Gently boil a piece of dried root in water for about fifteen minutes, then allow to cool before use as a gargle or compress. This preparation, reserved for external use or gargling without swallowing, was found in traditional herbalism records. Dosage to be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
Fresh or dried root was macerated in alcohol for several weeks to obtain a concentrated tincture. Due to the potency of the plant, this preparation required the expertise of a confirmed herbalist and was used only in minute doses, under professional supervision. Dosage to be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
The dried root, then ground into powder, was mixed with a little warm water to form a paste, applied as a poultice to the skin areas to be treated. This application remained strictly external in the reported tradition. Dosage to be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
This plant can still be found in some natural prairies of the eastern United States, but is mostly cultivated today as an ornamental plant or offered in dried root form by a few specialized herbalist shops.
The root is traditionally harvested in autumn, once the aerial part has withered, from plants at least two or three years old.