- MacFarlane
- Threlkeld
- Shaw, 49
- Pennant 1774, 310; Grant
- Martin, 226
- Henderson & Dickson, 80
- Lightfoot, 389; Pennant 1774, 310
- Martin, 226
9. Hart 1898, 370 - McClafferty
- Colgan 1892; Nelson
- IFC S 476: 91
- Maloney
- Moore 1898
- Parkinson, 1112
- Bardswell
176 Geranium robertianum
the consequent familiarity ofGeranium robertianumgave it a particularly
strong following there for human ailments as well. Foremost of those was kid-
ney trouble, to judge from the number of records for that, which are Irish
exclusively: from Cavan,^158 Meath,^159 the Aran Islands,^160 Limerick,^161 Car-
low,^162 Kerr y^163 and, if ‘pain in the back’, as so often, meant that, in Water-
ford,^164 too. Similarly an Irish monopoly, it appears, has been using the plant
toease sore throats and coughs of all kinds (Wicklow,^165 Carlow,^166 Limer-
ick^167 ). Almost as much of an Irish speciality, too, rather surprisingly given
herb-Robert’s recommendation as a vulnerary in the early herbals, has been
the prizing of it for staunching bleeding; but in this case the restriction of
recordsmainly to eastern coast counties (Down,^168 Cavan,^169 Meath,^170 Wick-
low^171 )possibly hints at a tradition imported from Britain. Other, more
localised applications in Ireland have been for rheumatic pains^172 and for a
gripe inthe stomach^173 in Tipperary, for gravel inLondonderry^174 and urinary
retention in the Aran Islands,^175 and for gallstones^176 and diabetes^177 (the plant
allegedly lowers the blood sugar level) in parts of the country left unspecified.
In sharp contrast, skin troubles, including skin cancer and especially
erysipelas, appear to feature in the records only in Britain: in Devon,^178 ‘South
Wales’,^179 Gloucestershire,^180 Yo rkshire^181 and various parts of the High-
lands.^182 In several of these areas that finds reflection in a vernacular name.
Otherwise, Britain has no roles for this plant that appear to be at all wide-
spread. This residue includes gout in Devon^183 and ‘North Wales’,^184 and
stomach upsets in Devon^185 and the Isle of Man.^186 In this last, further uses
have been for mouth sores and inflammation^187 and as a wash for the com-
plexion.^188 The Highlands,^189 though, have produced the sole British coun-
terpart of the widespread Irish reputation the plant has had for staunching
bleeding. Finally, in one part of Gloucestershire a belief has been recorded
that the two sides of the leaf have different therapeutic functions: one draws
out the injurious matter, the other heals.^190
Notes