AS WE MOVE into autumn and winter, and there’s a little less to do in the garden, we thought you might be interested in hearing about a wonderful exhibition on plants currently being held in Edinburgh.

This free exhibition has been mounted by the Royal College of Physicians and tells of the importance of plants in medicine, looking back to past times when gardens were living pharmacies with the power to cure (or kill!).

For plant lovers, this is an opportunity to spend a few hours finding out about the contribution plants have made to medicine and no doubt be entertained by some of the superstitious trickery and folklore employed over the ages!

Records on the use of plants for medicine can be traced right back to early civilisations, with written manuscripts surviving from ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman times.

East Lothian Courier: Royal College of Physicians plant exhibitionRoyal College of Physicians plant exhibition

By the Middle Ages, the Church had assumed an important role in caring for the sick, with monasteries and nunneries often cultivating herbal gardens from which to concoct their medicinal remedies.

One such establishment was the nearby Soutra Aisle. Gifted by King Malcolm IV to an Augustinian Order in 1164, recent digs have found evidence that it was indeed used as an early hospital.

Then came the Renaissance and in the late 1400s there was a step-change in the understanding of medicine. The advent of the printing press gave wider access to old written works on medicine from earlier civilisations. Some of the most comprehensive medical records were found in Egypt and of particular interest are the Ebers papyri, which were found between the legs of a mummy, presumably a wealthy doctor. Written around 1534BC, these papyrus scripts comprise 110 pages (a 20-metre scroll) detailing 811 prescriptions! Also in the late 1400s, explorers such as Christopher Columbus brought hitherto-unknown plants back to Europe and artists including Michelangelo studied and illustrated the human body, all of which considerably extended medical knowledge.

More recently, some 350 years ago, Edinburgh’s Botanic Garden originated when two city doctors began their own garden to cultivate medicinal plants; these two doctors later founded the Royal College of Physicians in 1681.

East Lothian Courier: Royal College of Physicians plant exhibitionRoyal College of Physicians plant exhibition

As mentioned above, folklore and trickery – whether knowingly or unknowingly – was regularly used to maintain status, exclusivity and profit. For example, a root cutter in Ancient Greece was a jealously guarded profession and only those with the knowledge about where, when and how to gather therapeutic plants could do so, and only they could sell their produce directly to physicians. Consequently, folklore built up around the dangers of these prized plants to dissuade competition!

One of the most potent herbal remedies of the ancient world was the mandrake root, which often grows in the shape of a human being. Superstition was that the root would scream and howl as it was pulled from the ground and that anyone pulling up the root would immediately be condemned to Hell.

Apparently, the only safe way to harvest mandrake was to tie it to the tail of a mad dog who would pull out the root as it ran away. Quite how they recovered the mandrake from the mad dog is not explained, however!

Mandrake is a typical example of where it might be difficult for people to separate fact from fiction. With powerful analgesic and narcotic properties, it was known to be effective in treating snake bites, pain and insomnia, and was even used as an early anaesthetic in surgical procedures. However, if the physician was overly generous in his dosage, it was said that patients would wake up in the Underworld!

We’ve listed below a few more examples of plant-based remedies and the folklore associated with them in past times. And whilst modern-day doctors are unlikely to follow the recipes detailed almost four thousand years ago, it’s interesting to note that the efficacy and purposes of many of these plant treatments are supported by our knowledge today.

East Lothian Courier: HelleboreHellebore

  • To assist with weight loss, Hippocrates suggested Hyssop ground and diluted in six pints of water with salt and vinegar (to improve the taste);
  • Hellebores were believed to purge females to cure their madness – but you risked being attacked by an eagle if you dug them up;
  • An amulet made from mandrake root was believed to ensure a man’s sexual prowess and protect him from wild animal attacks;
  • In ancient Egypt, a paste of dates, acacia and honey was the recommended contraceptive;
  • Paeonies were used in many ways, including for convulsions and epilepsy, and so were much in demand. However, beware of woodpeckers when gathering paeonies as they may cause you to lose your eyesight – or worse;
  • Potentilla or the crimson flowers of brambles were applied by the ancient Greeks following “stings from sea monsters”;
  • Adiantum and Asplenium were “useful to prevent the falling off of hair of the head when pounded and mixed with olive oil”.

Clearly, we DO NOT want you to try these remedies at home, but we’d certainly encourage you to visit the exhibition Physician’s Flowers, open daily 10am to 4.30pm at 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh, and entry is free – see also online at rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/physicians-flowers

We hope you’ve enjoyed this slight departure from our monthly feature based on gardening in East Lothian. As always, if you have any gardening questions, please do contact our plant team – they’re always happy to chat gardening!