History of Shepherd's Purse

Shepherd’s Purse has been known by several other interesting common names over the centuries. Some have called it Witches’ Pouches, Poverty Weed, Blind Weed, Beggar Tick, Mother’s Heart, or Poor Man’s Pharmacy. Other common names used have been Shepherd’s Sprout, Case Wort, Cocowort, Shepherd’s Heart, Toy Wort, Pick Purse, Pickooker, Pick-Pocket, St. James’ Weed, St. James’ Wort, St. Anthony’s Fire, Pepper Grass, Permacety, and Poor Man’s Parmacettie. Additionally, it has been called Shepherd’s Bag, Shepherd’s Scrip, Lady’s Purse, Rattle Pouches, Case Weed, Shovel Weed, Pepper-and-Salt, and Sanguinary. The Irish name, Clappedepouch came into being because the seed pods resembled the bell or clapper the lepers would ring in Ireland as they would beg for alms, offering a cup attached to the end of a long pole in which to receive the alms. The name Shepherd’s Purse “Comes from the association with the shape of the purse carried by the shepherd’s of Bethlehem. The Poor Man’s Pharmacy refers to its past medicinal use and inexpensive availability.” In the French language is it called Bourse de Pasteur or Capselle; in German it has been called Hirtentasche, Hirtentaschelkraut, and Taschenkraut. In Russian it is reported to be called Pastushya Sumka which means the same thing as Shepherd’s Purse. By this author, it has been called, My Best Friend and a Life Saver!

The Latin name “Capsella means “little box,” referring to the fruit, as does bursa pastoris (“purse of the shepherd”).”

According to Bown, “Archaeobotanical remains containing Shepherd’s Purse seeds were recovered during excavation of the Catal Huyuk site in Turkey (ca. 5950 B.C.E.). Seeds were also recovered from the stomach of the Tollund man (ca. 500 B.C.E.-400 C.E.) (Bown, 1995).”

Shepherd’s Purse was well known and used as a medicine in ancient Roman and Greek times, and it retained its popularity all over Europe into the Middle Ages. About 1615, Gervase Markham’s book, “The English Housewife,” listed a recipe for dysentery or diarrhea that included Shepherd’s Purse as one of its ingredients. And in John Josselyn’s “Herbal,” there is mention that Shepherd’s Purse was considered to have been unknown in America prior to the landing of the Pilgrims, and it later was carried as far as “. . . the Heartland between 1826 and 1859.” The Chippewa Indians used Shepherd’s Purse as an infusion for treating diarrhea, dysentery and for stomach cramps. The Mohegan Indians used the seed pods for relieving stomach aches and for expelling worms. Hutchens mentions that the American Indians roasted Shepherd’s Purse seeds and added them to other meals to make pinole bread, which is a meal ground from plant seeds, and then roasted. The leaves were also used cooked or raw, like spinach.

In Philadelphia, the leaves were sold as greens and it was reported in at least two publications to affect cow’s milk. If the cows are allowed to eat freely of Shepherd’s Purse, it will taint the flavor, yet it was used in England to stop the diarrhea which occurs in calves, in modern days, called scours. Perhaps they should have just given the cows Shepherd’s Purse and then allowed the calves to cure themselves of the scours from their own mother’s udders! It was used among the common, nonprofessional people in England in the early times as an astringent for diarrhea in humans too.

A fresh decoction was used in hematuria (blood in the urine), hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea and dysentery. The juice would be put into the ear for earaches, and onto cotton which would then be inserted into the nostrils for nosebleeds. A tincture would work for these purposes too. Shepherd’s Purse was used for uterine hemorrhages, with or without cramping. This author, in fact, has used it personally for uterine hemorrhages with great success. Details of these experiences will be given in Chapter H of this work. It was used for colic, rheumatic afflictions, and hemorrhages from parts of the body other than the uterus. It was highly favored to deal with catarrh of the bladder and ureter, and with ulcerated or abscessed bladder, especially when white mucus is voided with the urine. Shepherd’s Purse increased the flow of urine and gave quick relief. Therefore, it was used for kidney ailments and dropsy, and was combined with herbs such as Couch Grass (Agropyrum repens), or other stimulating diuretics. Dr. Ellingwood found it valuable and soothing for hematuria. He also found it to be a permanent cure for uncomplicated chronic menorrhagia (excessive menstruation), especially with cases that were persistent. Shepherd’s Purse was also helpful in cases where the urinary tract would be irritated by such things as uric acid (many times caused by eating meat), insoluble phosphates, or carbonates.

Shepherd’s Purse has been used externally as a bruised-plant poultice on Rheumatic joints, skin that oozes blood (ecchymosis), bruises, strained parts, and extravasations (leakage into the surrounding skin and tissue of fluids from an intra venous infusion).

In the 1700's, Culpeper mentioned that it helped bleeding from internal and external wounds. He further stated: “If bound to the wrists or the soles of the feet, it helps the jaundice. The herb made into poultices, helps inflammation and St. Anthony’s Fire. The juice dropped into the ears, heals the pains, noise and matterings thereof. A good ointment may be made of it for all wounds, especially wounds in the head.” Parkinson also stated, “Some do hold that the green herb bruised and bound to the wrists of the hands and the soles of the feet will help yellow jaundice.”

As one contemplates Shepherd’s Purse being ‘bound to the wrists or the souls of the feet’, one is reminded how well fresh poultices can affect healing, as the medicinal properties can be absorbed right through the skin, into the bloodstream. One should further, remember that ‘fresh is best’, especially with Shepherd’s Purse. Another important point that is well worth remembering is that putting Shepherd’s Purse on the souls of the feet would be of great benefit from a foot reflexology point of view, since nerve endings for all the parts of the whole body end in the feet, and can be affected by herbs being applied there as well as massage. Moreover, in the case of jaundice, helping the other major organs at the same time as the liver via the soles of the feet would of course, help the liver heal quicker since all of the major organs affect each other.

In Russian folk medicine, it was used for stomach troubles, such as diarrhea, dysentery, gastritis, gall bladder, kidney and bladder trouble, liver colics, disturbed metabolism, venereal disease, lung tuberculosis, bleeding lungs, and malaria. For stomach ulcers, bleeding ulcers and typhus it is used in a vodka menstruum. In Russia, it is clinically used for female bleeding, bloody urine and bleeding from the stomach. During World War One, when the Russians were unable to import Canadian Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis), interest was renewed in Shepherd’s Purse. This herb has played a prominent role since then in folk medicine and clinical use. The leaves were used in soups and salads, and the seeds were used instead of mustard.

Mrs. Grieve felt it to be one of the most important medicinal herbs from the Cruciferous family because it is the best at stopping hemorrhages from the stomach, lungs, uterus and especially from the kidneys. Its “. . . haemostyptic . . .” qualities were thought to be equal to those of ergot and hydrastis. Then, during World War One, when ergot and hydrastis were no longer available to the German people, they resorted to a liquid extract of Shepherd’s Purse made by extracting it with boiling water. During this time, Bomelon used one to two teaspoons of the liquid extract for “. . . bleedings and floodings . . .”.

Although Mrs. Grieve felt that the odor of Shepherd’s Purse was “. . . peculiar and rather unpleasant, though more cress-like than pungent.”, she was aware that small, wild birds would love to eat the seeds of Shepherd’s Purse, and that the seeds were considered a valuable component of feed for caged birds. She also shared that after poultry has eaten of Shepherd’s Purse in the spring, it has been found to turn the egg yolks darker in color, even to a greenish-brown or olive color. The flavor of the eggs becomes stronger too. I wonder what, if anything, it would do to the flavor and color of the meat if eaten? Regarding poultry and Shepherd’s Purse, Dr. John Raymond Christopher expressed his opinion: “Poultry seek it eagerly, and people who must raise chickens in confinement would do well to pull handfuls of this herb, as well as of wild lettuce, comfrey, plantain, purslane and other succulent wild greens, to give to their poultry in cages. You will be amazed at how eagerly the chickens devour this wild food and how the quality of their eggs vastly improves with this simple addition to their diet. To let your chickens run free and find the greens themselves is of course a better alternative.” This author wholeheartedly agrees, with Dr. Christopher’s sentiment and further adds that the health of the chickens will be better from the healthy ‘live’ food and the sunshine and exercise!

A technique used by the French gypsies, was to bathe a wound in a strong infusion of Shepherd’s Purse, then fill the wound with clean cobwebs! The poor Chinese cultivate it, and the seed pods are even eaten. The Chinese characters representing the Shepherd’s Purse plant represent the meaning “. . . protecting life plant . . . ”, because it was reported to repel night insects such as mosquitos. The roots and leaves are used for stomach and liver ailments. It was surprising to discover that the ashes are used for bleeding and for treatment of sore eyes! If used for an extended period of time, the seed pods will aid vision. The flowers are reported to destroy some parasitic worms and to control dysentery.

In addition to China as mentioned in the previous paragraph, “Shepherd’s Purse is cultivated in India and other temperate and warm regions around the world. The material of commerce is collected mainly from wild plants in southeastern Europe, particularly from Bulgaria, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, and the former U.S.S.R.”

Dr. Christopher considered Shepherd’s Purse to be a good plant to include in a diet, because it is a good general tonic and a wonderful digestive tonic. Plant extracts have been proven in laboratory tests to prevent duodenal ulcers in rats that were put purposefully under stress. Using a variety of test conditions with animals, Shepherd’s Purse extracts have proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. However, the extracts do not inhibit bacterial growth like garlic and cayenne.

Although many authors have expressed a dislike for Shepherd’s Purse’s flavor as a pot herb, especially in its raw state, this author found it tasting like broccoli when eaten raw. LeArta Moulton expressed her opinion this way: “The plant has been used as a substitute for spinach and is very good when blanched. It has a good flavor of cabbage which makes it a nice addition to fresh salads.” A few comments found by other authors were also positive regarding its taste, like this one from Deb Schwartz: “When harvesting the plant, you may notice a distinctive and not quite pleasant odor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like that.” She went on to comment about eating Shepherd’s Purse roots in this manner: “The young roots are also edible, but I either haven’t developed a taste for them yet or haven’t stumbled upon the proper method of preparation. I have read that the seed pods can be used for a peppery seasoning, but the one’s I’ve tried had no flavor. The seeds themselves can be ground into meal or used as is.” Her recipe and instructions for preparing Shepherd’s Purse is listed in Chapter G of this work.

Many garden plants’ flavor or hotness varies in strength due to the volume of water and various nutrients the plant has received. Radishes, for example, can be quite hot or cooler to the taste when harvested, depending on the amount of water it has received. Perhaps, therefore, the reason some people find Shepherd’s Purse peppery or strong in flavor, while others find it tastes more like cabbage or broccoli, might be due in part to these factors. Two other factors might be the time of year it is harvested, or whether one is in need of the nutrients or healing powers of the plant. Many times one likes something more that contains nutrients the body is lacking. When this author was hemorrhaging, the plant tasted delicious. Another time, it did not taste quite as wonderful.

Shepherd’s Purse must, indeed, be a very well known and popular plant. It must be so, since a poem has even been written in modern times about it:

“SHEPHERD’S PURSE

By John Haines

Poverty Weed or Beggar Tick,

some days in the field

are leaner than others.

Let the stalk be strong,

the flower head high

and the seedbox full–

November like a tax collector

will come to the poor,

the cut and the shaken,

with nothing to save

but their paper mittens

and a straw whistle.

In a time of hard money

keep a small purse,

spend little.

Be sure to have more

than one heart,

and you may survive.

The last entry in this chapter is a touching story that needs to be told in its entirety shared with the author by a dear friend when requesting information and experiences with Shepherd’s Purse:

“Shepherd’s Purse is like a long lost friend to me. When I was in the fourth to sixth grade my twin and I had an interesting experience with the plant. My mom divorced my dad when we were three and had no where to go with no money. She went on welfare but I’m not sure what benefits they gave her, but I don’t think it was enough. We were always skimping to find food. We’d go to food pantries and W.I.C. I remember we got our school lunches free and I would think it was a “King’s Feast” and would eat everything on my tray and I still felt like I was starving. I could never understand why other children would leave half of their food on their tray and complain that it was awful. Whatever was going on with me and my twin I don’t know, but one day in the fourth grade we were walking home taking our time walking in the tall weeds trying to find paper to eat. I know that sounds strange, but my twin would look for old paper to eat off the ground. But as we were thus doing I noticed little white flowers on the tips of these “fun to explore through” weeds. I all of the sudden got the inclination to eat it. So I did. I tell you it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I had my sister taste it. It immediately took our attention away from eating paper and satisfied us, after eating a fourth of a street block, from our hunger. Every day we’d run home to that big patch of Shepherd’s Purse. Each day we’d eat less, feeling more and more satisfied. We got our younger brother to start eating it. After two years our hunger pains were nearly gone. They were still there a little though because of our poor diet at home, but every time we felt unsatisfied with food we’d run over to the big patch. We usually only would have to eat a big handful to feel satisfied. In the 8^th grade my mother remarried and we moved away. Every chance I saw the plant I’d eat it. It wasn’t until four years ago I learned what the plant was. In 1996 my husband and I moved into a trailer on one acre of mud! Yuck! We didn’t have money to plant grass so the next year the good Mother earth brought up thousands of Shepherd’s Purse plants. My old friend was back! We had lots of other “weeds” too. I studied what they were and shared them with my husband and children. It was fun. I found out though that by late summer they start to mold her in Illinois. I guess from the humidity. The third year only little patches of the plant came up and the fourth year none came up. I’ve looked for them in other fields and they are rare here. They seem to come up well when they are not crowded out by more dominating herbs and plants. I’ve gone back to the big patch of Shepherd’s Purse of my youth and they were no longer there also. They may lay dormant until a certain time they decide to come up. Perhaps.” Carmela Hearle. In a phone conversation after this communication, Carmela was asked what the Shepherd’s Purse tasted like to her and her siblings. She reported that it tasted like broccoli to them.