Foxglove

In 1775 the English physician-poet William Withering learned from an old woman in Shropshire how to cure dropsy with a concoction made from the common foxglove (Digitalis, sp.). He tested it on charity cases for 10 years, then published a report, An Account of Fox-Glove, that is a classic of medical literature. As a result, "digitalis," the drug derived from and named for foxglove, is an effective treatment - as well as a dangerous poison. Withering later expressed his discovery in poetic form: "The fox-glove's leaves with caution given . . . the rapid pulse it can abate, the hectic flush can moderate"

This is just one example of the utility of biodiversity. A high percentage of our medical drugs originated in wild plants.

Reference: North American Wildlife "Wildflowers" Reader's Digest Field Guide, 1998. Photo by WPC Volunteer John Karian.

E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!

Sign Up for WPC Daily