Poisonous Herbs: Hemlock - A Witches' Plant

Dry hemlock seed heads along river banks is one of the iconic sights of an autumn walk. Hemlock is also one of the poisonous plants associated with witchcraft. The Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth throw a root of it into their cauldron, and it is another traditional ingredient of flying ointment along with mandrake, henbane and aconite. 

Matt Porter, who specialises in growing and preserving poisonous herbs, sent me these pictures of his two hemlock plants and their roots. He wrote:

"I harvested after the plants went to sleep for the year. The smaller potted plant is water hemlock and the larger one is poison hemlock. The whole root inside the jar is the water hemlock root and the other root is the poison hemlock root. I thoroughly enjoyed growing my hemlock this year and last year and found it quite low maintenance when it came to its upkeep. I kept all of the leaves and flower head cuttings and dried them out for my altar and ritual uses."

The pictures are copyright Matt Porter, who has very kindly been allowing me to use his pictures of poisonous plants on A Bad Witch's Blog. You can see earlier posts here:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/09/pagan-eye-freshly-harvested-mandrake.html http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/09/magical-dolls-mandrake-root-becoming.html http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/poisonous-herbs-henbane-root-in.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/poisonous-plants-aconite-monkshood-or.html

Notes: This post is for information purposes only, it is not advice. If you think you might have been poisoned seek urgent medical help.

Poisonous Herbs: Henbane Root in Witchcraft

I don't think I'd ever seen a henbane root until Matt Xai Malachi Porter sent me this picture, following up on his photos of mandrake roots and a poppet made from one. Matt wrote: "The picture attached is of one of my henbane whole roots that has now gone to sleep for the colder period of the year. I'm planning to make another mammet with this root also and pair it up with the mandrake root as a couple" 

Christina Oakley Harrington writes in The Treadwell's Book of Plant Magic: "Henbane is one of the herbs most deeply associated with witches and witches' potions and dark spells." It is a traditional ingredient of witches' flying ointment, along with mandrake and other highly poisonous herbs. Agrippa wrote that if you draw an image of a person in ink made with henbane juice, you can use that to enchant them. Apparently even placing henbane seeds between a couple will cause them strife.

According to Sandra Lawrence in Witch's Garden, medieval witches were said to burn henbane to conjure spirits, although others thought it could be used to counteract maleficent magic. She adds that it is the plant from which Hyoscine is derived, which is the poison Dr Crippen used to kill his wife. 

As Christina Oakley Harrington warns, henbane is lethal. You can even die from inhaling the fumes. This is a plant to handle with care, although I am sure Matt knows exactly what he is doing with his wonderful rootwork. He also has plans to photograph and preserve the roots of other witchy herbs over the winter months and I do hope to see them!

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/09/pagan-eye-freshly-harvested-mandrake.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/09/magical-dolls-mandrake-root-becoming.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/09/review-witchs-garden-plants-in-folklore.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/08/magical-books-treadwells-book-of-plant.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Here are events in London and other parts of the UK over the bank holiday weekend and the following week that could be of interest to pagans.

Now to 29 August; The School of Light - play about spirituality, the occult, astrology, UFOs and a skeptic. Venue: White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Rd, London SE11 4DJ. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £14 (£10 Concessions). Box Office: 0844 8700 887 (£1.50 booking per call). More details: http://whitebeartheatre.co.uk/event/details/school-of-light/

Now to Sunday 6 September; Power of Poison exhibition. Venue: Old Truman Brewery, Loading Bay, Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR. Tickets: adult: £9, child: £5. Open every day from 10am to 6pm/7pm/8pm. Details: http://powerofpoison.co.uk/the-exhibition/

Wednesday 26 August; Free Outdoor Event - Guided Meditation and Picnic Social with Anna and the London Spirituality Meetup Group in Regents Park. Meet at Regents Park tube at 6.40pm to walk to St Johns Lodge. Free event but bring water and a picnic and something to sit on. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Thursday 27 August; Robert Anton Wilson. Lecture by Ian 'Cat' Vincent. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm. Tickets £7. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Thursday 27 August; Divine Goddess Attunement with Mother Mary and Kuan Yin with Lidija of the London College of Spirituality. Women-only event. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: 7pm. Price: £33 per person. http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Thursday 27 August; The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Actually Change You?Book signing and talk by M. Farias and C. Wilkholm at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Friday 28 August; Group Healing Night with Crystal Bowl Bath with Vaz, arranged through the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Columbia Hotel, 95 - 99 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NS. Start: 7.30pm. Cost: £15. For more details and to book places visit http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Saturday 29 August - Sunday 30 August; Hendon Heathens Summer Thyng - Meeting up for Heathen talks and workshops and good company. Venue: Moat Mount Outdoor Centre, Barnet Way, Mill Hill, London NW7 5AL. Starts at noon. Prices: £5 Saturday, £10 Sunday, £5 camping. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/927414000649726/

Saturday 29 August; Wicca Training Circle and Full Moon Ritual - run by Wiccan High Priest Mani Navasothy. Part of a monthly training group organised through the London Woodland Witches Wiccans Eco-Magicians Outdoor Pagans. Location is on Wimbledon Common, Parkside, London SW19. Time: 3pm-6pm. To find out the exact meeting location and to reserve a place, visit http://www.meetup.com/London-Woodland-Witches-Outdoor-Pagans/

Saturday 29 August; Workshop to make your own clay animal orb with Yves Orbs. Venue: with Cobwebs at Cauldrons, Unit 137, Romford Shopping Hall, 43 Market Place, Romford RM1 3AB. Price: £25 per person, deposit required to secure a place. Time: 11am to 3pm. Visit: http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/

Sunday 30 August; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Sunday 30 August; Psychometry workshop with Cobwebs at Cauldrons, Unit 137, Romford Shopping Hall, 43 Market Place, Romford RM1 3AB. Price: £20. Time: 11am - 2pm. Visit http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/

Sunday 30 August; Occult London: Guided Walk with Delianne Forget organised through Treadwell's bookshop. Meet 2pm at a central London tube station - details given after you book. Price: £10. Call 020 7419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Monday 31 August; Sacred Walks and The Kingston ZodiacAdventure - walking the Virgo sign in Beddington. Meet at Carshalton Train Station outside the entrance, Carshalton, SM5 2HT, at noon. Walk takes about 2 hours. Cost £15, advance booking required: http://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Walks-Kingston-Zodiac-Adventure/

Tuesday 1 September; Sound Meditation. Venue: Goose Green Clinic, 57 East Dulwich Road, London SE22 9AP. Time: 10.45am. Cost:£12/£10. More information and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Holistic-SoundBath-Meditation-Summoning-The-Sacred-Dulwich/

Tuesday 1 September; Gallery talk - How to read Maya glyphs: Yaxchilan’s history written in stone. Venue: Room 27, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Time: 1.15pm-2pm. Free event, just drop in. For more details visit: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

Wednesday 2 September; Free Outdoor Event - Guided Meditation and Picnic Social with Himesh and the London Spirituality Meetup Group in Regents Park. Meet at Regents Park tube at 6.40pm to walk to St Johns Lodge. Free event but bring water and a picnic and something to sit on. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Wednesday 2 September; Justice for Carol: False Recovered Satanic Childhood Abuse Memories. Talk by Dr Kevin Felstead at Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub. Veue: The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. Time: 7.30pm. http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Wednesday 2 September; The Witches' Inn Gathering. Venue: The Feathers Hotel Merstham in Merstham, Surrey RH1 3EA. Starts at 8pm. Moots are normally on the first Wednesday of each month. For more details and to reserve a place visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Witches-Inn/1568424150049437

Thursday 3 September; Orpheus in the Otherworld. Lecture by Ruth Clydesdale. Venue: Treadwell's, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm. Tickets £8. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Saturday, 5 September; Journey into Past Lives. Lecture and Meditation with Sensing Energy and Intuition Development Meetup Group. Venue: Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London, W2 3SH. Time: Noon. Tickets: £15. Details and booking: http://www.meetup.com/Sensing-Energy-and-Intuition-Development/

Saturday, 5 September; Hendon Heathens Moot, Venue: Greyhound Pub, Church End, Hendon, London, NW4 4JT. Time: 6pm. Hendon Heathens meets at this pub the first Saturday of every month.

Sunday 6 September; Meditation at Russell Brands Trew Era Cafe, 30 Whitmore Road, London N1 5QA. Starts 10.15am. Free event. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspiritualcommunity

Sunday 6 September; Occult London: Guided Walk with Delianne Forget organised through Treadwell's bookshop. Meet 2pm at a central London tube station - details given after you book. Price: £10. Call 020 7419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 6 September; 100 Poets for Peace: Bishop David Parry and 99 other poets (at least) reciting 3 original poems for global peace in central London. Every background, colour, ideology and outlook is welcome. An anthology will be published of the best works, while Coffee and doughnuts will be shared on the day itself (£5 registration to cover costs). Time: noon. For details or to participate, email dparry777@hotmail.com https://www.facebook.com/events/482715088563647/

If you know of an event that you want listed, please email the details to me at badwitch1234@gmail.com

Pagan Eye: Cuckoo-Pint, Wild Arum or Lords and Ladies

Cuckoo-pint - or wild arum - is a plant normally associated with Beltaine rather than Midsummer. It usually blooms at the start of May in the UK, but I photographed this growing in a hedgerow at a date closer to the Summer Solstice than to May Day. It just shows what a late spring we are having this year.

The wild flower is probably linked to the fertility festival of Beltaine as much because of its suggestive shape as the time it appears. The fact that it looks a bit like an erect male organ cupped inside feminine-shaped leaves is the inspiration for some of cuckoo-pint's other common names too: lords and ladies, devils and angels, cows and bulls, Adam and Eve.

It is one of the cards in The Druid Plant Oracle:"The Cuckoo Pint displays the chalice and the blade united. This symbolises at one level the union of man and woman, but at a deeper level the goal of the Druid and all spiritual seekers: the union of the masculine and feminine aspects of the psyche, sometimes termed the Mystical Marriage or Alchemical Wedding."

Picking this card indicates that you can look forward to a time of harmony with the person you love, or can make the most of the integration of the feminine and masculine aspects of your own nature, leading to greater creativity. It seemed the right card to be talking about the day after reviewing The Honeymoon Effect - a book about how to create long-term harmonious loving relationships.

It is worth noting that the spring flowers and the autumn berries of cuckoo-pint are poisonous, and the reversed meaning of the Druid Plant Oracle card is to beware of a relationship turning toxic.

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous related posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arum_maculatum
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/05/plant-magic-solomons-seal-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-magical-mandrake-or-mandragora.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/07/pagan-eye-wooden-thing.html
The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Heaven on Earth
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/an-alchemical-marriage-at-rosslyn-hill.html

Dozmary Pool and the Death of Dragons

This sad and gloomy landscape is Dozmary Pool, on Bodmin Moor. Legend says it is where King Arthur was granted Excalibur and also where Sir Bedivere returned the magical sword as Arthur lay dying after the Battle of Camlann.

I very much wanted to visit the lake when I was in Cornwall last month, but foolishly left finding the site until the very end of my holiday. That turned out to be a day of rain and mists - not a good time to venture out on treacherous and boggy Bodmin Moor; hardly a day to venture outside at all.

It would have been much more sensible to find a cosy pub, enjoy a glass or two of Cornish cider and shelter from the storm. But I was determined to visit the home of the Lady of the Lake, so I donned my walking boots and waterproofs, grabbed my OS Map of Bodmin, and set out on my quest.

Luckily, Dozmary Pool is quite easy to find as it isn't too far from a well-marked, if narrow, lane. However, after weeks of bad weather, the footpath that leads to the edge of the pool was seriously waterlogged. Wellies would have been better than walking boots, I soon discovered, as the mud was up to my ankles in places. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lake was deserted when I got there.

I'm not really sure what I expected to find. I guess everyone with a love of Arthurian Tales who visits Dozmary Pool faintly hopes they might spot some rusty old sword lying at the water's edge.

What I saw, apart from the dark waters of the lake, was a huge dragonfly in the long grass on its bank. When the creature didn't fly away as I crept closer to photograph it, I realised it was dead. Rest in peace, Child of the Dragon, I thought, wondering if there was some subtle, magical message here for me after all.

Turning round, I spotted a small, perfectly white mushroom also growing by the water's edge.

I'm no expert in wild fungi, but it seemed as though a voice whispered in my ear: "What you see is a Destroying Angel. It is deadly. This is a place of death; do not take anything, do not touch anything, do not stay longer than is necessary to pay homage to the dead and to that which has gone."

So I did. I stood in silent contemplation, listening to the sound of the wind and the lapping of water. I thought of the death of King Arthur, and how this place could not have changed much over the centuries. A distant house and a rusty barbed wire were all I could see of the modern world.

As I turned to leave, silently thanking the Lady of the Lake for letting me find this sacred place, it seemed the voice whispered again in my thoughts: "You do not need a sword, your words are your weapons of power. Use them well."

"I will," I thought. "I promise."

Links and previous related posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dozmary_Pool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroying_angel
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/boscastle-and-museum-of-witchcraft_3235.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/tintagel-castle-and-legacy-of-king.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/08/pagan-eye-hurlers-stone-circles.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/tv-king-arthur-and-green-knight.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/ghosts-and-grails-of-lewes.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/chalice-well-goddess-and-grail.html

Pagan Eye: Signs of Spring

Yesterday morning on the way to work, I spotted my first snowdrop of the spring. I've seen quite a few snowdrops just about to peep out of green shoots, but this was the first one I had seen in bloom this year.

It was just a single white flower amid a scattering of pretty yellow flowers poking through the bare soil and just about to open their petals. I think the yellow plants are winter aconite.

Along with snowdrops, winter aconite is one of the first flowers of spring and can survive the frosts of February.

Aconite is poisonous and, according to Greek and Roman mythology, Medea tried to kill Theseus by poisoning him with aconite in his wine. In that culture, aconite was thought to be the saliva of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the Underworld. Hercules dragged Cerberus up from the Underworld and, where the dog drooled along the path, its saliva hardened in the soil and made the plants that grew there poisonous.

Snowdrops are seen in many religions as a sign from the gods that good times will come once more. Seeing the first snowdrop of the year growing wild means the passing of sorrow.

Spring has sprung!

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture.

If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Links and previous posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/snowdrops-in-fable-and-folklore.htm
http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/A_List_of_Spring_Flowers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eranthis
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/01/pagan-eye-swan-on-pond.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-winter-rose.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/08/pagan-eye-druid-oak.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/pagan-eye-where-witches-walked.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/pagan-eye-light-through-trees.html

Goddess of the Week: Selket

Selket, the Ancient Egyptian goddess whose symbol is the scorpion - one of the most deadly creatures found in North Africa - seems appropriately scary to be The Bad Witch's Goddess of the Week just before Halloween.

The photo was taken at the Blue Moon Festival, where priestess Caroline Wise gave a talk about Selket, and explained that although she might look frightening, the Ancient Egyptians didn't see her as being evil.

In Egyptian mythology, Selket - sometimes spelled Serket - is the goddess of stings and poisons. Scorpion stings can lead to paralysis and Serket's name describes this, as it means "she who tightens the throat". However, Serket can be read as "she who causes the throat to breathe" and the goddess was also thought to have power over healing insect and snake bites, neutralising poisons and protecting against stings.

In Ancient Egyptian art, Serket was depicted as a scorpion or as a woman wearing a scorpion on her head. She was a highly important goddess and even the patron of pharaohs - The Scorpion Kings.

With her venomous powers, Serket was considered a protector of the dead. Her image is found in tombs on canopic jars containing intestines, the organ associated with poisons.

I must admit I wish I had learnt about Selket sooner. This summer my attic was infested with wasps. At first, I simply left them alone because I believe all creatures have their place in nature, but after I was stung twice and my aged mother stung once, I decided to call in a pest controller to get rid of them. Maybe if I had said a prayer to Selket, asking for protection against stings, I could have avoided a lot of discomfort.

Next week, the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B3DG, is hosting an exhibition entitled Journey Through the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, where you can learn more about Selket and other deities associated with Egyptian funeral rites. The exhibition runs from Thursday 4 November 2010 - 6 March 2011 and follows the ancient Egyptians' journey from death to the afterlife as depicted in the Book of the Dead - a collection of spells to guide the dead person through the dangers of the underworld. I'll be writing more about this on A Bad Witch's Blog over the next few weeks. Adult tickets are £12. Advance booking essential via http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/future_exhibitions/book_of_the_dead.aspx

The photo above shows Selket on the screen at the Blue Moon Festival

Links
http://www.orderwhitemoon.org/goddess/selket.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/tutankhamun_gallery_09.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serket
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/blue-moon-festival-with-dancing-pigs.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/10/halloween-controversy.html

Mushrooms and fungi

Autumn is the season for mushrooms and there seem to be a lot about this year, perhaps because it has been such a humid summer.

Many people are fascinated by fungi because some are edible, some are deadly poisonous and some are reputed to have magical or hallucinogenic properties. Eat a wild mushroom without being sure it is harmless and you could be making a very unfortunate mistake.

If you decide to go foraging for fungi and don't have an expert with you, make sure you keep each different specimen in a separate container and have them identified before you consume any. There are plenty of books on how to identify edible mushrooms, including How to Identify Edible Mushrooms and The Easy Edible Mushroom Guide, but only ever eat a mushroom if you are absolutely certain of its identity and that it is safe.

If you have collected wild mushrooms for the first time, cook them well, only eat a small amount to start with and keep a raw specimen to one side in case you have an adverse reaction. Never eat a mushroom that looks as though it has gone off.

There is plenty of folklore surrounding fungi. Fairies are said to dance in mushroom rings and you should not step inside one in case you anger the wee folk - or are whisked off to fairyland for 100 years. The ancient Egyptians believed mushrooms were the plant of immortality and, as such, could only be consumed by royalty.

Mushrooms have also long been associated with witches, particularly the spectacular fly agaric, with its red and white spotted cap. This fungus contains very powerful psychotropic compounds and is thought to be one of the ingredients of the witch's flying ointment, used to give visions and out-of-body experiences. However, the fly agaric can also be poisonous, particularly if you do not know the correct amount to take, so it is best to leave this mushroom where it is if you find one in the woods.

There are, of course, other magic mushrooms, with hallucinogenic properties, growing wild in our fields, including the liberty cap. However, it is now illegal to harvest magic mushrooms in the UK, and they are classified as Class A drugs, so avoid them unless you fancy a spell in prison.

Links:

http://www.nifg.org.uk/edible_fungi.htm
http://www.wildmushroomsonline.co.uk/
http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/Recipes/
http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-mush-history417.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000806/ai_n14338782
http://www.shee-eire.com/Herbs,Trees&Fungi/Fungus/Fly-agaric/main.htm
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/mushroom.htm
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Mushroom/English/Folklore/fairy.html
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythfolk/flyagaric.html

http://www.shee-eire.com/Herbs,Trees&Fungi/Fungus/Liberty-caps/Factsheet1.htm
http://www.forestmushrooms.com/folklore.html
http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/drugsearch/drugsearchpages/mushrooms.htm
http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugsafety/thelaw/magicmushroomsandthelaw
http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/magic-mushrooms-law.html
http://www.psychoactive.org.uk/magic-mushrooms/intro.htm

Potions and poisons

I've recently come across a fascinating website called Old Time Remedies, which contains recipes for potions, elixirs and antidotes our ancestors used or, at least, were told to use.

A disclaimer on the site says: 'These remedies are listed only for information and amusement. They are not to be construed as medical advice, nor are they recommended for use.' Highly entertaining many of them are too, although some, such as honey for a sore throat, hardly contain bad advice.

The website reminds me of Forgotten English II: Intoxicants and Potions, by Jeffrey Kacirk, which I was given as a gift by a thoughtful friend a few years ago. However, I would rather try most of the potions described on Old Time Recipes than the dubious treatments described in Kacirk's accounts of things people used to dose themselves with.

The contents of Album Nigrum is one of the most icky scraps of knowledge I wish I hadn't learnt. Album Nigrum is, apparently, the Latin name for a cure-all concocted from the excrement of mice and rats - once used both internally and externally as a remedy for many ills. Yuck!

For more information on old remedies, visit http://www.oldtimeremedies.co.uk/ and you can view the set of knowledge cards on Amazon.