2. Heat this mixture over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Every day, lubricate the affected areas of the skin until complete healing.

You can make homemade tar soap that heals damage, treats acne and eliminates irritation. Mix a teaspoon of tar into liquid soap or shower gel and use it for water procedures for 2-4 weeks. Then you need to return to your usual detergents. It is fashionable to carry out such preventive courses once every couple of months if you have sensitive or rash-prone skin.

Today we would like to draw attention to such a folk remedy as birch tar, reviews of which can be increasingly seen on the pages of popular magazines. Most likely, you have often seen a small bottle of dark-colored liquid in a pharmacy. And someone has probably even heard that birch tar is used both for cleaning shoes and for medicinal purposes.

Today we will find out what birch tar is, the price of which is about 50 rubles per bottle, how to take it and what contraindications it has.

What is tar

Are you a supporter of everything natural, including medicines? Then we hasten to please you - birch tar, reviews of which can be read in this article below, is such a remedy. This substance is extracted from birch bark. It contains about 10,000 different elements, including phytoncides and creosols - natural disinfectants, guaiacol with its anti-putrefactive and disinfecting effect, antiseptic phenos...

This rich beneficial composition of natural medicine also suggests a wide range of ways to use it. And this is actually true. For example, birch tar, the price of which is very affordable, is added in the pharmaceutical industry to the composition of Konkov, Vishnevsky, Wilkinson ointments. It is believed that this component is a real natural antiseptic that has anti-inflammatory and local irritant, restorative and insecticidal effects. Traditional medicine uses tar in its pure form. At the same time, cosmetology actively adds this substance to hair and skin care products.

Appearance of tar

Birch tar (reviews about it are listed in the article below) looks like a viscous, dark and oily liquid that has an unpleasant taste and a sharp, characteristic odor. By the way, the word “tar” means burnt or scorched. And this name serves as a hint about how this substance was mined before. The sleeve (special container) was filled by artisans with birch bark. The vessel had a special narrow hole into which the finished resin could flow. The sleeve began to be gradually heated with a torch, due to which the birch bark melted, releasing birch tar (instructions for the use of modern preparations with it are now attached to each package).

The modern production method is certainly more modernized. For this purpose, metal boilers are used, into which birch bark is compacted. Such boilers are closed and then placed on the fire so that they smolder and do not burn. After 10-11 hours, almost 22 kilograms of pure tar are obtained from 75 kg of birch bark.

Tar in history

Once upon a time, birch tar was used in almost all areas of human activity. It was necessary to lubricate your armor - they used tar, rub your boots - again tar... It is interesting that folk healers did not disdain this substance. They used it as a natural anthelmintic, used it to treat open wounds, and also recommended it as an effective antitumor drug.

Properties of birch tar

Despite the fact that at the moment the scope of use of birch tar is not so extensive, now with its help you can get rid of scaly lichen, eczema, sore throat, scabies, bronchitis, bruises, dropsy, ulcers, purulent wounds, fungus on the skin, splinters, chronic otitis media , bedsores, psoriasis, and also help a person in case of frostbite.

Treatment with birch tar is possible for rashes, itchy skin, stomatitis, scrofula, gangrene, bleeding, postpartum mastitis, urethritis, painful corns and calluses, and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Tar in the form of a cosmetic component can help you stop hair loss, cope with excessive oiliness, normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands, and also cleanse the skin of rashes and acne.

Application of tar

Treatment with birch tar is carried out in different ways depending on the disease. For example, if the substance is included in the base of the Konkov, Wilkenson and Vishnevsky ointments, then these products are recommended to be used according to the instructions, as well as the advice of your doctor. If you have birch tar in its pure form, then today we’ll talk about how to use it.

Bronchopulmonary pathology

To treat the respiratory system, water is used, in the preparation of which birch tar has also been used. Reviews about this treatment are mostly positive - people are satisfied with the results and recommend this remedy to others. The water is prepared in this way: pour 0.5 liters of pure tar into a three-liter jar, fill the rest of the bottle with boiling water, and cover with a lid.

After 9 days, all the active substances of the tar will be in the water, which means it will be ready for use. It is consumed 1 tablespoon at a time, without washing down. In case of a complex course of the disease, increase the dose of water up to 3 times.

Severe cough due to bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma completely disappears after one course of treatment with this water. Birch tar purchased at a pharmacy is diluted in boiled water. The application (reviews about it are listed below) is as follows: take 8 parts of water per part of the tar, mix gently with a wooden spoon, and then leave for 2 days. Then the film is removed from the surface of the water and carefully poured into a second container. The finished medicinal product should be stored in the refrigerator.

Before going to bed, patients drink a tablespoon of water, after which they wrap a woolen scarf around their throat. Sometimes the dose is increased to 3 tablespoons. After the first procedure, the number of coughing attacks is reduced.

Cardiovascular pathology

Birch tar, instructions for use of which are discussed in detail in this article, is used to treat heart diseases, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as a diuretic and to cleanse the body. Small children are given it once a day after meals, 2 teaspoons, while adults - once a day, 2 teaspoons. Treatment is carried out for ten days, after which they take a 10-day break and repeat the course again.

The body is also cleansed with birch tar, including from Giardia. In this case, mix a drop of tar with a spoonful of honey, and then take it orally before going to bed. Instead of honey, you can use carrot juice or warm milk. The number of drops of the product is increased daily by 1 to reach 8 drops per dose. The treatment period is 24 days. It is worth noting that 1 or 2 courses are given per year, which depends on the general condition of the patient.

There are a huge number of traditional medicine recipes intended for the treatment of opisthorchiasis with tar.

Here are some of them:

1. Add 6 drops of tar to a glass of milk and consume once a day in the morning on an empty stomach. The period of such treatment is 10 days.
2. Grate a carrot or an apple, mix a spoonful of the resulting puree with a drop of the drug and eat before bed. This procedure is repeated for 2 weeks.

Women's diseases

Birch tar is actively used against fungus (including candidiasis), for the treatment of various female diseases, and for mastopathy. There is a special treatment regimen for such pathologies: take 50 ml of milk, add 3 drops of the product in the first 3 days, from 4 to 6 days - 5 drops, from 7 days to 9 - 7 drops. The drug is drunk 3 times a day every 5 hours, then they take a 10-day break and begin treatment again, adding drops of tar to the milk in the reverse order. After 60 days, the course of treatment is repeated.

For problematic skin and hair

Birch tar also helps with acne. In addition, it improves the condition of problematic and oily facial skin. It is worth noting that the treatment is easy and quick. To use birch tar for acne, apply the product undiluted to the affected areas of cleansed skin using a regular cotton swab.

To date, the effectiveness of using tar for hair has been proven. The drug is used to prepare anti-dandruff masks. To do this, you need to mix 10 g of tar, 30 g of burdock oil, and 100 ml of vodka. The prepared mixture is thoroughly treated with the scalp, left on the hair for 2 hours, then washed off with a mild shampoo.

To improve the structure and appearance of hair, use tar water to wash your hair with it. Tar is very useful for hair, it makes it thick and shiny.

Eczema and psoriasis

Birch tar is used to treat eczema and psoriasis with excellent results. Treatment begins by applying this product to a small area of ​​affected skin, after which it is left for 20 minutes. If allergic reactions and complications do not occur, then a larger area is lubricated and the exposure time is increased. Pure tar is applied with a wooden stick, after which the treated area is left open or sprinkled with indifferent powder.

The presence of erosions and acute inflammation of the skin can cause burning and itching immediately after applying tar. Such unpleasant symptoms disappear on their own after 10 minutes. After 20-30 minutes, the tar should be removed with a gauze swab, after moistening it in fish oil, vegetable oil or Vaseline. Swelling and an area of ​​hyperemia may form at the site of application. After removing the tar, the affected area is left open. The product is reapplied after 3 days, and in between these procedures indifferent therapy is carried out.

This treatment of eczema and psoriasis gives a good and quick effect even in the acute stage of the disease. Over time, the symptoms disappear: hyperemia and swelling decrease, erosions disappear, while only an infiltrate remains on the skin. Treatment in the future consists of rubbing tar into the lesions. Birch tar, which also has contraindications, but we will talk about them below, is very effective for demodicosis due to its antimicrobial, keratolytic, drying, tanning and anti-inflammatory effects. It is used separately in the form of masks or in the form of solutions and ointments in combination with other means.

Haemorrhoids

Taking birch tar is possible for the treatment of hemorrhoids. This folk remedy allows you to get rid of all types of this disease. To eliminate external hemorrhoids, you need to apply lotions with this natural medicine. They are also lubricated with a clean substance.

Internal hemorrhoids are treated with manganese baths and tar. The patient should remain in a bath of pink hot water until it cools completely. Then the anus is lubricated with a gauze or cotton swab with clean tar, it is inserted into the anus, where it is left overnight. This folk remedy is used until all symptoms of the disease disappear.

Acute hemorrhoids are treated with birch tar by inserting suppositories into the anus, which are independently made from Vishnevsky ointment and a tampon. This method quickly relieves pain and swelling, and also softens the nodes. This healing effect is associated precisely with the healing properties of tar, which is part of this ointment.

Why do they drink tar?

Looking through various health forums where people share experiences and recipes on how they managed to overcome diseases, you can often come across interesting recipes using tar internally. Basically, these treatment regimens are prescribed for serious diseases - oncology, suppressing the growth of cancer cells, neutralizing the effects of chemotherapy, as well as for the prevention of this disease.

The remedy is drunk with milk and for tuberculosis. In this case, you should dilute 1 drop of the drug in 50 ml of warm milk in the first week, 2 drops in the second, etc. So, the course of treatment must be completed in the tenth week with ten drops of the drug. After this, you need to take a week's break, after which the course of treatment is repeated.

For catarrhal cystitis, you can take 5 drops of this remedy per glass of milk three times a day. True, for serious illnesses, all these recipes are good only in terms of additional therapy, in combination with taking the main medications prescribed by doctors.

Birch tar is also used to cleanse the human body of worms - to do this, mix a teaspoon of natural liquid honey with a drop of tar, and drink the resulting product before bed. The entire course takes 12 days, each day you need to drink 1 drop more, although the amount of 8 drops should not be exceeded, in other words, the last four days of the course you need to drink 8 drops of tar.

Benefits of tar water

Water made from birch tar is extremely useful, as it normalizes blood pressure, helps normalize metabolism, and strengthens the heart muscle. This water should be taken 100 ml in the morning on an empty stomach, then a couple of hours before lunch and before bed in the evening. By the way, this tar water is an excellent cure for dropsy, purulent cough and fever, since it cleanses our body of toxins and waste, normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and is gentler than a pure remedy.

Preparation of tar water

To do this, take 4 liters of cold spring water and 500 g of birch tar without additives or impurities. Mix them, then pour them into a jar and close it tightly. It is necessary for the liquid to infuse for two days, while the tar settles. Next, carefully remove the foam and drain the clear liquid - this is your finished tar water. Store it in a glass, hermetically sealed container.

Possible side effects

With prolonged treatment with tar, an allergic reaction or irritation may occur on the skin. In this case, you should stop using undiluted and concentrated tar or temporarily stop the treatment period.

If we talk about applying this substance to large areas of the skin for several weeks in a row, such actions can cause negative effects on the kidneys. In this case, a person may also begin to complain of vomiting, nausea, cramps, and diarrhea.

If you take tar orally and overdo the dose, you will experience a feeling of nausea, dizziness may occur, signs of intoxication will appear, and blood pressure will increase. The most correct thing in this case is to call an ambulance immediately.

Contraindications

Birch tar also has contraindications for use. So, if you have a high sensitivity to this product (to find out, it is recommended to conduct an allergy test before starting use by applying a small amount of the substance to the skin in the wrist area - if no redness appears, you do not feel a burning sensation or itching - your body is with this " is friendly" means), you are pregnant, breastfeeding - you better stop using birch tar.

By the way, this substance contains benzopyrine, which is contained there in high concentration. And it is a carcinogen.

Birch tar: reviews

After reading reviews about the use of preparations based on birch tar, it becomes clear that this remedy can cope with various skin diseases, improve the condition of hair and reduce hair loss, and even cure hemorrhoids. But there are also negative opinions - for example, some people say that this substance smells very unpleasant, others are afraid of the possibility of side effects, and others are upset by the list of contraindications. Before you start taking medications containing tar, you should consult your doctor.

Birch tar ( Pix liquida Betulae) is one of the oldest remedies. In ancient times, the tar craft was held in high esteem, since initially (before the discovery of medicinal properties) tar was used as a technical material (to lubricate the bushings of wooden wheels, to give water-repellent properties to leather or fabric, etc.). Each “tar” (tar extractor) had his own secrets that were passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, the profession of “tar” does not exist as such, and you can purchase the drug “medical tar” produced by the pharmacological industry in the pharmacy chain.

There is no point in giving a detailed description of the technology of the tar production process, and, in short, the technology is based on the dry distillation of birch bark. Under the influence of high temperature and in the absence of oxygen, wood is destroyed, as a result of which complex chemical compounds break down into simpler components (phenols, cresols, aromatic compounds, etc.) and are released in the form of a resinous viscous liquid. For medical purposes, tar is subjected to fractional distillation to separate low- and high-boiling fractions. The low-boiling fraction is “medicinal tar,” and the resin fraction is industrial cheese.

The technology for “producing medicinal tar,” used in ancient times, involved a “wet” distillation method, when a certain volume of water was added to a distillation cube filled with birch bark. Superheated water vapor served as a kind of “thermostat”, preventing an excessive increase in the temperature of the process, and, accordingly, increasing the yield of the low-boiling fraction.

Pharmacological properties of tar

The pharmacological effect of birch tar and drugs is due to the medicinal properties of the substances included in its composition. Phenols and cresols themselves are extremely aggressive substances, both chemically and in their mode of action on living organisms. As is known, phenols are used for sanitary treatment and disinfection of premises and technical equipment. In their pure form, tar ingredients have an intense irritant effect and, when applied to the skin, cause a chemical burn. In therapeutic doses, tar preparations stimulate the functioning of various organs and systems of the body through reflex irritation of skin receptors and nerve endings. Similarly, when considering the aspects of “tar therapy” for internal use, the complex effect of all components that make up the tar is implied. When using tar externally, the main emphasis is on its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

External use of tar is justified in the treatment of various skin diseases:

Internal use of tar:

- genitourinary infections (urethritis, cystitis);
— metabolic disorders (urolithiasis, gout, etc.);
— oral infections (stomatitis, gingivitis);
- inflammatory processes (gastrointestinal diseases);
— infectious colds (otitis media, sore throat, etc.);
— disease of the upper respiratory tract of an infectious-viral nature, invasion (asthma, tuberculosis, etc.);
— oncology.

Official tar preparations

Liniment Vishnevsky. It is used to accelerate the maturation of boils, in the treatment of wounds and other traumatic skin injuries. The ointment contains tar and xeroform (3 parts each) per 100 parts castor oil. The well-known “army remedy for all diseases” (a rather strange method of application is to lubricate inflamed tonsils with a sore throat).

Ointment against scabies. It is prepared on the basis of naphthalan ointment (40 parts), medical soap, birch tar and sulfur (ratio 30:15:15).

Wilkinson's ointment. Modification of sulfur-tar-naphthalan ointment by adding 10 parts of calcium carbonate and 4 parts of water to the composition. It is used to destroy scabies and in the treatment of fungal skin infections.

Tar water

It is obtained by extracting the water-soluble components of tar. Thoroughly mix 40 ml of tar in 1.5 liters of chilled boiled water (stir for 10 minutes) and leave to infuse for 2 days. After 48 hours, the liquid separates: foam at the top, resin at the bottom, and tar water in the central part. According to the colorimetric scale, tar water can be colorless or colored, like white wine. You need to carefully separate the “water fraction,” bottle it and store it in the refrigerator. It is used as a diuretic for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, for metabolic disorders in the body, as well as for other diseases where “tar therapy” is appropriate. Dosages, frequency of use and duration of treatment depend on the nature of the disease and the resulting therapeutic effect. Approximately the drug is prescribed 2 tsp. (for children) or 2 tbsp. (adults) once a day before meals. If a course of treatment is needed, the drug is taken in cycles of 10 (take) every 10*n (break), where n is the order of the cycle. Maximum 3 cycles.

Internal use of birch tar

- Atherosclerosis. Stir half a teaspoon of tar in 250 ml of milk and drink before eating. Take three times a day. Course treatment lasts 45 days. During the year you need to conduct 3-4 courses.

- Lung cancer. Healers advise taking birch tar with chilled boiled milk as an additional remedy in the treatment of this evil disease. Start with the dosage: for 50 ml of milk - 1 tsp. tar, after 10 days, 2 tsp, and then 10 days, 3 tsp. Conduct 2 courses with a break of 10 days. Repeat the course of treatment every other month.

— Fibrocystic mastopathy. Tar with warm milk is recommended. Use according to the scheme, in other words, start with a dosage of 3 drops of tar per half a glass of milk, take 3 days three times a day. Having completed the weekly course of treatment, take a break of 10 days, then continue taking it in the reverse order (4×7/3×5/3×3). Repeat in a month.

- Tuberculosis. Pills made from tar and powder have been used for the treatment of tuberculosis for a long time. licorice root. To prepare 120 pills, you need 8 ml of tar, which is mixed with licorice powder, adding it until you get a mass of the required consistency. Prescribe 2 pieces three times a day.

- Intermittent fever. To treat fever, pills are used in which licorice powder is replaced with quinine bark. The drug is prescribed 5 pills three times a day, as well as in the indicated dosage right before the expected attack of fever.

External use of birch tar

- Cystitis. Heat a piece of rubble stone in a stove, place it in a bucket and drop a few drops of tar onto the hot surface, then sit on the bucket and wrap yourself in a blanket. The duration of the procedure is until you feel warm. In case of infertility, traditional healers advise carrying out such procedures in the intervals between menstruation.

- Burns. To treat burns, you can prepare an ointment containing tar and sulfur in equal proportions, and use Vaseline as a base. In a ratio of 1:1:10. Liniment works more effectively, for the preparation of which you need to replace half of the Vaseline with fish oil.

— Psoriasis(balneotherapy). Pour water (100 ml), tar and soap alcohol (75 ml each) into a bottle, shake for 5 minutes, then pour into a warm bath. Take baths for 15 - 30 minutes.

— Psoriasis (ointment). Ingredients: celandine grass (grind through a sieve) and carrot juice - 1 part each, birch tar - 4 parts. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and lubricate the affected areas of the skin.

- Eczema. Prepare a medicinal ointment consisting of equal parts of tar, copper sulfate (grind into powder) and pigeon droppings. Lubricate the affected areas (after 1 - 2 days). To treat eczema, you can also use an ointment consisting of equal parts of butter, tar, sulfur and black powder. Gunpowder can also be replaced with a mixture of activated carbon and potassium nitrate (potassium nitrate) - 50% of each substance.

- Mycoses. To treat fungal diseases of the feet, you can lubricate the affected areas (usually between the toes) with pure tar.

- Boils, abscesses. An ointment is used, prepared on the basis of homemade cream, birch tar and chicken egg white (in equal proportions). This medicinal drug is highly effective (stimulates phagocytosis) and, unlike Vishnevsky's liniment, does not corrode the skin.

- For dandruff. Prepare a mixture of tar and burdock oil in a ratio of 1:3, dissolve in a glass of vodka and rub into the scalp. After 2 hours, wash off.

— Aromatherapy. For the treatment of respiratory tract diseases, inhalation is recommended as an adjuvant - inhalation of tar vapors poured onto a hot surface.

Note . We should not forget that some external diseases (boils, psoriasis, eczema) are closely related to internal problems in the body (metabolic disorders, diseases of internal organs), therefore, for a successful cure, first of all, you need to accurately determine the cause-and-effect relationship through diagnostics in medical institution.

Contraindications

Treatment with birch tar, both internally and when used externally, can cause allergies, so the dosage must be chosen based on the individual reaction of the body. “Tar therapy” is not a panacea, so when treating complex diseases you should consult a doctor. Exceeding the recommended dosages for internal use of tar preparations can provoke the so-called psoriatic erythroderma.

The administration is not responsible for the consequences caused by the use of information published on the site.

Content

They learned to synthesize drugs artificially only recently, but previously natural remedies were used to treat diseases. There was a special relationship with birch. Its leaves, buds, branches and bark were used to prepare medicines. The product of the plant's processing is birch tar. Thanks to its healing properties, it has found application in the treatment of diseases and in the cosmetology industry.

What is birch tar

The substance is a thick, oily, black liquid with a blue tint and a sharp, specific odor. It does not sink in water, but when mixed, it forms an emulsion. Dissolves in oil, gasoline, ether. Without other impurities, the product is produced in the form of a liquid, packaged in dark bottles, as an integral component of the medicinal ointments Vishnevsky, Wilkinson, Konkov, tar soap. In the cosmetology industry it is used to produce shampoos.

What are they made of?

A tar product is obtained from birch bark by distilling birch bark. For production, trees aged 12-14 years are harvested from late spring to mid-summer. To obtain the medicine, only the outer white layer of birch bark (birch bark) is used. It is heated in closed metal containers until the finished product is obtained. After formation, the liquid accumulates at the bottom of the vessel and flows down the gutter.

Compound

The chemical composition of the substance contains thousands of useful elements. In official medicine, the disinfecting properties of phytoncides and cresols are used, the anti-putrefactive properties of guaiacol, the antiseptic and disinfecting properties of phenol. Additionally, tar includes:

• toluene,
• organic acids,
• benzene,
• xylene,
• cresol,
• resins,
• tannins,
• bitterness.

Why is it useful?

To treat diseases or achieve a cosmetic effect, use purchased ointments, soaps, shampoos or prepare them yourself according to traditional medicine recipes. The following forms of tar preparations and methods of their use are known:

1. For skin diseases or calluses, apply ointment or tar water to the problem area.
2. Baths with tar solution are used for bleeding hemorrhoids.
3. For hair loss and seborrhea, rub a pure substance without additional components or an emulsion with glycerin into the skin.
4. Tar soap is used to eliminate teenage acne.
5. To treat burns, skin ulcers, eczema, compresses soaked in an oily liquid are applied to the affected joints or other parts of the body.
6. For head lice, wash hair with tar shampoo or soap.
7. For lung disease, a mixture of a pharmaceutical drug with honey or tar water is taken orally.

Indications for use

Antiseptic, drying and anesthetic properties are used to treat eczema, skin ulcers, and purulent wounds. The substance not only eliminates inflammation and accelerates healing, but also relieves skin itching and burning. The medicinal properties of birch tar are used in therapy:

• psoriasis;
• scaly lichen;
• skin and nail fungus;
• scabies;
• bedsores;
• gangrene;
• smallpox;
• leprosy;
• atherosclerosis;
• stomatitis;
• tonsillitis;
• tuberculosis;
• bronchitis;
• scrofula;
• postpartum mastitis;
• otitis;
• helminthiases.

Contraindications

You cannot treat yourself with a tar preparation; you must consult a doctor, since the action of the substance, in addition to its therapeutic effect, can cause harm to the body. The following contraindications to the drug are known:

• individual intolerance;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• chronic kidney disease;
• period of exacerbation of skin diseases.

Before consuming birch tar, it is recommended to first apply the drug to a small area of ​​skin to identify intolerance. In the absence of an allergic reaction, treatment for the disease can begin. Long-term use of the product on large areas of the skin when treating psoriasis or other skin diseases may cause side effects: nausea, vomiting, weakness. The method and duration of treatment depend on the disease.

Externally

Treatment of skin diseases with tar involves the external use of pharmaceutical and self-prepared ointments, pure tar product or its aqueous emulsion. The following agents are used to treat skin lesions:

1. Vishnevsky ointment is effective for bedsores and difficult-to-heal wounds. The benefit of birch tar in this case lies in the ability to irritate the receptors of affected tissues, improve their blood supply and regeneration.
2. Wilkinson's ointment is used externally for scabies and fungal diseases.
3. Konkov ointment is prescribed for pyoderma.
4. To eliminate fungal diseases, lubricate the affected area with clean tar.
5. If you have dandruff, a tar mask is recommended.
6. It is necessary to lubricate the lesions with the prepared ointment when treating psoriasis, calluses, and scaly lichen.
7. To cleanse the skin and improve its condition, it is recommended to use tar liquid soap, because solid soap greatly dries out the skin.
8. In the presence of diathesis, a pure pharmaceutical preparation is added to baby cream and applied to the skin.

Inside

• atherosclerosis;
• mastopathy;
• lung diseases;
• sore throat;
• helminthiasis.

Use of birch tar in folk medicine

For internal use, it is recommended to use a pure pharmaceutical drug or take it with honey, milk, bread, carrot juice. The healing properties of birch can be effectively used along with drug treatment, but you must consult a doctor. For external use, the tar product is added to:

• self-prepared ointments based on pork, lamb fat, vegetable oil, petroleum jelly, egg yolk;
• water;
• masks based on glycerin or burdock oil and diluted alcohol;
• factory lotions, shampoos, gels, liquid soaps, creams;

For cough

Internal use of tar water is indicated for pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and bronchial asthma. It is prepared at the rate of 1 ml of pharmaceutical preparation per 8 ml of boiled water. The liquid is thoroughly mixed with a wooden spatula and left in a dark place for 2 days, the resulting film is removed, the water is carefully poured into a clean vessel and stored in the refrigerator.

For treatment, take one tablespoon of tar water at night and wrap your neck with a warm scarf. The prepared water is used to cleanse the body. Children are given 2 teaspoons after meals, and adults - 2 tablespoons before meals. The course lasts 10 days. The treatment consists of 3 procedures, with a break between them (the first is 10 days, the second is 20 days).

Treatment of skin diseases

For external use, the following traditional medicine recipes are used:

1. You can prepare an ointment from equal parts of melted pork or lamb fat and pure birch bark distillation product. Used for compresses for eczema.
2. To treat psoriasis, take 2 tablespoons of tar product, 3 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of castor oil, 1 egg. All components are mixed and left for 3 days. Apply the drug to the affected area once a day.
3. Treatment of nail and skin fungus is carried out with a pure product. It is used to remove a splinter - applied to the affected area and on gauze, which is placed on top. After 15 minutes, the splinter rises above the surface of the skin and can be easily removed.

Birch tar with milk

The combination of milk with a tar product has an effect on cystitis and atherosclerosis, but before using the medicine you should consult a specialist. You can use the following traditional medicine recipes:

1. Add 5-10 drops of the pharmaceutical drug to a glass of cold fresh milk, divide into three servings and take before meals throughout the day. This method is proposed for the treatment of catarrhal cystitis.
2. For atherosclerosis, add 1 teaspoon of pure pharmaceutical product to a glass of milk. The prepared drug is drunk an hour before meals. The procedure is repeated three times a day. One course of treatment lasts one and a half months. Then they take a break for 1 month and continue treatment. It is necessary to conduct 3-4 courses.
3. To cleanse the body, it is recommended to drink a tablespoon of milk on an empty stomach with one drop of pharmaceutical preparation.

Birch tar with bread

The tar product is consumed with rye bread to cleanse the body: blood vessels, liver. For treatment, before going to bed on the first day, eat a small piece of bread with 5 drops of the pharmaceutical drug. The procedure is not very pleasant, but you can’t drink it. Every day the dose is increased by one drop until it reaches 10. In subsequent days, the number of drops is reduced to 5. This course of treatment lasts 24 days. The effect is observed already in the second week, the well-being and condition of the skin improves. It is recommended to carry out this procedure once every six months.

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Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give treatment recommendations based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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Instructions for using birch tar

24

Health 01/09/2018

Our ancestors knew about the benefits of birch tar for a long time; they learned to obtain it by long-term distillation of birch bark and used it for health improvement and for various household needs. Now birch tar is produced industrially and is used in pharmacology and cosmetology. Tar has a specific pungent odor and an oily, thick consistency; it is made from birch bark plants, which is why you can sometimes see the name birch bark tar. Today we, dear readers, will consider in detail the areas of application of birch tar.

The healing properties of birch tar

Tar has many beneficial and medicinal properties that are used in the treatment of various diseases. Let's look at its main beneficial properties:

• Tar has a pronounced antimicrobial effect;
• Relieves inflammatory processes;
• Reduces pain in soft tissues;
• Reduces itching when applied topically;
• Accelerates tissue healing;
• Has anthelmintic properties;
• Relieves tissue swelling;
• Improves blood circulation.

The list of diseases for which tar can help is quite extensive, mainly all kinds of skin problems. You can buy tar in health stores, green pharmacies, online stores, and sometimes it is also found in regular pharmacies.

Birch tar - benefits and harm

Birch tar can be found in the formulation of many pharmaceutical preparations, mainly ointments for external use, such as ichthyol ointment, Vishnevsky and Wilkinson ointment. Tar soap and tar shampoo are popular at all times and help cope with many skin and hair problems. But the medicinal properties of tar do not end there; they are much broader and traditional medicine uses them widely.

The use of birch tar for skin diseases

The use of birch tar for skin diseases is recognized by both folk and traditional medicine; tar can be used to treat

• dermatitis,
• eczema,
• neurodermatitis,
• psoriasis,
• scabies,
• bruises,
• trophic ulcers,
• bedsores,
• burns, frostbite,
• calluses,
• fungal skin lesions.

Instructions for using birch tar must be included if you buy it at the pharmacy. It can be used in its pure form for various skin problems, but most often and more effectively it is used in a mixture with other ingredients.

To prepare the ointment at home, take pure pharmaceutical tar and melted pork internal fat, which are mixed in equal quantities. Apply a thin layer of ointment to the affected area under a bandage twice a day.

Birch tar is useful in the form of baths, for which an alcohol solution of tar is prepared. You need to take 1 part of pure tar and 5 parts of alcohol; 100 grams of this solution is enough for a bath. Take baths for itchy dermatitis; they relieve itching well and dry the skin in affected areas.

Another way to use tar externally is tar water. To prepare it, ½ liter of tar is mixed with a liter of boiled water, left for at least 12 hours, then carefully drained, leaving sediment at the bottom of the container. Tar water is used for rubbing for any skin problems; it can be used for treatment.

The use of birch tar for psoriasis

For psoriasis, the benefits of birch tar do not appear immediately, but after some time; tar is used by traditional healers in addition to medications prescribed by a doctor. The disease is complex and difficult to treat, so consultation with a dermatologist is necessary. To prepare the ointment, mix a spoonful of tar and castor oil, add 2 tablespoons of natural honey and half a beaten egg white. Mix everything well until smooth and leave in a cool place for a day to infuse. After this, mix again and apply to the affected areas once a day under a bandage.

On the first day of treatment, mix one drop of tar with a teaspoon of liquid honey and drink on an empty stomach. Then add a drop every day, bringing the amount of tar to 10 drops. Take this amount for another three days, then reduce it a drop per day. If honey is contraindicated, you can replace it with a spoonful of milk or fresh apple juice and take the drug in the same way as with honey.

Birch tar for nail fungus

Fungal infections of the nail plates are a very common disease that requires long-term treatment. The pharmaceutical industry produces many antifungal agents, but they are all quite expensive.

There is an excellent inexpensive remedy that helps cope with fungus - this is ordinary birch tar. But it will only help at the initial stage, when the disease is not too advanced. Be patient and do the procedures daily to not only stop the spread of the fungal infection, but also get rid of it forever.

There are many methods of using birch tar to treat nail fungus; let’s look at the simplest and most accessible ones.

• Before applying the tar, steam your feet well in hot water with the addition of natural laundry soap and baking soda. After the bath, cut your nails, remove dead skin with a pumice stone or a special nail file, wipe your feet dry, paying special attention to the skin between the toes and nails, since a humid environment promotes the spread of fungus. Apply tar to the affected areas, wrap in linen or cotton cloth and put socks on top. Leave it overnight and wash it off in the morning. A more gentle way is to soap your toes and nail plates with tar soap instead of pure tar.
• Grate a piece of tar soap on a fine grater, mix with a small amount of water and baking soda so that the consistency is not very liquid. Rub into clean, dry affected areas overnight. In the morning, rinse with warm water, wipe dry and put on clean socks.
• Grate the tar soap, fill it with hot water, stir until the soap dissolves, and keep your feet in this soap bath for 10 - 15 minutes. After that, simply dry your feet with a clean towel and put on clean socks. It is best to do these procedures at night.

To get all the benefits of birch tar during treatment, you need to be especially careful about hygiene. You should also be prepared for the fact that you will have to throw away sheets, towels and socks, since tar stains are difficult to remove.

How to make tar soap yourself

There is nothing better than making soap at home, because in this case you will be confident in its quality. It's not at all difficult to do this. For the base, you need to take a standard piece of baby soap without additives or fragrances, grate it and pour in ½ cup of warm boiled water.

Keep this mixture in a water bath until the soap is completely dissolved, then add 2 tablespoons of sea buckthorn oil (available at the pharmacy).

Wait until the mixture cools a little and add 1 tablespoon of natural pure tar, mix, pour the resulting tar soap into any molds and leave until completely hardened. The soap is ready!

Birch tar is good for hair; it copes well with dandruff, especially if its appearance is associated with oily seborrhea. Shampoo with tar and tar soap are sold in stores and pharmacies; you can simply wash your hair with this soap once a week. But if you have natural, pure tar, you can make your own dandruff remedy. To do this, mix a spoonful of tar and castor oil and dilute this mixture in 1/2 cup of vodka. Rub into the scalp an hour before washing, then wash your hair with regular shampoo. Such procedures relieve itching, reduce oily scalp, and dandruff will gradually disappear.

For hair loss, mix pure tar with glycerin in equal proportions and rub into the scalp twice a week. Many people are put off by the specific smell of tar, but after washing and drying their hair it quickly disappears.

Before using tar, carry out a test to exclude the possibility of an allergic reaction. To do this, apply a drop of tar on the bend of your elbow and do not wash it off for 24 hours. Irritation, redness, severe itching at the application site indicate individual intolerance to tar.

And to get you in the mood, I want to invite you to take a walk around our evening New Year’s Yaroslavl.

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Elvira
16 Mar 2018 at 18:09