Horsetail
A perennial herbaceous plant of the horsetail family, up to 50 cm high. The rhizome is branched, goes deep into the soil, covered with small roots and spherical nodules. Spore-bearing stems appear in early spring. At their top, spore-bearing spikelets develop with modified leaves, on the lower surface of which sporangia with spores are located. After the spores fall off, the stems quickly die. From the same rhizome soon grow summer, erect, green shoots without spikelets, with thin, numerous branches without leaves.
Due to the high content of silicic acid, the plant feels rough to the touch. Reproduces by spores.
Horsetail is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, with the exception of the Far North and deserts. It grows in meadows, along river banks, roadsides, ravine slopes, near ditches, in sand and clay quarries and in fallow fields.
Spore-bearing spikelets and young juicy stems are used for food, from which soups, casseroles and filling for pies are prepared. When harvesting for future use, horsetail is salted.
Green vegetative stems serve as medicinal raw materials. They are collected all summer in dry weather, cutting them at a height of 5-10 cm from the soil surface. Dry immediately in the attic, under a canopy or in a dryer, laying out a layer of no more than 10 cm.
Store in bags or wooden containers for 4 years. The stems contain silicic, ascorbic and organic acids, alkaloids, saponins, carotene, mineral salts, resins, tannins, fatty oils and bitterness. Horsetail preparations have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hemostatic, diuretic, anthelmintic and wound-healing effects, and enhance the neutralizing and immune properties of the body.
Thanks to their colloidal properties, they prevent the formation of urinary stones. The herb is used as a diuretic for edema due to heart and lung diseases. The diuretic effect develops quickly and persists for a long time.
Horsetail is used for inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract. To enhance the anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect, it is used in a mixture with bearberry and birch leaves.
Considering that silicon compounds play an important role in maintaining the function of connective tissue, blood vessels and bones, horsetail herb is recommended for atherosclerosis of the blood vessels of the heart and brain.
The ability of silicon to combine with vitamin C, of which the plant contains 778 mg%, increases the body’s immunity, allowing it to actively resist the causative agent of tuberculosis and other diseases. This also justifies the use of horsetail preparations in the treatment of indolent ulcers, purulent wounds and boils.
To prepare a decoction, pour 2 tablespoons of crushed horsetail herb into 1 glass of hot water, keep in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes and filter. Take 1/3-1/2 cup 3-4 times a day 1 hour after meals.
Fresh juice from the herb is prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment for pulmonary and skin tuberculosis. The plants are collected early in the morning, before the dew dries, washed in running water, allowed to drain, scalded with boiling water and passed through a meat grinder. The squeezed juice is boiled for 2-3 minutes. Store in the refrigerator. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day after meals.
For inflammation of the mucous membranes, rinse the mouth and throat with an infusion of horsetail herb. To prepare it, pour 1 tablespoon of raw material into 1 glass of cold boiling water and leave for 24 hours. For porous and oily facial skin, make lotions with this infusion at night.
A mixture of horsetail and arnica flowers in a 1:1 ratio is used to combat dandruff. To prepare the decoction, pour 1 tablespoon of raw material into 2 glasses of hot water, boil for 10 minutes and immediately filter. Rub into the scalp every other day 1-2 hours before bedtime.
For sweaty feet, do foot baths with horsetail herb at a temperature of 35-36°C after 1-2 days. To do this, 50-100 g of fresh grass is poured 5-6