Agrimony

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

20 Oct 2007 10:18 AM

The herb agrimony is perhaps best known for its ability to soothe throats -- singers and speakers may gargle with this spicy-smelling herb before a performance to refresh and clear the throat. But agrimony may be useful for much more than that!

Agrimony has a long and somewhat strange history. Ancient herbalists mixed agrimony with pounded frogs and human blood to cure internal hemorrhages. Somehow, I doubt that one worked. In ancient Greece, the herb was used for relieving eye problems. Anglo-Saxons used agrimony to heal wounds and called it "garclive". Agrimony was also mixed with mugwort and vinegar to treat back pain. Other traditional uses for agrimony include relief for rheumatism, gout, fevers, digestive problems, asthma, coughs, and sore throats.

An old English manuscript even suggested agrimony as a sleep aid -- a spring of the herb beneath a pillow would keep a person asleep until the agrimony was removed. Modern science hasn't found any sedative properties in agrimony.

Agrimony does have astringent properties, making it useful for relieving sore throats and sore mouths. An infusion of agrimony makes a throat and mouth gargle. Agrimony tea can help ease a cough. A poultice made from fresh agrimony leaves can help heal sores, but be careful. Compounds in agrimony react with sunlight, and can leave you with a rash if you use agrimony externally and then go outside. If you'll be using an agrimony poultice, keep the area covered and out of sun.

Aside from the sunlight reaction, agrimony is considered safe to use both externally and internally. Some people drink agrimony tea simply because they like the taste. Two cups a day is as safe as drinking coffee, according to a botanist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agrimony is also used in some cosmetic products -- its astringent properties make the herb useful as a skin toner. The leaves and stems of the herb are used to make yellow dye. The best color comes from plants harvested in late fall; earlier harvests produce a buff yellow color.

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