Cat's grass (matoshnik, fragrant shandra, field balm) is a perennial herb of the Labiotus family. Kotovnik feline is widely used in medicine.
Medicinal properties have contributed to the fact that field balm is specially grown in the United States and Canada. Under natural conditions it grows in the middle latitudes of Eurasia.
Catnip Plant: composition
Cat grass - perennial cold-resistant and moisture-loving plant. Unpretentious to environmental conditions. It grows in lighted areas in the forest, in the wasteland or near roads. The plant is not ordinary catnies, its description resembles mint. 
The stem of the Matoshnik is branched, 50-110 cm high. The leaves are sharp, oval-shaped. The flowers are white, purple or bluish, collected in inflorescence with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 cm. The fruits are brown nut-shaped. It blooms from June to September. The smell of shandry fragrant sharp, with a lemon shade.
Did you know? The plant received the name of catnip and cat grass because of the great love of these animals for them. Like Valerian, Matoshnik attracts cats with its smell. Fluffy gourmets eat grass. It causes euphoria, similar to drug intoxication.
Field balm has many useful components. Among them:
- essential oils that have a positive effect on the nervous system;
- Vitamin C, strengthening the immune system;
- tanning components, the astringent properties of which are used in Kotovnik-based preparations;
- flavonoids useful for the body's blood vessels;
- ursolic acid, which improves the work of enzymes;
- glycosides, saponins, bitterness.
What is useful catnip: pharmacological properties of flowers, stems and leaves
Catnip grass is valued in pharmacology, and its healing properties help to overcome many diseases. Fragrant Shandra has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, expectorant, anthelmintic and tonic effects.
Catnip cat is used in the treatment of pathologies of such systems:
- cardiovascular (anemia, angina, atherosclerosis);
- nervous (headaches, insomnia, nervous disorders, depression, hysteria);
- respiratory (bronchitis, colds, cough);
- urinogenital (kidney disease, menstrual disorders, erectile dysfunction);
- digestive (jaundice, intestinal atony, catarrh of the stomach, gastritis);
- dermal (dermatitis, eczema, inflammation of the skin).
Important! Before using drugs and tinctures on the basis of the matoshnik, you should consult with the doctor, because the plant is not suitable for everyone and has contraindications.
The use of catnip in traditional medicine: how to make a healing "potion"
Matoshnik used to cure a variety of diseases. In herbal medicine are used stems, flowers and leaves that break during the flowering period. After gathering the grass, it is dried in a ventilated room or in fresh air. Use raw materials can be 2 years after preparation. From the collected parts of fragrant shandra make healing teas and decoctions. 
With headaches
Lemon Kotovnik has widely known medicinal properties in the fight against migraine. A tablespoon of dried matoshnika pour 300 ml boiled water. Tea infused 2 hours in a closed container. Strained broth consumed a tablespoon for 30 minutes before eating. The treatment is applied for 1-2 days until the headache disappears. With continued pain, infusion is taken in the future.
It will be interesting to supporters of traditional medicine to read about the healing properties and the use of ambrosia, bitter wormwood, swimsuit, derbennik, thistle, gentian.
For insomnia
Catnip is no less effective in overcoming insomnia. A popular recipe is where the catnip, valerian root, chamomile color and hop cones are combined in the same ratio. To prepare the broth take three tablespoons of dried herbs and 400 ml of liquid. All boil for five minutes and filtered. Use half a glass after a meal for 2-3 weeks.
Did you know? From catnip make "powder of happiness." The structure includes 1 part of catnip and oregano, 2 parts of lavender. The mixture is poured into bags and laid out throughout the house, mainly in the bedroom.
For muscle relaxation and pain relief
Lemon cattle has beneficial properties that help relieve muscle tension. It is necessary to take one teaspoonful of matoshnik, valerian and skullcap, pour them with two glasses of water. Infuse the mixture for 20 minutes and consume throughout the day. 
For skin diseases
The catnip grass also relieves skin ailments, its healing properties help to overcome irritation and inflammation. To do this, prepare decoction fragrant shandra, blueberry berries, St. John's wort, Irish moss, nine-toed, comfrey, blue verbena, starodoubki root, myrrh resin. All ingredients are taken in the same proportions. Three tablespoons of herbs pour 400 ml of boiling water. The broth is infused for half an hour, then filtered. Drink a drink once a day (the first three days), and then - three times a day, 1/3 cup.
To overcome eczema will help compresses from matoshnik. A couple of tablespoons of herbs is steamed in a water bath (300 ml of liquid) for 5 minutes. The cooled mixture is filtered. To get rid of the disease from the broth make gadgets that are applied to the affected areas of the body for 30 minutes. The procedure is done twice a day until the skin is healed.
As cold medicine, you can use anemone, raspberry, sage, linden, cardamom, nutmeg.
With a cold
The use of fragrant shandra for the treatment of acute respiratory infections is common.
With pharyngitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx) do alcohol infusion. For treatment, take 40 grams of dried catnip and half a liter of vodka. Insist 14 days. Using the product, add 1 teaspoon of the mixture to a glass of water and gargle.
To remove the temperature for colds used infusion from this plant. You need to take two teaspoons of greens and pour 250 ml of boiling water. Mixture insist a couple of hours, then filtered. To apply four times a day on 50 ml of a product. 
Kotovnik: contraindications plants
Kotovnik has not only useful properties, but also contraindications.
Undesirable plant intake in such cases:
- pregnancy;
- lactation period;
- tachycardia and severe heart disease.
Important! Deciding to use catnip, do not forget to make sure that you do not have any contraindications and allergies to this plant.
Fragrant Shandra is a very interesting plant that combines beauty, unique aroma and useful properties. It is used in landscape design, cooking, but most of all it was useful in medicine. The healing properties of herbs made it an excellent tool for the treatment of many diseases.
