Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses Traditionally, the plant has been used as a diuretic, an antitubercular drug, and in the treatment of genitourinary and respiratory disorders, arthritis, and bleeding ulcers. Owing to the abrasive nature of its high silica content, horsetail has been used to clean dishes, sand wood, and polish metal. Externally, it has been used in cosmetics and as an astringent to stop bleeding and stimulate wound healing. Miscellaneous uses Horsetail may exert slight diuretic activity, although studies are needed to prove this. The historical data reporting the use of horsetail in the treatment of urological disorders, tuberculosis, or to enhance wound healing lacks clinical evidence.