Comments on: My Root http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/07/28/my-root/ A Bird Blog with Kate St. John Sat, 25 May 2013 23:37:38 +0000 hourly 1 By: Justin Collinger http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/07/28/my-root/comment-page-1/#comment-18361 Justin Collinger Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:46:37 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=54550#comment-18361 According to the Doctrine of Signatures, a plants superficial form was taken as a sign from God that it could be used to treat whatever body part it resembled. Liverwort resembled the lobes of a liver, and toothwort’s leaf margin resembled the outline of teeth. So I would bet the forms of these plants dictated the names as well as their putative use.

William Cole wrote “The little holes whereof the leaves of Saint Johns wort are full, doe resemble all the pores of the skin and therefore it is profitable for all hurts and wounds that can happen thereunto.”

All info from Wikipedia Doctrines of Signature page.

]]> By: John English http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/07/28/my-root/comment-page-1/#comment-18355 John English Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:44:43 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=54550#comment-18355 And here I am, stuck with English Ivy ;-)

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