Show of hands on "Dittany" (x-post mystery)

Nope.

No, and I would consider myself reasonably familiar with herbs.

I know what it is, but if I didn't, I'd be real, real ticked that the writer didn't tell me. I'd either look it up on the spot, or I'd stop reading the book. To me, that's just not fair play.

I still don't get it

Dittany seems to have multiple definitions and meanings. Even looking it up doesn't help. Most people would think of Harry Potter. Is that what you wanted?

Airball! I wouldn't have any idea what dittany was.

I'd recognize it as an herb. It grows around here. As far as it's herbal properties and actual physical appearance, I'd have to consult one of my reference books (and might be perverse enough to do so.) Puma

Never heard of it, but if I felt like it was important I'd look it up.

I don't know what dittany is.

Hold on . . . . .

OK, now I know what it is. All hail wikipedia.

I had to do a google and was still none the wiser.

I saw that it was used in Harry Potter [but that's a bit useless in historical fiction] and I was hit with a list of herbs that I had no clue about.

yes-in the sense of how it was used in Harry Potter and considering the huge readership and following of those movies i would think to be careful of how I used it.

If it weren't for Brother Cadfael, I wouldn't know that dittany existed.

Both of my reference books said the roots were known to cause uterine contractions - but nothing about it's use as an abortifacient. I know I have another reference around here I used for early 19th century botanical medicine - all I have to do is figure out where it is. Puma

ETA: I just tried Google and saw two hits on the first page with links to Harry Potter. That would scare me more than that someone might actually know what the stuff is.

The only dittany I knew of (prior to Googling it) was Dictamus albus, the gas plant or false dittany, because this winter I started seeds of this plant. I'm growing it for the pretty flowers, and to see on a hot, humid, still day if I can ignite the flowers, despite the possible danger of it giving me a chemical-like burn. I just need to be careful and not brush against it with bare skin.

Medicinal Uses: As a medicinal plant, the herb
has been utilized to heal wounds, soothe pain,
and ease childbirth. The root has been used in a
salve to treat sciatica, and the juice was
consumed in wine to cure snake bite. In
addition, it has been used as a remedy against
gastric or stomach ailments and rheumatism. It
can be made into a warm drink where its
aromatic healing properties can be used for use
as an anticonvulsive and a menstrual tonic.
Externally as a poultice on wounds and bruises.
Strengthens the heart muscles and arteries.
Adding cinnamon and honey it is soothing for a
cough.


What I found for it....google....

I have not ever heard of it.

I've heard of dittany as an herb, and knew nothing else about it until I read the posts. However, I've read enough mysteries that if the author made a point of mentioning 'dittany', I'd be suspicious.

Never heard of it.

Dittany?

Yes, and yes.

Tut! All historical writers should have Culpepper's Herbal on their reference shelves.

Bugger Dittany, I don't even know what apothecary means or for that matter abortifacient.

So, the clue would be well hid for me

It's not that uncommon, and in addition to the 249,000 Google sites it brings up for medical uses alone, it's listed in all sorts of books about herbs.

I knew what it was for two reasons. 1. Many believe the burning bush in the Bible was a False Dittany bush. The oil on the plant is extremely flammable, and can catch fire in very hot weather. The oil burns, but the bush itself often does not, so you get a bush on fire that does not consume itself, much like the description of the burning bush in the Bible. You can't really read anything about False Ditanny without also reading about Dittany in the same article. They're always compared to make sure readers know which is which. 2. It's listed in nearly every historical herbal and medical book I've read.

But readers will either look it up the moment they encounter it, or be really ticked that you didn't explain what it's used for. You can't keep this kind of information from readers and expect to use it later in the book.