A Witch's Garden: Foxglove

Disclaimer

This is NOT a page about Wiccans or neo-pagans, and I do not advocate the belief that Wiccans are Satan-worshippers and/or baby-killers. I am well aware that they are not. This is a starting point for historical research into the great witch craze of 1100-1700 AD. And please, don't ask me for spells.

Foxglove

Many of the common names of this plant pertain to its toxic nature (Witches' glove, Dead Man's Bells, Bloody Fingers). Foxglove belongs to the Figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) and the whole plant is toxic. It contains various cardiac glycosides. Symptoms include dizziness, vomiting, irregular heart beat, and delerium or hallucinations (Cornell Poison Page).

Foxglove also went by the names Goblin's Gloves (in Wales), Flop-top, Cow Flop, Flabby Dock, Throttle-wort, Thimble Flower, Finger Flower, Gants de Notre Dame, Foxesglew, Fox Music, and Flop-a-dock. In Ireland it was also known as Fairy Cap, Lunsmore, and the Great Herb (Miller - Foxglove).

Digitonin is a Digitalis drug derived from D. purpurea. It is used in modern medicine to increase the force of the systolic contractions and prolong duration of the diastolic phase in congestive heart failure. Digitalis drugs lower venous pressure in hypersensetive heart ailments, elevate blood pressure in a weak heart act as a diuretic, and reduce edema. However, the theraputic dose is dangerously close to the lethal dose. Historically, Foxglove was employed by herbalists for a variety of purposes, fom an ointment used for cleansing wounds and reducing swelling to boiling it and using it as an expectorant (Cornell Poison Page).

Foxglove was also considered dear to faeries. If a plant was harmed, the faeries would bring retribution (Britannica Online - Fairy).

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A Witch's Garden is copyright 1997-1998 to Shantell Powell.
Rhe preceding botanic illustrations is from The Virtual Garden Search Engine, part of the Time Life Electronic Encyclopedia.