Phil L wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kay contains these words:
In article , Chris Bacon
writes

I saw a remarkable patch at the roadside last year, with very
large stems - probably around 2' (600mm) long. Are there several
sorts of horse tail, or was this just ordinary stuff doing
rather better than the 1' stems I normally see? I'm keeping an
eye on it to see what happens this year, and it certainly seems
to be doing well again!


There's several species of horsetail which grow in the UK. But it
might still just have been some more vigorous stems of the usual
stuff.

Horsetails have only one use that I know of - in an area where
there are gold salts in the soil, they will take them up, and if
you burn large quantities of them, the gold can be worth
recovering.


That's not their only use, they are anodyne, antihaemorrhagic,
antiseptic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic,
galactogogue, haemostatic and vulnerary.
It helps speed the repair of damaged connective tissue, improving its
strength and elasticity.
The plant is a useful diuretic when taken internally and is used in
the treatment of kidney and bladder problems, cystitis, urethritis,
prostate disease and internal bleeding.
The stems contain 10% silica and are used for scouring metal and as a
fine sandpaper. They can also be used as a polish for brass, hardwood
etc. The infused stem is an effective fungicide against mildew, mint
rust and blackspot on roses.
A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh plant. It is used in the
treatment of cystitis and other complaints of the urinary system, it
also contains equisetic acid, which is thought to be identical to
aconitic acid. This substance is a potent heart and nerve sedative
that is a dangerous poison when taken in high doses.

Other than that it's pretty useless.
:-p

I used to boil it up, strain and bottle and use as a final rince on my hair.
It strengthens and adds a really nice shine to it.

--�
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl