Subject
Botany -- Great Britain -- History Books
Best books
Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
The Old English Herbals
"The Old English Herbals" by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This work explores the rich tradition of herbals originating from Anglo-Saxon England, detailing the manuscripts and folk medicine practices that have survived through the centuries. The book serves to illuminate the connection between early medicinal practices and the cultural beliefs of the time, emphasizing the significance of herbal knowledge in both healing and spiritual rituals. At the start of the book, the author provides a preface that reflects her gratitude towards those who assisted her research, and she introduces the central theme: the examination of Anglo-Saxon herbals. Rohde discusses the rarity and significance of surviving manuscripts that document ancient herbal practices, especially in light of destruction during historical invasions. She begins to outline important texts such as the "Leech Book of Bald" and the "Lacnunga," which contain instructions for healing remedies using herbs and detail the beliefs surrounding disease, spirituality, and nature in Anglo-Saxon society. Through evocative language, Rohde hints at the deep-rooted respect for plants and their powers that characterized the worldview of early English ancestors.
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Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists
"Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists" edited by F. W. Oliver is a collection of biographical essays written in the early 20th century. The book focuses on prominent figures in British botany, detailing their contributions and legacies, particularly during the Victorian era. It covers a range of botanists who played key roles in the development of botanical science in Britain. The opening of the volume presents a preface and introduction, which outline the book's origins and its purpose of compiling the biographies of significant botanists. It originated from a series of lectures delivered at the University of London, later expanded to include additional chapters. Among the botanists mentioned are Robert Morison and John Ray, who are noted as foundational figures in establishing systematic botany in Britain. The text emphasizes both the historical significance of these figures and their influence on modern botanical studies, setting the tone for a detailed exploration of their lives and works that follows in the subsequent chapters.
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