The Voynich Botanical Plants

Folio 37r. Foxglove (Digitalis purpura). The foxglove had been used for centuries, mainly as a diuretic. William Withering (1741-1799), a British physician, observed the value of a complex herbal recipe for the treatment of dropsy (cardiac edema). His investigations showed that the active ingredient was the dried leaves of the foxglove. He determined a safe dosage for this drug, which remains in use today. (Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, University of Iowa) (C)