Botanica Poetica (Hardcover)
by Sylvia Seroussi Chatroux
Plants, and people’s relationships with them, have filled the
prose and poetry of all ages and all languages. This is
particularly true of medicinal and aromatic herbs, due to their
magical and medicinal effects, sweet fragrances, and other
special effects.
Dr. Sylvia Chatroux previously published a
work of botanical poetry focusing on homeopathic preparations,
many made from plants. This second volume pertains to the poetry
of 111 medicinal herbs, some of which are also used
homeopathically, but that is not the subject here. The author
draws from some of the authoritative contemporary literature for
some of the plants’ properties, so both folkloric and modern
scientifically documented uses are put to verse.
Beautiful,
classic, black-and-white drawings illustrate the small book,
mostly woodcuts and engravings from the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, some of which were supplied by the Lloyd
Library in Cincinnati and some from An Illustrated Flora by
Nathaniel Britton and Hon Brown.
Thumbing through the small
volume for my first read, I curiously landed on devil’s club
(Oplopanax horridus), the subject of a cover story in what was
then the current issue of HerbalGram (#62), and which had also
been the subject of a short profile on one of my favorite radio
shows, Morning Edition on National Public Radio. I gratefully
observed the synchronistic confluence of these three sources of
devil’s club data.
Here’s Dr. Chatroux’s perspective on this
herb, the most respected by some indigenous peoples of the
Pacific Northwest, particularly among some of Canada’s First
Nations:
Devil’s Club to cleanse the blood
It’s a bonus to
the health
Rejuvenate and stimulate
Endurance you will
have in wealth
In a case of Rheumatoid
Arthritic joints
that are aflame
A cold poultice you’d apply
Inflammation
you will tame
Oplopanax Horridum
For diabetes might have a
role
The Native folk recommend it
Your sugar cravings to
control
It’s a very striking plant
Mucous it can
stimulate
In the family of Ginseng
It can help
expectorate
Devil’s Club, a worthy tonic
Use the root bark
for your tea
Adapt to life’s ups and downs
Cope with
stress more easily
The author takes liberties with some of
the herbs’ uses where she thinks they are justified by folklore
and/or science; after all, this book is not intended to be an
evidence-based review of clinically documented herb efficacy,
nor a prescribing manual. This book is more about the
appreciation of herbs and their benefits—and a way to have some
fun with them!
Several copies of this small volume are
certainly worth having – on the coffee table (in contrast to the
oversized coffee-table books that hardly anyone reads), for the
backpack, bathroom, wherever one reads. A truly excellent gift
for the Holidays!
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