The Law breaking Docks
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thief, best avoided by people suffering ike those ‘wanted’ posters in every wild west sheriff’s office, warnings about some people make a meal from rheumatism or gout, its a question of a little going a long way, and removal of noxious weeds once adorned from the leaves of a wild the leaves have traditionally been used the walls of garda stations all around the country. It is quite a while since I have plant that is officially classed to put some zest into a salad. Maxwell Norris, who used to write a newspaper seen any of these warning notices, and that as a noxious weed column in the 1980s, noted in one of his probably indicates the unfortunate, but informative articles, that as a child he growing neglect of farmland, more and was familiar with this tang, adding that more of which is being allowed revert to “many a country mother occasionally the wild. Not that long ago, having any treats her family to a tasty dish of thick one of the terrible threesome, ragweed, sorrel stew.” Sorrel Dock is grown as a thistle, or dock, was likely to result in culinary herb, and as Norris reported it a visit from the authorities, and failure was never allowed to “bolt”, so like cabto remove them was an offence that bages and sprouts, it was discouraged could lead to a fine. I have no idea of from flowering as this would spoil the how many farmers were hauled before flavour of the leaves. the courts, but on well stocked land, No doubt, everyone “knows” that ragweed and dock were, and still are, dock is the cure for nettle stings, but very unwelcome intruders, for both are as a student I was reprimanded, quite toxic. properly, for repeating this widespread In Ireland a Bill outlawing these belief without questioning its validity. invaders was passed in 1909, and in 1936 This belief is so often repeated in folklore the Noxious Weeds Act stated that “any records, that it is an established part of member of the Gárda Síochána and any herbal tradition, but oddly enough, the inspector may at all reasonable times enevidence to show that a dock leaf will ter upon any land situated in any area” cure a nettle sting is surprisingly weak. to determine if the law was being broken. It could well be that the broad leaf of Like ragweed, the docks, for there are Rumex obtusifolius, which, after all was different types, are a tough bunch and used to wrap butter, simply has a cooling have always been well beyond the law. effect, and rubbing on the dock, I was They are among the most common of also informed by one of Ireland’s leading our wild plants, familiar to everybody as experts on pain, Dr David Finn at NUI dock, there are two main species, Rumex Galway, helps anyhow to bring relief by acetosa, with its narrower leaves, and triggering our inbuilt pain suppression Rumex obt usifolius, with its large broad system. That’s also why we instinctively leaves that were once used to wrap butrub our knocked knee after falling off the ter. There are in fact, about 200 species of bike. Rumex, nine of which, if we leave out the Of course, this is one of the great hybrids, occur in Ireland, and they are problems with herbal remedies. Until quite invasive. From their home ground the mechanisms are known and can in the northern hemisphere, the docks be described with scientific precision, have travelled to Australia, New Zeathe cures are just a matter of opinion, land, the United States, and other parts and with docks, the beliefs abound. of the world. Records collected by the Irish Folklore Farmers do not like dock because they Commission include cures for sunburn “sour” the feed with soluble oxalate. to the lips, a treatment for “sore leg,” These acidic oxalates mop up body and a remedy against “worms”. More metals, including calcium with which it than likely there were good reasons for forms insoluble deposits, and for sheep the emergence and persistence of these especially, this can be fatal. When docks traditions, and while oxalic acid in its are harvested along with grass, the feed pure form is a relatively uncomplicated is poisoned, and animals can die from Sorrel, Rumex acetosa, engraving from the work molecule, H2C2O4, it occurs in plants such kidney failure. of the German scholar, Leonhart Fuchs as dock as just one part of a bioavailable The narrow leaved Sorrel Dock, (1501-1566). cocktail. Rumex acetosa, known as Samhadh bó or The flowers, which are small, are not Samhadh caopacht, in Irish, is the main there for show, for the docks are wind pollinated, but once they culprit, and the same acidity that makes it harmful also makes develop, three of the inner sepals become enlarged to surround it useful as a culinary herb. Like rhubarb, another acidic metal
Tom kennedy writes that
science sPin issue 47 Page 35