How did Withering come to know of foxglove?
” “At Birmingham, one of Withering’s Hospital associates named John Ash informed Withering that one Dr. Cawley, principal of Brasenose College of Oxford University, was cured of a heart disease with a secret formula used by an old woman of Shropshire. She was a lady called Mrs. Hutton, and used a decoction containing some 20 herbs. One of these 20 herbs was foxglove, and Withering quickly realized that out of all the 20 herbs, it was the foxglove which was doing the trick. Caption to Figure 3: William Withering paying Mrs. Hutton with Gold coins for the secret of Foxglove. Note the Foxglove plants with the characteristic bell shaped flowers in the background Legend has it that Withering paid Mrs. Hutton with several Gold coins for the secret of foxglove which Mrs. Hutton gave him.” “Oh, this is most interesting. So how does digitalis help the patient in the heart disease. And how come, a drug which is so useful in heart disease can act as a poison?” “Tarun, all medicines are potentiall
