I pulled a book at random from my shelf, and it’s my little Culpepper, published probably in the 1890’s – the original was published in the early 1650’s, so my version is modern in comparison! I opened it at random on the page describing The Black Alder Tree:
Description – This tree seldom groweth to any great size, but for the most part abideth like a hedge-bush, or a tree spreading its branches, the woods of the body being white, and a dark red cole or heart; the outward bark is of a blackish colour,, with many whitish spots therein; but the inner bark next the wood is yellow, which being chewed will turn the spittle near into a saffron colour.
There is a much more lengthy description, but then there is some information which we would never get these days in a book about plants – “it is the tree of Venus and under the celestial sign Cancer. The inner bark hereof purgeth downwards both choler and phlegm, and the watery humours of such that have dropsy, and strengthens the inward parts again by binding.” Now I’m not entirely I can remember back to my studying days when we learned about ‘the humours’ but I can remember that in the sixteenth century the body was supposed to be made up of four humours, blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm which governed every aspect of you r physical and mental health as well as your temperament. The ‘temperance’ of the black alder is cold and moist. It’s a little difficult to find what particular diseases and afflictions it might be used for, because the index gives them and the page number for the cure or treatment. However, I have found that black alder is good for what might be termed as women’s needs.
However much our knowledge and expertise and technology has improved and advanced, and however ‘primitive’ we might view medics and their medicine in the past, and however dangerous some of their treatments were, their aim was the same as doctors now, to treat and heal their patients and ease their suffering. I am just very, very glad we live today with the knowledge and technology available to us!
PS I wonder where I can find a black alder tree, just to have a look at it! Also, I have no picture of an alder, black or otherwise, so my featured image is of a tree, non-specific!
Lois Elsden 