Fróðskaparrit

						KANNUBJØLLUVÍSA TIL MATNA

47

in 1997. Tea of the field horsetail is recom-

mended for giving energy and strength, as

well as a diuretic. It is also said to stimulate

sexual lust, which might contribute to its

popularity (Nilsson, 1975: 96; Ingmansson,

1996: 248). According to the Scottish

botanist Lightfoot (1789: 647) it was more-

over once »... esteem'd serviceable in the

[...] Gonorrhæa, but is out of the present

practice.« Curiously enough, people of

northern India still use crushed plants of the

related E. debile with a little quantity of

water until a thick paste is formed. The

paste is then orally applied for the treat-

ment of gonorrhoea (Rai et al., 1993: 194).

The medicinal uses of field horsetail are

known in the folk tradition from its whole

distribution area, including Europe, North

America and Malaysia (Høeg, 1974; Brøn-

degaard, 1978; May, 1978: 513). If we just

take the Indians of North America as exam-

ple, they used various parts of the plant in

their healing systems. Iroquois made tea

from the roots when infants were teething;

Ojibwa ordinated tea from the whole plant

for dropsy and a stem decoction was used

against painful urination. Among the Indi-

ans in California ashes from the roots were

used on sore moufh (May, 1978: 513; Ar-

nason etal, 1981: 2267).

Other species have been used as medici-

nal plants as well. Costanoan Indians in

California used a decoction of E. laeviga-

tum as contraceptive, for bladder ailments,

for delayed menstruation, and as hair wash

(Bocek, 1984: 247). The Washington Indi-

ans used the rough horsetail (Equisetum hy-

menale) for eye wash. Blackfoot Indians

used it in horse medicine and Cree includ-

ed it in a medicine to correct menstrual reg-

ulations (Johnston, 1970: 304). In Califor-

nia the Indians made a hot infusion drink of

E. kansanum for backache and in South

Africa Suto women drank a decoction of

the rhizome from the branched horsetail

(Equisetum ramosissimum) to facilitate fer-

tilization. The powdered stem in water

could be used for an upset stomach. Peru-

vians treated acne and ulcers with E. xy-

lochaetum and used it as a diuretic (May,

1978: 513). Bergvall (1972) has recorded

from Edsele in Angermanland, northern

Sweden, how E. scirpoides was gathered

during the late summer and used for various

veterinary medicine for cattle and horses.

Used as fodder

E. arvense seems to have been regarded as

bad fodder for sheep and cattle in some

places. It has even been regarded as harm-

ful to the animals, while it is said not to af-

fect the animals in other areas. E.g. Montin

(1749: 62) asserts that E. arvense is harm-

ful for the foetus of sheep and leads to pre-

mature delivery. Linnæus (1755) reports

the same about E. hyemale. Furthermore he

says that the cattle usually do not eat E. ar-

vense, although he mentions the case of the

cattle in Friesland who, due to hunger, ac-

tually grazed on it. E. hyemale is regarded

as excellent fodder for horses by Linnæus,

and E.fluviatile is eaten by cattle, who pro-

duce more milk after eating it, and also eat-

en by reindeer. His younger colleague Lil-

jeblad (1798: 383-384), with references to

various local traditions, is sceptical also of

most species of Equisetum as fodder and

according to him they all seem to be harm-