Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris )

 

ady's Mantle owes its scientific name and a certain pseudoscientific reputation to the fact that its leaves are efficient collectors of dew. The name lady's-mantle refers to the plan t's shapely, pleated leaves, which resemble a medieval lady's cloak-one suitable for the Virgin Mary, hence the plant's original common name, Our-Lady's- mantle.

Lady’s Mantle is also known as Lion's Foot, Bear's Foot, Nine Hooks, Leontopodium, Stellaria, Dew Cup, Pied-de-lion, Common Alchemil,
and Frauenmantle.

 

Lady’s Mantle is an astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue, and vulnerary.

Lady's Mantle has astringent and styptic properties, on account of the tannin it contains. It is a very drying herb and was formerly considered one of the best vulneraries or wound herbs used as a cure for excessive menstruation, as a menstrual pain reliever, an aid in easing menopausal changes, and stimulates proper menstrual flow. However, Lady's Mantle is a useful uterine astringent, used in both menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. Its astringency provides a role in the treatment of diarrhea and as a mouthwash for sores and ulcers and as a gargle for laryngitis.

This and other species of Alchemilla have been widely used in folk medicine throughout Europe.

A strong decoction of the fresh root, by some considered the most valuable part of the plant, has also been recommended as excellent to stop all bleedings, and the root dried and reduced to powder is considered to answer the same purpose and to be good for violent purgings.  In Sweden, a tincture of the leaves has been given in cases of spasmodic or convulsive diseases, and an old authority states that if placed under the pillow at night, the herb will promote quiet sleep.

The 17th century English herbalist, Culpepper, said of Lady's Mantle:

"Lady's Mantle is very proper for inflamed wounds and to stay bleeding, vomitings, fluxes of all sorts, bruises by falls and ruptures. It is one of the most singular wound herbs and therefore highly prized and praised, used in all wounds inward and outward, to drink a decoction thereof and wash the wounds therewith, or dip tents therein and put them into the wounds which wonderfully drieth up all humidity of the sores and abateth all inflammations thereof. It quickly healeth green wounds, not suffering any corruption to remain behind and cureth old sores, though fistulous and hollow."

 

"Maria Treben's Authentic Lady’s Mantle Remedies"

Infusion:                A heaped teaspoon to 1 cup of boiling water, infused for a short time.

 

Herb Application:   A suitable amount of fresh herb is washed and crushed on a wooden board with

a wooden rolling pin and applied.

Bath:                    For a full bath, 200 gm. of dried or a few double handfuls of fresh herb are soaked

in a bucketful of cold water overnight, warmed the next morning and the liquid

added to the bath water