AGRIMONY
Latin / Botanical
Name: Agrimonia eupatoria
Agrimony has a long history of
medicinal use. Through the ages, it was considered a panacea. The ancient Greeks
used agrimony to treat eye ailments. Agrimony brews were used to heal diarrhea,
disorders of the gallbladder, liver and kidneys. It was used for healing wounds
and later it was used for Athlete's foot.
Agrimony has long been used since
Saxon times to heal wounds because it staunches bleeding and encourages clot
formation. In the 15th century, it was the prime ingredient of “arquebusade
water,” a battlefield remedy for gunshot wounds. In France, the eau de
arquebusade is still applied for sprains and bruises. A cooling astringent and
mildly bitter, the aerial parts can be used for “hot” conditions like diarrhea,
bronchitis and a gentle tonic for the digestion as a whole. Combined with other
herbs such as corn silk, it is a valuable remedy for cystitis and urinary
incontinence, and has also been used for kidney stones, sore throats,
rheumatism, and arthritis. It can be used as a suppository combining the
extract with cocoa butter and inserting into the rectum for hemorrhoids,
tapeworms and diarrhea. The healing power is attributed to the herb’s high
silica content. Agrimony is indicated for chronic cholecystopathies with
gastric sub-acidity. Real success will be achieved only if the plant is used
consistently for some time. European herbalists suggest a few cups of agrimony
tea daily to heal peptic ulcers and colitis, to gently control diarrhea, to tone
the digestive tract lining, and to improve food assimilation. One glycoside it
contains has been shown to reduce excessive bile production in the gallbladder.