County Herb Committee facts for kids
The County Herb Committees were a big plan in Britain during World War II to collect plants for medicine. The Ministry of Health started these committees across the country.
Why Were They Needed?
During World War II, it was hard to get medicines from other countries. Germany had taken over France, and ships carrying supplies faced problems. This meant Britain didn't have enough important medicines for hospitals and people at home.
Before the war, Germany made many medicines. So, when the war started, Britain faced a serious shortage. To help with this, the Vegetable Drugs Committee (VDC) was set up in March 1941. Experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, like Dr. Ronald Melville, helped out. He was a scientist who studied plants and also made medicines.
About 70 committees were created all over England, Scotland, and Wales. Money was given to set up special drying centers. These centers would prepare the collected plants to be sent to companies. The first drying center was in Islip, and another was at the Oxford Botanic Garden. By the end of the war, there were 250 drying centers across Britain.
Collecting Herbs for Medicine
The committees found that many plants needed for medicine also grew naturally in Britain. By 1941, they started giving out guides to people in the countryside. Groups like Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Women's Institutes, and older people were asked to help collect these plants. Sir Arthur William Hill, who was in charge of Kew Gardens, encouraged everyone to join.
In 1941, a company called Brome and Schimmer published a booklet. It was called Herb Gathering. This booklet explained which roots, flowers, and herbs the Ministry of Health needed. It also showed people how to collect and dry them properly.
The National Federation of Women's Institutes worked closely with the Ministry of Supply and the County Herb Committees. They helped a lot with collecting medicinal herbs. Elizabeth Hess, a gardening expert, helped organize this for the Women's Institute.
The Ministry of Supply also sent out monthly updates to the herb committees. These updates told them which herbs to collect in different areas. For example, in 1942, a report said:
The Hathersage Women's Institutes dried fifty pounds of materials chiefly nettles in the attic of a house, and the Clifton and Mayfield Boy Scouts dried seventy-six pounds of Foxglove at their headquarters. They hope to do much more this year and the county committee is looking around for drying depots.
Foxgloves contain special chemicals that help the heart. But these chemicals can be ruined if the plants are not dried carefully. A leaflet from Kew Gardens told collectors to spread the plants on racks. They should then dry them in a warm shed, heated to about 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
In 1941, the Vegetable Drugs Committee published a list of the most important medicinal plants needed. These included belladonna, colchicum, digitalis (from foxglove), hyoscyamus, stramonium, and valerian. Before the war, these plants usually came from countries like Hungary, Italy, Germany, and Yugoslavia.
