Family:  N.O. Rosaceae.

Synonyms:  Common Agrimony, Church Steeples, Cockeburr, Sticklewort and Philanthropos.

Part Used:  The herb.

Agrimony has an old reputation as a popular, domestic medicinal herb, being simple and well known to all country-folk.

Medicinal Action and Uses

It openeth and cleanseth the liver, helpeth the jaundice, and is very beneficial to the bowels, healing all inward wounds, bruises, hurts and other distempers. The decoction of the herb made with wine, and drank, is good against the biting and stinging of serpents, and helps them that make foul, troubled or bloody water, and makes them part with clear urine speedily. It also helpeth the colic, cleanseth the breast, and rids away the cough. A draught of the decoction taken warm before the fit, first removes, and in time rids away the tertian or quartan agues. The leaves and seeds taken in wine stays the bloody flux. Outwardly applied, being stamped with old swine’s grease, it helpeth old sores, cancers and inveterate ulcers. The juice dropped in helpeth foul and imposthumed scars.

Modern uses

A valuable herb in modern practice used mainly as a gastro-intestinal tonic. It is also a useful remedy for coughs, skin eruptions and cystitis.