- Region
- Europe
- Origin
- Europe, western Asia and North Africa, along verges and grasslands. Agrimonia eupatoria
- Other names
- Leverkruid
Europe · Herb · № 57
Agrimonia eupatoria
Herb · Europe
Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
An astringent, tannin-rich herb traditionally used for diarrhoea, sore throats and minor wounds. Good human research is lacking.
Safety notes
See a doctor for persistent diarrhoea or sore throat. Little is known about use in pregnancy.
Cautions by tradition (2)
- Herbal medicine worldwide: Not with constipation.
- Chinese materia medica: Caution with strong heat. Have a tapeworm treated by your GP.
Preparation
The flowering herb is used as a tea, gargle or compress. No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
Ody calls agrimony an old Anglo-Saxon wound herb. It later became one of Edward Bach's flower remedies; those remedies are highly diluted and have not been shown to work.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Astringent, diuretic, repairs tissue, stops bleeding, promotes bile flow, mildly antiviral; heals mucous membranes, for diarrhoea, wounds, weeping eczema, sore throat, conjunctivitis, bleeding.
Preparation and amount
Tea for diarrhoea (also for babies via breast milk) and as a wash for wounds and eczema; gargle for sore throat; tincture for cystitis, gallbladder disease, bronchitis, heavy menstruation; weak tea (10 g to 500 ml) as an eye bath; leaf compress for migraine.
Caution: Not with constipation.
Western herbalism
Attributed effects
Astringent, tonic, diuretic, promotes bile flow, relaxing; for kidney and bladder complaints (kidney stones, incontinence, bedwetting), liver congestion and jaundice, and to release stress and tension.
Preparation and amount
Tea (infusion): 1–2 tsp per cup, steep 8–10 min, 1–3 cups a day; tincture: 1 dropperful 3 times a day.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- bitter, neutral
- Meridians
- lung, liver, spleen
Attributed effects
Chinese agrimony (xian he cao, Agrimonia pilosa) stops bleeding of all kinds (most strongly charred), curbs diarrhoea and dysentery and was used against parasites such as trichomonas and tapeworm.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 6–15 g a day, usually in a decoction. Externally as a wash for vaginal itching.
Combinations
- With fresh rehmannia, tree peony bark and gardenia for bleeding from heat
- With ginseng and huang qi for bleeding from qi deficiency
Caution: Caution with strong heat. Have a tapeworm treated by your GP.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)DecoctionTinctureCompress, poultice and paste