The Western Herbal Tradition by Tobyn Graeme; Denham Alison; Whitelegg Midge

Author:Tobyn, Graeme; Denham, Alison; Whitelegg, Midge
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857012593
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 2016-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

GILL-ALE AND GILL-TEA

When we come to the 18th century, it is not surprising to hear from Quincy that ‘this herb is mightily in use both in the shops and common prescription’. Quincy writes at some length about this pungent plant of nitrous and earthy taste called hedera terrestris or chamaekissos. He identifies its actions as abstersive or cleansing, and vulnerary. As well as its beneficial action on liver, spleen, bowels and kidneys, he mentions its prescription in almost all distempers of the lungs and breast, and its reputation to do wonders in tubercles and tartarous indurations of the lungs. Quincy cites Willis’ Pharmacopoeia Rationalis, written in 1674, in support of the use of the powdered herb in obstinate coughs, especially in young children, and Etmuller concerning a young woman cured of consumption using only a strong decoction of the herb after an initial vomit was prescribed. The remainder of Quincy’s entry concerns the correct pharmacological preparations of ground ivy. The infusion is popular in families, but the official syrup available in shops soon spoils, causing it to taste sour and to cause griping. The infusion in malt liquors, known as Gill-Ale and, according to Miller, drunk in great quantities in towns, is highly recommended. The dried plant is better than the fresh, because then the saline parts, where the medicinal virtue lies, are better dissolved into liquids. As a consequence, there is no medicinal benefit in distillations of the plant (so much for the recommendation of Dr Leone of Bologna in cases of suppuration of the lungs cited by Bauhin!) and the suggestion that the spirit of ground-ivy is a great restorative and curer of consumption is simple quackery. Miller adds little to Quincy’s words, except to value the syrup and to repeat the commendation of several authors of the herb steeped in brandy, in other words a tincture, as of great service against the colic. Hill does not list the herb at all. Cullen classifies ground ivy as an antispasmodic pectoral ‘much talked of, as curing on its own diseases of the breast: and what seems impossible to me but by the surgeon’s instrument, an empyema. I can find no foundation for those properties’.

Thus a more negative appraisal of ground ivy takes place at the end of the 18th century and it is removed, as many herbs of the older tradition were at this time, from the official dispensatories of London and Edinburgh, but ground ivy reappears in the writings of Coffin: ‘I have long used this herb, and always with satisfaction, although I do not think that it alone possesses so much control over the diseased system as many persons conceive’. He classifies it as an astringent, diuretic and mild tonic which can clear the system of bad humours when used in combination with other herbs. It is best as a tea, infused in a covered vessel, and treats indigestion, the kidneys and all scorbutic diseases. Externally, mixed with chamomile Matricaria recutita or fresh yarrow Achillea millefolium in a poultice, it is the best such application that can be made for tumours, gatherings or sores.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.