Duckweed Elixir

Decoctum Lemnae minor

Historical tradition – not medical advice, and no health or healing claims. more

Historical botanical drawing: Duckweed — Duckweed

Tradition (Hildegard's writings)

In Hildegard's tradition, duckweed elixir was associated with strengthening general well-being, especially through the winter.

Ingredients

Sage leaves, fennel, tansy herb, honey, red wine, white pepper, duckweed, tormentil, charlock (Sinapis arvensis), bedstraw, ginger and cinnamon.

Preparation

Powder mixture: 2.5 g of ginger root powder and 10 g of cinnamon bark powder. Juice mixture: press 3 g of sage leaves, 4 g of fennel and 2 g of tansy herb without its flowers to a juice. Honey wine: 90 g of honey skimmed of its foam, 1 litre of red wine and 1.2 g of white pepper. Pulp mixture: 20 g of duckweed, 40 g of tormentil, 40 g of charlock and 15 g of bedstraw. Combine all four and filter through a cloth.

Note

A diet of spelt, fruit and vegetables is advisable alongside.

Botanical background

The mixture brings together plants long credited with strengthening the body's defences and with anti-inflammatory properties — among them ginger, cinnamon, sage, fennel and duckweed.

Sources & references

Strehlow, Wighard: Die Hildegard-Naturapotheke. Heilmittel und Rezepte von A bis Z. Knaur Verlag 2014. S. 268.
Strehlow, Wighard: Der Hildegard-Kompass. Die wichtigsten Heilmittel und Anwendungen. Knaur Verlag 2014. S. 124.
Hildegard von Bingen: Heilsame Schöpfung. Die natürliche Wirkkraft der Dinge (Physica). Hrsg. von der Abtei St. Hildegard, Eibingen. Beuroner Kunstverlag 2012 (4. Auflage 2024). Cap. 1-220 (Wasserlinse).

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Historical tradition. The above describes how this preparation was recorded and used in the tradition of Hildegard of Bingen. This is cultural-historical information, not medical advice and not a health or healing claim, and it is no substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. If you have health complaints, please consult your doctor or pharmacy.

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