Nature’s first-aid kit

Catherine Collins, Cadw’s expert on herbal remedies, explains how medieval physicians used plants to treat common ailments.

Think ‘living history’ and you may well imagine a group of performers re-enacting what life was like in the past. Look closer to home, however, and you will discover actual living history right on your doorstep, in the plants, trees and shrubs growing in your parks, gardens and in the countryside.

Many of these plants have a history linked to our own, brought to the island during invasions as herbal remedies and left behind to become popular garden plants in their own right.

The Romans introduced a wide range of plants to the British Isles during their numerous incursions, including the much-loved marigold, still commonly grown in our gardens today.

Following the Norman invasion of Wales, it was the Cistercian monks who were influential in using plants as herbal remedies. They settled across the country and established 13 communities — the first at Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire. A well-stocked garden would have existed near the abbey’s infirmary providing a variety of plants for use in medicines and cordials to treat the sick and aged monks.

The Cistercian monks followed ‘the theory of the four humours’, adopted in ancient Greece, to explain the mysterious workings of the human body. It was believed that the body was made up of four liquids (humours): phlegm, blood, yellow bile and black bile. If the humours stayed in balance then a person remained healthy, but if there was too much of one humour then illness occurred. The humours were also linked to the four seasons of the year — yellow bile with summer, black bile with autumn, phlegm with winter and blood with spring — and it was argued that the corresponding humour was most likely to become imbalanced during these times.

A good balance between the humours was essential to keep a healthy body and mind. If a patient was ‘out of humour’ — if they had an excess of yellow bile, for example — it was believed that their health could be improved by prescribing the right food, exercise and herbal medicines — known today as a ‘lifestyle change’.

A recent resurgence in the popularity of using herbal remedies to treat common ailments has renewed interest in medieval texts and manuscripts that included records of treatments at infirmaries in monasteries. Some of our more popular garden herbs that are connected with these early physicians are still in common use today.

The petals of the English or Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), a Roman introduction found naturally growing in southern Europe, were commonly used for the treatment of wounds and skin conditions. Petals were dried and then added to melted beeswax or goose fat, depending on the financial status of the patient. This was stored in jars and applied to wounds or skin conditions to assist with healing. Modern-day preparations containing calendula can now be bought to help with nappy rash and eczema.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is another Mediterranean herb that was used in ancient Greece. Rosemary is known to symbolise remembrance, but ancient Greek scholars were recorded as using rosemary as a stimulant. They kept a sprig of the plant behind their ear and would take it out and inhale its fragrance as a way of keeping their mind alert and receptive to studying. Today, rosemary is being used in studies across the world to assist with memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia formerly L. officinalis) is thought to get its name from the Latin lavare meaning ‘to wash’. It was recorded as being used during the medieval period for the treatment of anxiety, nervousness, headaches and sleep disorders. Today, pillow sprays containing lavender oil are commonly sold to aid sleep and relaxation.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is another plant introduced by the Romans which can now be found growing wild across Britain. It was used to aid digestion, but its distinctive aniseed taste and aroma mean that it is now regularly used in culinary dishes. Fennel, along with its close relative dill (Anethum graveolens), were widely used in gripe water — medicine used to relieve stomach pain — for babies.

Comfrey (Symphytum offinalis) is native to western Asia and was possibly introduced to Britain by knights returning from the medieval crusades. The herb was widely used to help set broken bones by making a poultice from the roots. The soft mixture was applied to the limb with a cloth where it would set rigid, hence its other common name ‘Knitbone’.

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This article is for information only — if you do feel unwell, please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

Wales — a long tradition

The Welsh law manuscripts provide a rare picture of the role of the court ‘meddyg’ (mediciner) — a picture which is ‘probably unique in medieval Europe’ according to literary historian Morfydd E. Owen.

They suggest a practice which is part of a continentwide discipline using adaptations of Classical and European texts, but also show that there was a much earlier Celtic tradition. Medicine is also mentioned in the Mabinogion.

The ‘meddyg’ was amongst the 24 top court officials but, according to Morfydd Owen, the role developed from mainly dealing with battle wounds to also ministering herbal remedies and dietary advice to court and king.

The most famous Welsh family of doctors were Meddygon Myddfai, reputed to descend from Rhiwallon, twelfth-century ‘meddyg’ to Rhys Gryg, son of the Lord Rhys. Their manuscripts include remedies which were typical of European medieval medical treatises and there is evidence that members of the family continued to practice into the eighteenth century.