Perennial herbaceous plant up to 35 cm tall, reproducing by spores. The branched rhizome goes deep into the soil – up to 1 m or more, covered with small, thin roots and spherical nodules. Stems are green, ribbed, segmented. The leaves are scaly, fused into cylindrical sheaths with 8-10 teeth. Lateral branches – with four-pronged sheaths. In April-May, shoots are found, pale yellow, up to 20 cm tall, juicy, jointed, with sheaths of fused scaly leaves. At the top of these stems, a spore-bearing spikelet develops with modified leaflets, on the lower plane of which sporangia with spores are located. Barren stems are found later: in May-June.
Horsetail is the most traditional plant in all regions of Russia, found in forest-steppe and steppe regions. Grows in meadows, crops, river banks, ravine slopes and fallow fields.
Medicinal raw materials are summer vegetative green shoots (stems) collected throughout the summer. Stems cut at the root dry quickly in the air. The smell of the dried plant is absent, the taste is slightly sour.
When collecting, it is necessary to distinguish other types of horsetail that have less medicinal properties: horsetail, in which the branches hang down in an arcuate manner and re-branch; horsetail, in which the stems in the upper part are planted with papillae and the sheaths of the stems are 10-15-toothed, growing in meadows and fields; marsh horsetail, having thick stems up to 1.5 m high, sheaths with 15-20 subulate teeth; marsh horsetail (poisonous) – with non-curly branches (very similar to field horsetail, but differs in hollow branches and the presence of a spore-bearing spikelet at the top).
Horsetail herb contains acotic (or equisetic) acid, saponins, oxalic, malic acids, carotene and vitamin C, tannins, bitter substance, carbohydrates, resin, as well as a significant amount of silicic acid and calcium salts.
Horsetail preparations have hemostatic and pronounced diuretic properties. They are used as an infusion and liquid extract as a diuretic for edema caused by circulatory failure, also for inflammatory processes of the bladder and urinary tract, pleurisy with a large amount of exudate, hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding, as a hemostatic agent. Horsetail products are especially effective in diseases of the kidneys and bladder. They have a diuretic effect and the ability to dissolve kidney and bladder stones. Herbal preparations give good results in pulmonary tuberculosis and skin diseases that are not amenable to local external treatment. They act on the body as a tonic and cleanser. As a cleanser, these products are indicated for dropsy and jaundice. Horsetail herb is part of the anti-asthma mixture (according to Traskov), there are indications of the use of horsetail in the treatment of dysentery. According to some scientists, the herb has a disinfectant, antiseptic, strengthening and wound-healing effect. It is used orally for diseases of the lungs, kidneys and bleeding in the form of tea (4 teaspoons per 2 cups of boiling water, taken in sips throughout the day). Outwardly – in the form of baths and herbal lotions with sluggish wound healing, boils, tonsillitis, gum disease (like rinsing); with nosebleeds in the form of washings. It is used orally for diseases of the lungs, kidneys and bleeding in the form of tea (4 teaspoons per 2 cups of boiling water, taken in sips throughout the day). Outwardly – in the form of baths and herbal lotions with sluggish wound healing, boils, tonsillitis, gum disease (like rinsing); with nosebleeds in the form of washings. It is used orally for diseases of the lungs, kidneys and bleeding in the form of tea (4 teaspoons per 2 cups of boiling water, taken in sips throughout the day). Outwardly – in the form of baths and herbal lotions with sluggish wound healing, boils, tonsillitis, gum disease (like rinsing); with nosebleeds in the form of washings.
It is not recommended to use horsetail products for inflammatory kidney diseases, as they cause irritation to the kidneys.
In Chinese medicine, a decoction of horsetail is used for inflammation of the eyes. In Poland – as a diuretic. Outwardly – from baldness.
In folk medicine, horsetail herb has long been known as a hemostatic and diuretic. Water infusion is used for edema, especially of cardiac origin, for cholelithiasis, gout, rheumatism, bleeding, pulmonary hemoptysis, hemorrhoids. In Europe, horsetail infusion is recommended to be used internally in the treatment of lung diseases, and externally – for washing long-term non-healing wounds and ulcers and in the form of rinses for inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and pharynx.
In homeopathy, horsetail herb is used as a hemostatic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and blood vessel tonic agent, for hypertension, atherosclerosis, kidney diseases (in small doses), liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Application
The hemostatic effect is well achieved by drinking wine from horsetail: 15-20 g to infuse in 1 liter of white wine for a long time. Take in the morning on an empty stomach 100-150 ml. Externally, this wine can be used as a cleansing lotion.
Decoction: 50 g per 200 ml of boiling water; insist 20 minutes; use 3 tbsp. spoons 3-4 times every day; or horsetail powder dissolved in boiled water (30-50 g per 1 liter). Take 150 g in the morning and evening. It is effective for diarrhea, hemoptysis, as a diuretic and regulating menstruation for kidney stones, etc.
Extract: 30%; half a teaspoon 3-4 times every day.
Infusion 1: Pour 4 teaspoons of herbs into 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes and drink warm infusion throughout the day – diuretic.
Infusion 2: Infuse 50 g of chopped herb for 24 hours in 3 glasses of cold water and use for baths, washes, compresses.
Ointment for ulcers: 1 part extract or condensed decoction to 4 parts butter (unsalted) butter or vaseline (preferably yellow).
With a painful discharge of urine, they drink tea from a hot infusion (napara) of a mixture of horsetail grass and chamomile flowers equally. Reception – 3 glasses every day.