Alchemilla, Lady’s Mantle

Picture Gart der Gesundheit, Cuba, 1485

Picture Alchemilla vulgaris, Lady’s Mantle
Flora von Deutschland (25), Kohler, 1886

Picture Picture Picture
A. pubescens


 A. minor (syn. A. fissa)
Flora von Deutschland (25), Kohler, 1886

 A. alpina
Picture Lady’s Mantle
(Photo by Plenuska) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:


Alchemilla vulgaris
A number of varieties were used including Lesser and Alpine

Parts used:


Herb (fresh is best); sometimes the root

Temperature & Taste:


Temperate (slightly Cool), dry; slightly Bitter

Uses:


1. Cools the Blood, Stops Bleeding:
-‘thicken the Blood’; good for excess menstruation, Uterine Bleeding;
-internal Bleeding, especially of the Stomach
-internal and external Wounds (Lonicerus)

2. Benefits the Uterus, Moves the Blood, Regulates Menstruation:
-Dysmenorrhea, Menstrual Cramps
-PMS, Menopause, Hysteria
-Benefits Fertility; Prevents Miscarriage; prepares for Birth. Regarded as a Female Tonic
-taken after Birth to stop Bleeding and firm and reduce the Uterus
-it was also used for Blood Stasis

3. Astringes, Stops Leakage:
-Diarrhea (esp. infantile), Dysentery;
-Nightsweats
-also Prolapses and Hernia
-used to firm Sagging Breasts ‘causing them to grow less and hard’ both applied topically and taken internally

4. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine:
-difficult and painful Urine; Urethritis or Cystitis

5. Externally:
-Topically to stop sagging Breasts;
-in Douches for Prolapse of the Uterus and Leukorrhea
-Topically for Wounds, Bruises, Fractures, Sores
-Ulcers, including suppurative and gangrenous types
-‘The Ointment of it is not only good for green Wounds, but also for Ulcers and Fistulas, especially such as abound with moisture’ (Culpeper)
-distilled water can be used for red, swelling and pain of the eyes


Dose:


Brief Decoction: 5–15 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Tincture (1:5): 2–4 mls.
1 teaspoonful per cup as an infusion
Fresh herb is crushed for topical use, or a strong decoction can be used as a wash.
Picture

Main Combinations:


1. To Regulate Menstruation, Lady’s Mantle with Tansy, Dead Nettle, Avens (Geum urbanum). (Kroeber)
2. Menopause:
i. combine Lady’s Mantle with St. Johns wort, Balm and Sage
ii. Lady’s Mantle with Blessed Thistle, Agrimony and Cinnamon (Wonders in Weeds)
3. Leukorrhea:
i. Lady’s Mantle with White Dead Nettle, White Clover
ii. Lady’s Mantle, Dead Nettle, Horsetail, Knotgrass, Gentian (Meyer)
4. Prevent Miscarriage, combine Lady’s Mantle with Yarrow (Treben)
5. Postpartum tonic, Lady’s Mantle, St. John’s wort, Yarrow
6. Congealed and Stagnant Blood, Lady’s Mantle, Fennel root, Sage, Parsley, Aniseed, Fennel seed, Hyssop, Elecampane, decocted in water (Dorsten, 1540)
7. Gastroenteritis, combine Lady’s Mantle with Agrimony, Camomile
8. Hernia:
i. combine Lady’s Mantle with Comfrey
ii. Lady’s Mantle, Fennel, Aniseed
iii. in Children, apply linen cloth soaked in decoction of Lentils to the place while taken Lady’s Mantle powder internally. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
9. Night-sweats, combine Lady’s Mantle with Sage
10. Shingles: combine Lady’s Mantle with Camomile, Oak bark and Sage; use topically

Major Formulas


Infusion for Menopause
Infusion for Menopause (2)
Universal Vulnerary Decoction (Joseph Du Chesne)

Cautions:


1. Use cautiously during Pregnancy (some have warned against using during pregnancy)

Main Preparations used:


Distilled Water of the whole plant, Essence

1. DISTILLED WATER of LADIES MANTLE.
Helps Conception; aids women when Pregnant; it helps Retain the Birth.

2. ESSENCE of LADIES MANTLE.
‘Taken 30 days together causes fruitfulness in Women’.