Menace or Medicine: What to do with Nettles?

Connelly, Erin; Lee, Christina

Abstract

This paper answers Strabo’s question of 'what to do with nettles' by discussing the worth of nettles in select research outcomes from a project which examined the potential medicinal qualities of nettles (restricted to Urtica dioica) inspired by early- and late-medieval medical recipes from a range of medical manuscripts. Our previous research showed that the efficacy of the remedy lay in the combination of ingredients, but given the sheer number of different plants and potential combinations in medieval medical texts we had to find common patterns. The humanities-led exploration involved researchers from the disciplines of early- and late-medieval studies, microbiology, and data science. By combining skills in medieval cultural history, manuscript studies, lab sciences, and analysis of complex datasets, we aimed to detect and examine common patterns of combinations, which includes the processes of preparation and application of medieval nettle-based remedies. The project explored to what extent this long tradition demonstrates continuity with modern uses and how such uses may benefit present day research. While modern science possesses a vast array of information on the chemistry of single ingredients, such as garlic or copper, less is known about combinations of plants. However, the chemicals from different plants can affect each other and testing existing combinations may reduce guesswork in future research.

Citation

Connelly, E., & Lee, C. Menace or Medicine: What to do with Nettles?. In Medicine in the Medieval North Atlantic World: Vernacular Texts and Traditions. Brepols Publishers

• Deposit Date: May 15, 2024
• Publisher: Brepols Publishers
• Book Title: Medicine in the Medieval North Atlantic World: Vernacular Texts and Traditions
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/34862032
• Contract Date: Mar 30, 2024