Shepherd's purse, whose medicinal properties have been known for over two thousand years, was widely used in ancient Greece and Rome. In medieval Europe, this plant was used as an excellent hemostatic agent, but later it was unfairly forgotten by traditional medicine and became the prerogative of quackery.
Interest in shepherd's purse was revived during the First World War, when the lack of Canadian goldenseal and ergot, which were the main hemostatic agents at that time, forced doctors to look for alternatives.
Shepherd's purse is an annual plant, a member of the large cruciferous family. Its stem reaches a height of up to half a meter, and the smallest specimens are only 20 cm tall. The leaves of this plant are narrowed towards the petiole and collected in a rosette. Near the roots, they have an oblong-lanceolate, porous-separate or notched-toothed shape. The leaves located on the stem are arrow-shaped. The flowers are small, white, usually collected at the top of the stem. The fruits have a characteristic triangular pod shape with a heart-shaped notch at the top. The flowering of this plant falls on the period from April to late autumn, and it can be collected almost throughout our country.
The magical properties of herbs usually appear at a certain stage of their maturation. For medical purposes, the herb is harvested during the entire period of its flowering and fruit ripening. The shepherd's purse, the medicinal properties of which are inherent in the aerial part of the plant, is necessarily removed from the ground with the root. After that, the sector located below the basal leaves is removed, and the rest is dried in the shade in the fresh air.
Like many other useful herbs that are just beginning to be used, shepherd's purse is still waiting for new discoveries. The chemical composition of this medicinal plant has just begun to be analyzed. At the moment, it contains vitamins C and K, malic and citric acids, as well as a huge amount of potassium.
Shepherd's purse is also used as a hemostatic agent or for internal bleeding, the healing properties of which allow you to quickly increase the coagulating properties of blood. Preparations based on this herb are used for pulmonary, uterine and renal bleeding in the form of a tincture or extract.
Shepherd's purse, the healing properties of which are used by healers, is used not only as a means to stop the blood. Decoction and juice of thisplants are taken for diseases of the liver, bladder and kidneys, biliary colic. In case of metabolic disorders, doctors recommend using water or alcohol tinctures based on a shepherd's bag. A proven recipe suggests mixing ten parts of alcohol with one part of a medicinal plant. Then the tincture is kept in a warm dark place for 14-17 days.
Remember that before using any folk remedy, it is imperative to visit a doctor and listen to his recommendations.
