I would like to ask for help with a research project I am doing with regard to this topic.
It was only until recent times that the main source of materials for orthodox medicines were extracted from plants. During World War Two up to aprx 90% of the needed plant material was shipped into this country from Europe and the Far East.When it became impossible to import these plants, the government had to find a way around the problem. An official body was set up which included the Ministry of Ag and Fish, Kew Gardens, herb growers and Pharaceutical Society. They identified which herbs were needed and set about appealing to the general public to wild gather these herbs. In particular they asked for help from various organisations such as WRVS, WI, Scouts,Girl Guides and also to schools.A National Herb Organiser, Dr R. Butcher was appointed and ensured that every county had a herb committee.To help with identification cigarette cards depicting herbs were used and in time some of the organisations themselves produced publications on the subject.
After the herbs were gathered they would be sold on to the botanical drug companies. Not all herbs gathered were used for medicines. Others were used generally for war work, eg, nettles were used for dying cloth for camouflage.

This project included so many people and necessitated so much organisation and yet it doesn't seem to be something that people talk about as part of their memories of war time. As those who were involved grow older, we are loosing our most important source of reference to this project and it is for this reason that I entered upon this research.
There is so much research material available throughout the country, eg County records, museums, government records, those of the organisations that took part, even details can be found in some school logs.Most importantly though, from those who took part. I have found quite a lot of detail in a book by Florence Ranson,who served on the Essex herb Committee--British Herbs.
Also The Felbridge history society has a wealth of information.

The Dorset Herb Group have decided to be part of this research project and we welcome help from anyone else .I can be contacted either through this forum or personally at
Wimborne Herbal Clinic, 13 King Street, Wimborne, Dorset,BH21 1DY
tel 01202 888272
lindaharrold@btinternet.com

When the research is complete it is intended that it should be given to the Herb Society library.

It is strange how in the same year that the govt. were asking for help in collecting herbs, they also passed a law that effectivley banned the practise of herbal medicine.

As I post this article , the many acts of remembrance that are happening around the country today seem to make this a fitting topic.

Linda

Hello Linda,

Interesting topic. As a child in Buckinghamshire the whole Primary School would go out to collect Rose Hips which we were told would be made into Rose Hip Syrup. Must admit that we thought it was wonderful. An afternoon out of school was just what the doctor ordered, so you could say that the rose hip syrup was doing good before it was even made. I have no idea where the hips were sent and of course all the adults involved have sadly all gone. Why oh why did we not ask questions before? Glad that you reminded me as I'm meeting our local primary school tomorrow to talk about the war as we have a small exhibition in church of wartime memorabilia. The main surprise to most people is the small display of rations. 'Only 3oz of cheese! That's not much more than a mouthful' seemed to be the general opinion.

Jane

Hi Jane,
Thank you for those memories--these are exactly the things that bring history alive. Although the bulk of herb gathering appeared to have ended by 1944, the collection of rosehips seemed to have gone on for another couple of years. Although i was born a few years after the war ended, I well remember being given Delrosa syrup as a child. Chock full of vit C.Interestingly ,rosehips are now believed to be potent in the relief from arthritis.
Different counties would have harvested different herbs and in Dorset and other coastal counties, seaweed was a much valued crop.Both Chondrus and Gigartina provided a source of Agar-agar which was used in the development of penicillin.
Hope tomorrow goes well and maybe you will be able to tell the children how children helped the war effort by gathering herbs.

Linda

Hi Linda

Rosehips were still being gathered through country primary schools as late as 1964/5. I must have been in the Junior class when it was announced that each child could earn 3d for each lb of rosehips they gathered. I remember watching my mother weigh out the rosehips on her infant classroom scales and paying the children who had collected them. She thought it was far too much work and administration for too little money, so my sister and I were not allowed to take part. It was also extra work for her and she had to pay up front out of her own purse before being reimbursed - not something she could really afford at the time!

Good luck with your research.

Sarah

What an excellent and exciting project Linda, if I can be of any help just ask! As you know I picked up a couple of sets of Wills cigarette cards with herbs and wildflowers on for the society archives. The first set is from 1923 and the second from 1937. First being after the 1st world war, so maybe other brands did herb identification cards during WWI and WWII? Maybe someone out there will know which sets were being used during the frst world war?

I don't have any personal recollections not being old enough, and all my grandparents are dead now, but I'll ask the remaing elderly relatives I have and see if they have any herb collecting stories. Its a shame that you're not covering WWI in your research as one of the books I got last week The Physick Garden by Edith Grey Wheelwright has a whole chapter on the cultivation and collection of herbs from 1914 and mentions Mrs Grieve, Phamplet 228, Mr E. M. Holmes (whom the author was friends with until his death), the English drug farms and Edith Hughes who studied with Mrs Grieve in 1917. No mention is given of WWII herb collecting though as the book was published in 1934, but if you're interested in this chapter let me know and I'll scan it for you if you'd like?

Another book which I also added to my collection last week is The Roots of Health [1968]by Leon Petulengro and in one chapter he recalls his father explaining why the gorgio's (gipsy term for non-gipsies) didn't value herbs because of their abundance, he goes on to say... "When I was a boy he sent me and my pals out to gather sackloads of herbs, particularly dandelions and stinging nettles. These were sent to chemists and herbalists to be made up into remedies - we children got 3d for every full sack!"

I'm certain I've read similar tales in other books, will pass them on as I relocate them. Good luck with the research and keep me informed, ohhh if you want me to send you the cards as well let me know and I'll get them sent to you.

Debs

Thank you Sarah and Debs.
Sarah, I was really interested to learn that the rosehip gathering went on for so long--something to look into. Debs, thank you for your offer of the cigarette cards--woops--did you just feel me snatch your arm off?
Re World War one--I do intend to include a short piece about that in the research. What is interesting is that the knowledge and enthusiasm that was around then seemed to suddenly vanish. I am really interested in the way that on the one hand there was such interest and a huge growth of knowledge about herbs and at the same time the govt made a good attempt at taking away of our choice to have herbal medicine. Very peculiar days.

Thank you both for your observations. I have heard from Peter Leyel that his grandmother has included some recollections of the Herb gatherers in her diary, which is in the Herb Society library, so I'm looking forward to reading that.

linda

Hi Linda

Cards will be in the post later this week, will also get that chapter scanned for you It does seem odd that of all the war memories and stories that have been passed down the collection of herbs for medicines doesn't seem to feature so much? I can recall my Nan telling me about making cakes using vinegar when they had no eggs and adding carrots inplace of sugar, and so many other memories from the war years, but she never mentioned collecting herbs, maybe not as many people as we think collected herbs, be interesting to see from records just how many people did.

Have you thought about contacting the Ethno Medica people at Kew?  http://www.kew.org/ethnomedica/ they're compiling a database with local knowledge of herbs and their uses, they've surveyed a lot of old people, so maybe they either have some information, or can put you in touch with someone who can help with your research, they may even be interested in working with you and the Herb Society on this project, just a thought

Debs

Hello Linda,

Have just rec'd my quarterly mag from the Buckinghamshire Family History Soc., and one article gives details of Boarstall school logbook reports for 1946.
"6th December 1946.
Mrs Read visited the school and brought money for the hips which were gathered by the children.
David and Colin Blake collected 35lb 5oz and received 8/9
Marina Honour collected 10lbs and received 2/6
Peter and Pauline Woosley collected 5lbs 14oz and received 1/6
Tony Malone collected 5lb 6oz and received 1/3
John read collected 1lb and collected threepence"

I know we collected hips at our school but I certainly donot remember receiving any cash. That is not something one would forget.

Incidentally the children from our local school did come up to the church for our Remembrance exhibition, we had a lovely time talking to them but I think they thought we were talking about the 'Dark Ages' being so very old of course.

Hi Jane,
Thank you so much for that information.It is these type of details that breathe life into this type of project. The Blake boys were hard workers it would appear, whilst poor old John Read,one can imagine him being rather reluctant to help the war effort !

Linda

Hi, It's been quite a while since I last posted here, but I'm hoping I'll have the time to read through everything a bit more often now and maybe contribute occasionally...

So, on this topic, I recently had a contribution to my Ethnomedica collection from someone who grew up in Norfolk and remembers her whole school being regularly sent out to collect Rose hips, Haws and Nettles during the war. The hips and haws she is certain were for vitamin C syrups for children, and she thinks the nettles were primarily for rope etc, but can't remember the details. She has a vague memory that they, or the school, may have been paid, but she said it must have been such a small amount that it made very little impression.

It's not much info, but I noticed most accounts refer to rose hips only so it's interesting to hear of other plants being collected.

Kristina

Hi Kristina

Lovely to see you here! I didn't realise that you were connected with ethnomedica, if I knew I'd have told Linda to contact you direct Are you still involved with the National Botanic Garden of Wales? I was going to try and come and visit next year to see the Physicians of Myddfai and Apothecaries' Gardens meant to do it this year, but the year has flown by. Glad you may be able to stop by more, I'll look forward to your contributions.

Debs

Well, I'm still in the vicinity of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and doing occasional work there as a volunteer. But I have just recently resigned my position as horticulturist which is why I currently have so much time on my hands and have found my way back on here.

Ethnomedica is my principal passion at the moment, but we only set the project up at NBGW a couple of months ago so we don't have many records as yet and I'm running it single handed really - hence the volunteering.

I'm happy to share what records I have although I still haven't got round to keeping a copy of them at home. I'll get there I'm sure. Hoping to expand on Ethnomedica if I can, along with all the other projects I keep getting wrapped up in.

Look forward to getting more involved here too!

Kristina

Amongst the papers in the attic at Sulgrave Debs came across a correspondence course 'Mrs Grieve Herb Course'. Most of it is copywrighted in 1911, but some has 1914 on it.
There are ten lessons, all of which are very technical and I think intended to encourage large scale herb growing. Again the wrong war! but none the less very interesting.
Have you thought of contacting the WI, they my have records.

Great project, and one that may be interesting for Sunday papers etc further down the line.

Best wishes -Jenny

Hello Jenny,

Your mention of the redoubtable ladies of the W.I. stirred my memory once again. I remember going with my mother to the village hall to help to carry utensils etc for a mass jam making session. I think the W.I. had a special allocation of sugar for housewives to make jam. Everyone came with oil stoves, primus stoves etc and there was much sirring, chopping and of course lots of chat. I think all the children were kicked out when they had done the portering, understandable really. I don't think it went on all through the war. It was probably more realistic to weigh out the sugar and distribute it to each house rather than carry all the gear up to the hall. The school dinner lady always made a lot of jam for the school canteen. Went with the eternal semolina pudding!! Not herb related but possibly of interest.

Jane

Thank you both Jenny and Jane,
It is lovely to hear of people's recollections ,just what I'm after as this is a project that we can make come alive. Yes , I intend contacting both the WI and WRVS to see if they have any info in their archives also to try and get an article in their magazines. Thought I'd try to get one in Saga magazine. Have wondered if the imperial war museum might be able to help. As part of the revamped childrens site, we might be able to interest them in researching what happened at their own schools. Trouble is, I have so many ideas and not necessarily time in which to do everything.

Regards
Linda

I know its a local group project, but if time is a problem perhaps you could think of widening it to oter members.
I would be happy to contact our local village school to ee if they have any records.
Best wishes - Jenny

Hi Jenny,
Any source of reference is most welcome.It was my thought and intention that members of our group would try different avenues to find as much info as possible,so yes your help and anyone elses would be much appreciated,thank you.

Linda

Hi Linda,
When I was doing my research for 'Remembered Remedies of Northumberland' for the WI, I went to Kew Gardens to read some of their archive material relating to herb collecting during WW2, as the WI were heavily involved in some parts of the country. There is some fascinating original material there - lists of prices paid for a whole range of dried herbs by wholesalers such as Bromoe & Schimmer, lots of correspondence between Kew and the Ministry of Supply who were responsible for setting the whole project up, correspondence about the difficulties of collecting, drying and identifying the herbs. For example a letter in 1941 points out the 'the Minitry of Health is interested in the cultivation of Dill, Caraway, Coriander, Henbane, Psyllium and Stramonium. It should be pointed out, however, that the cultivation of medicinal plants is not likley to be remunerative in teh post-war period'!
In 1941 it was decided to simplify the organisation and collection of herbs by allocating 10 herbs per county - but I don't think this ever worked. For the area of Leicester, Rutland, Derby, Notts, Northants, Lincs - they were asked to collect Dandelion, Broom, Foxglove, Nettles, Calamus, Skullcap, Limeflowers, Black Horehound, Parsley Piert and Coltsfoot. In May 1942, 6 tons of Broom tops were collected in the Brandon district of Suffolk and the sparteine content was extracted and used for a anti-hypertensive and diuretic action.
I have quite a few notes if you wanted more info. - just let me know

Anne

Hello Anne,
Yes,Yes,Yes, would very much love for all information you have. I'm hoping that if i get myself organised in time, that at our January meeting our local herb group can get together and start to put together the info that has so far been collected.
Many Thanks
Linda

Hi Linda,
Will write up my notes and email to you.
By the way, nettles (dried) were not only used for rope making but, I think, were mainly used for their chlorophyll content to dye uniforms. Also in the (northern) Borders area, nettles were sent to a company in Scotland to make paper.
When I was going round talking and interviewing people, the only thing most of them remembered was collecting rosehips. The impression I got from reading correspondence was that overall the WI (head office) weren't that keen on collecting, some counties couldn't collect because of foot and mouth, and those areas that did do a lot relied on a small number of energetic and committed individuals.

Anne

Hi Anne,
Thank you very much.
Linda