Agrimony: usage, properties, and tradition

Agrimonia, or Agrimonia eupatoria L., belonging to the Rosaceae family, is also known as St. William’s herb or the Eupatorium of the Greeks. Its name is derived from Mithridates Eupator Dionysus, the king of Pontus (1st century BC), who, according to tradition, introduced the plant for therapeutic purposes.

Historical uses: The Greeks and Romans utilized it for liver ailments, as a healing agent, and against poisons.

Mattioli, in his Herbarium, affirms (according to Galen): “It has the virtue to warm, thin, and cleanse, cutting and opening liver defects caused by blockages, and it possesses a diuretic quality.”

Since the 9th century, Walahfrid Strabus recommended its use as a vulnerary. “If the enemy’s sword has opened a wound in our limbs, it is necessary to appeal to its assistance and apply its cut sprouts on the open wound, ensuring a quick recovery.”

Hildegard of Bingen states, “Agrimony is warm. If a person produces or expels mucus and a lot of phlegm from their diseased intestines and has a cold stomach, frequently take agrimony dissolved in wine, before and after meals. This will reduce and purify the mucus and warm the stomach.” (from: Physica)

“A decoction of leaves boiled in red wine was used for the treatment of varicose ulcers and sluggish sores.” (L.P. Da Legnano, Rome, 1968)

“From the entire plant, harvested during the flowering period, a very stable golden-yellow tint is obtained, suitable for coloring woolen threads.” (Duchesne, Paris, 1836)

Agrimonia is a perennial herbaceous plant, about 1 meter tall, found in northern Europe, typical of dry and sunny, even low-yielding, soils.

It blooms from June to August with yellow pentamerous flowers gathered in terminal racemes.

The leaves are alternate and resemble those of strawberries, with a beautiful green color on the upper side and grayish on the lower side; divided into 5-9 serrated leaflets. The fruit consists of two achenes enclosed in a receptacle provided with hooked bristles.

Leaves and flowering tops are harvested at the beginning of flowering and then dried in a well-ventilated and dark place.

Active ingredients: flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin), triterpenes (ursolic acid 0.6%), anthocyanins, bitter glycoside (eupatorin), essential oil 0.2%, acids (ellagic, chlorogenic, caffeic), tannins, vitamins (B1, K, C), sugars.

Indications: chronic liver conditions, enteritis, and catarrhal gastritis, stomatitis, tonsillitis, diarrhea, urinary incontinence, allergic conditions (conjunctivitis, urticaria, pruritic skin diseases), hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and against rheumatism.

Studies by Dr. Santini, a Tuscan doctor and pharmacologist, revealed a cortisone-like action of considerable importance in cases of urticaria.

For external use, the presence of cortisone-like substances (such as ursolic acid) is effective in eczematous forms, acne, couperose, and allergic dermatitis; these effects are enhanced by the presence of tannins (astringents) and flavonoids (vessel protectors, tonics of veins and capillaries).

Agrimony is used in all cases where a moderately strong astringent effect must be accompanied by a calming action. It is an excellent eye lotion, and the ancients knew this quality well, so much so that they called it “Lagrimonia” (from lagrima, meaning “a plant that does not make one cry”).

Decoction for gargles:

– Agrimony (whole plant) 40 grams

– Rose petals 30 grams

– Althea root, peeled 30 grams

Boil a tablespoon of the mixture per cup of water. After 15 minutes, strain and pour the liquid into a glass. Gargle 2 or 3 times a day with the decoction, warm or cold. (Cagnola-Botticelli)

GIULIA CALDARELLI