Shepherd's Purse

It is also called shepherd's scrip, shepherd's pouch, toywort, pickpurse, and casewort. It is a very common plant, overrunning gardenbeds, farm, and court yards. The leaves spread upon ground, are long, rather broad, a little indented at the edges. The stalks arc round, erect, 9 or 10 inches high, and have few leaves. The flowers stand at the tops in little clusters, they are small and white. The seed vessels are like a bag or pouch. The seeds are small, yellowish, and the roots are white.

It is very astringent and glutinous. It is good for bleeding at the nose and spitting of blood, and in diarrhoeas, dysenteries, and bloody urine.

It may be applied with great success to cuts and fresh wounds; and made into a poultice, and applied to the wrists, it cures the ague; apply it before the fit comes on. The same is beneficial also in erysipelas. An ointment may be made of it for wounds.