Bleeding heart
Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is an annual member of the Cruciferae family, that grows to about 50cm in sandy soil. A native of Europe, it can now be found in temperate zones throughout the world. It is an inconsequential plant with soft, thin toothed leaves, surmounted by tiny white flowers that form the distinctive purse-shaped seeds, from which the plants derives its generic name.
It appears not to have any recorded medicinal application until the middle ages, when it was placed around the wrists of babies suffering from jaundice. Culpeper writes “The juice being dropped into the ears, heals the pains, noise and mutterings thereof.” He also recommended it for head wounds.
During the world wars, when medicines were sent to the front for the benefit of the soldiery, herbs like shepherd’s purse were used domestically as astringents and wound staunchers.
The plant contains flavanoids, polypeptides, choline, acetylcholine, histamine and tyramine. This enables it to be haemostatic, a urinary anti-septic, astringent, diuretic, hypotensive, a circulatory stimulant, anti-uric acid and an emmenagogue.
Traditionally the plant is associated with bleeding, most especially that following childbirth. Acting as a vaso-constrictor, it would be administered in the form of a tea; high doses infused for fifteen minutes. It follows that it was used for most forms of bleeding from the urinary and genital areas, excessive bleeding from the womb and associated fibroids. Shepherd’s purse is a standard herbal treatment for leucorrhoea, the white discharge from the vagina due to inflammation of the mucus membrane sometimes related to STDs. In addition, it is used as a treatment to disinfect the urinary tract following a bout of cystitis.
The herb has been used to combat irritable bowel syndrome and infections of the kidneys. In China it is a treatment for dysentery and used as an eyewash for ocular infections and skin disorders such as eczema.
In times of scarcity, the plant has been used as a substitute for quinine in the treatment of malaria.
Shepherd’s purse grows all over Cyprus and in earlier times the leaves were eaten in salads.
Caution; not to be taken when pregnant.
