1-158-686 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) (centre), c1885. Used in traditional herbal medicine, foxgloves are the natural source of digitalin, a powerful cardiac stimulant, valuable in the treatment of heart disease. The British physician William Withering (1741-1799) carried out clinical trials, publishing his results in 1785. On the left is Weasel Snout or Lesser Snapdragon (Antirrhinum orontium). On the right is a wild form of the Great or Garden Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus).