Purple loosestrife is an astringent herb that is mainly employed as a treatment for diarrhoea and dysentery. It can be safely taken by people of all ages and has been used to help arrest diarrhoea in breast-feeding babies[254]. It can also be used to treat heavy periods and inter-menstrual bleeding[254]. Modern research has shown the whole plant to be antibiotic and to be particularly effective against the micro-organism that causes typhus[254]. The flowering plant is antibiotic, highly astringent, hypoglycaemic, styptic and vulnerary[4, 7, 9, 21, 152, 218, 238]. It is valued as an intestinal disinfectant, especially in cases of enteritis[7], an infusion is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, internal bleeding, excessive menstruation etc[9, 222, 238]. The flowering plant is harvested in the summer and can be used fresh or dried[9]. Externally, the plant is used as a cleansing and healing wash for wounds, sores, impetigo, eczema, excess vaginal discharge, vaginal itching etc[7, 222, 238, 254]. The powdered plant is used as a haemostatic in cases of severe nosebleeds[7]. The stems are regarded as gum stimulators and are given to children to chew in order to strengthen weak or bleeding gums[7].