The berries are sometimes put into brandy like Black Cherries. The Russians make wine of them, with or without honey or spirits, while in Siberia a drink is made of the leaves which, when young, make common spirits resemble brandy. An infusion of them is like green tea, and can change the flavour of black tea. Goats eat the leaves, and bears especially like the berries, which are supposed to have medicinal properties not possessed by others of the genus. The juice can be boiled to an extract with sugar, when it is called Rob , and is used for inflammatory sore throats.
Excellent lozenges are also prepared from it.
The infusion of the leaves is cleansing and diuretic, while an infusion of the young roots is useful in eruptive fevers and the dysenteric fevers of cattle. The raw juice is diuretic and diaphoretic, and is an excellent beverage in febrile diseases. A decoction of the bark has been found of value in calculus, dropsy, and haemorrhoidal tumours. It should not be made with too much sugar or its medicinal properties will be impaired. This 'Black Currant Tea' has a soothing, demulcent effect, taken several times in the day and drunk while hot.