Frontspiece

William Withering’s Account of the Foxglove is a work of 163 detailed case studies, many drawn from Withering’s own experience of prescribing the drug to his patients. Although Withering is often credited with discovering the medicinal value of digitalis, the plant was used for medical treatment as early as the 13th century. The folded frontispiece above is the only illustration included the work, a large foxglove engraved and hand-colored by the naturalist James Sowerby.

In the beginning of the book, Withering cautions the reader that the cases presented are “the most hopeless and deplorable that exist.” In one case, he writes,“The Foxglove when given in very large and quickly repeated doses, occasions sickness, vomiting, purging, giddiness, confused vision, objects appearing green or yellow; increased secretion of urine, with frequent motions to part with it, and sometimes in ability to retain it; slow pulse, even as slow as 35 in a minute, cold sweats, convulsions, syncope, death.”