Foxglove, Medicinal Plant, 1737
A Curious Herbal, Plate 16. Foxglove was used for centuries for a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, scrofula, boils, and headaches. In 1775, William Withering, an English physician, noted its powerful effect over the action of the heart. Its active ingredient, digitalis, is still used in medications for heart disease. Blackwell mentions its strength as a purgative, but not its effect on the heart. Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials commonly called foxgloves. Foxglove has been used as a diuretic, and as a treatment for asthma, edema, or palpitations. Historically, ointments were made from the leaf as a remedy for indurations and tumors. It is one of the few herbs used in pharmaceutical manufacture today; the digitalis glycosides commonly used to treat congestive heart failure or atrial fibrillation are difficult to synthesize, so are easier to derive directly from foxglove. Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758) was a famed Scottish illustrator and author who was best known as both the artist and engraver for the plates of "A Curious Herbal" (1737).
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