A perennial plant growing up to 60-150 cm in height. It has a perennial root or bulb, composed of imbricated fleshy scales, from which arises a thick stem 3 to 4 feet in height. The leaves are scattered, lanceolate, and narrowed at the base. The flowers are large, snow-white, campanulate, smooth inside, and borne in a terminal raceme.
Herb Effects
Astringent, highly demulcent, emmenagogue, emollient and expectorant (bulb and flowers)
The plant is mainly used externally, being applied as a poultice to tumours, ulcers, external inflammations etc. It is used as a certain remedy for leucorrhoea and falling of the womb, and for those affections, when combined with Life-Root and other herbal preparations, is without an equal. Sometimes the recent root is used to advantage in dropsy. Boiled in milk, it is also useful for ulcers, inflammations, fever-sores, etc. The flowers are harvested when fully open and used fresh for making juice, ointments or tinctures. The pollen has been used in the treatment of epilepsy.
Reference
James A Duke and Maryl Fulton. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs - 2nd Edition, P: 771, CRC Press July 2002.
Health Remedies 
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