Common Names: Shave-grass. Bottle-brush. Paddock-pipes. Dutch Rushes. Pewterwort.

Parts Used: The barren stems only are used medicinally, appearing after the fruiting stems have died down, and are used in their entirety, cut off just above the root. The herb is used either fresh or dried, but is said to be most efficacious when fresh. A fluid extract is prepared from it. The ashes of the plant are also employed.

Description: A perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the height 10-50 cm. The Equisetaceae have an external resemblance in habit to Casuarina or Ephedra. The Casuarina have the appearance of gigantic Horsetails, being trees with threadlike, jointed, furrowed, pendent branches without leaves, but with small toothed sheaths at the joints. The stems spring from a creeping rhizome, or root-stock, which produces at its joints a number of roots. Two kinds of stems are produced fertile and barren: they are erect, jointed, brittle and grooved, hollow except at the joints and with air-cells in their walls under the grooves. There are no leaves, the joints terminating in toothed sheathes, the teeth corresponding with the ridges and representing leaves. Branches, if present, arise from the sheathbases and are solid. In most cases, the fertile or fruiting stem is unbranched and withers in spring, almost before the barren fronds appear. It bears a terminal cone-like catkin, consisting of numerous closely-packed peltae, upon the under margins of which are the sporanges, containing microscopic spores, attached to elastic threads, which are coiled round the spore when moist and uncoil when dry. Produces catkins in midsummer.

Habitat: It is common in cornfields and wet boggy ground. Its presence is supposed to indicate subterranean, flowing waters or springs. Horsetail now is found through the whole territory of Russia, except Central Asia deserts; it can be found even in Arctic. It likes sandy soil, flood forests and meadows, coniferous and mixed forests, among bush brakes, in the fields as a weed, in the road edges, sand-pits and embarkments. Often horsetail forms large brakes, convenient for stocking up. Though mostly inhabitants of watery places, flourishing where they can lodge their perennial roots in water or string clay which holds the wet, the Equisetums will grow in a garden near water, under a wall, or in the shade and will spread rapidly.

Propagation and Reproduction: The development of young Horsetails from the spores is similar to that of Ferns, germination and impregnation being effected in the same manner. The Equisitaceae are also propagated in a vegetative non-sexual manner by means of subterranean stolons and by tubers.

Constituents: Horsetail herb contains alkaloids, saponin equisetonin, flavonoids, organic acids, fatty oil, essential oil, vitamin C, carotene, considerable amount of silicates soluble in organic compounds, bitternesses, tannic substances, resins and polyoxyantraquinone compounds.

Uses: Field horsetail improves urination, has styptic and anti-inflammatory effects, helps to remove lead compounds from an organism. Most living organism tissues contain silicic acid and its salts, which influences the formation of osseous tissue and collagen. Horsetail preparations are used as a diuretic and styptic remedy in case of inflammatory kidneys and urinary system diseases, gravel and salt metabolism disorders. As a diuretic remedy, horsetail is taken for heart diseases and heart failure. It is used for bathing of purulent wounds, furuncles, trophic sores, and some kinds of skin diseases. Field horsetail preparations are prescribed for acute and chronic lead intoxication. It is used in cosmetology for blackheads, greasy skin and hair. Forms of Horsetail used include herb, infusion, briquettes, pellets. Horsetail herb is included in diuretic tea composition. Horsetail has been found beneficial in dropsy, gravel and kidney affections generally. The ashes of the plant are considered very valuable in acidity of the stomach, dyspepsia, etc., administered in doses of 3 to 10 grains. Besides being useful in kidney and bladder trouble, a strong decoction acts as an emmenagogue; being cooling and astringent, it is of efficacy for hemorrhage, cystic ulceration and ulcers in the urinary passages. The decoction applied externally will promote coagulation, stop the bleeding of wounds and quickly heal them, and will also reduce the swelling of eyelids. It will also help broken bones heal faster, and will help strengthen brittle nails with white spots as well as hair, due to its high silica content. It has also been used as part of a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and has been found invaluable in the treatment of incontinence and bed-wetting in children, because of its toning and astringent actions. The plant alone, boiled in water, makes an effective foot soak for tired feet, or for the treatment of athlete's foot. Dosage: Fluid extract, 10 to 60 drops.

Miscellaneous: Large plants of this order probably formed a great proportion of the vegetation during the carboniferous period. Those now existing are mere dwarfish representatives of their ancestors. Cows are apt to lose their teeth by feeding on it and said to be afflicted with diarrhea. Cows generally avoid Horsetail. It is said that whistles made from the stalks of Horsetail are used to call the spirits. This herb belongs to Saturn. Horsetail is rich in silica, and in Medieval times the stems were used to polish metal, hence its old name pewterwort. Centuries later, dairy maids were using the dried stems to scour their milk pails.

Caution: Field horsetail preparations must be taken strictly under physician control, because they can stimulate kidneys irritation. They are contraindicated in case of nephritis and nephrosonephritis. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. In large amounts, it can be a nerve poison.