Pine Buds
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Pine buds are the buds and young shoots ending in buds from common pine trees, collected in spring. They contain resin, essential oil (turpentine), starch, and bitter pinipicrin, and were historically used as a diuretic and for respiratory ailments, though now replaced by pine extract.
Encyclopedia article (1928–1936)
PINE BUDS (FUI), Gemmae Pini, Turiones Pini, the buds and young shoots ending in buds, from common pine (Pinus silvestris L.), collected in spring from young (10-20--30-year-old) pines. Pine buds have an aromatic smell, a bitter-resinous taste, and contain resin, essential oil (turpentine), starch, the bitter substance pinipicrin, and others. They are used to prepare the compound tincture of pine (T-ra Pini composita) (now unofficial). Previously they were used as a diuretic (now abandoned because it has the property of strongly irritating the kidneys and causing an inflammatory condition in them), and in infusions for inhalation in catarrhs of the respiratory passages. Pine buds are now replaced by pine extract (m-Extr. Pini silvestris), which is prepared by evaporating a decoction of pine needles; it is added to baths (100-500.0 per bath) as an irritant to the skin and thereby has a stimulating effect on the nervous system; it is used for rubbing on the skin in prurigo. In folk medicine, it is used as a diuretic, against rheumatism, etc. Pine buds have export importance.
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Cite this page
“Pine Buds.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/pine-buds/