Plant
Comfrey
Picture to come.
A large, bristly plant with bell-shaped flowers, found in damp ground and grown in monastic infirmary gardens. Its Latin name consolida and later nickname 'knitbone' reflect the belief, inherited from classical authors such as Pliny and Dioscorides, that it helped heal wounds and inflammation and set broken bones. It was usually used as a poultice.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
Uses given are period beliefs, not medical advice; 'knitbone' may be a later name.
Sources: english-heritage.org.uk · pharmaceutical-journal.com
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