Plants We Used To Use 168. Field woundwort

Predictably, Field woundwort (Stachys arvensis) has been used, since Roman times, to heal wounds. Roman soldiers also scattered its seeds to mark the lines of their roads.

Some of My Favourite Pictures of Domestic Mammals

Companion and domesticated mammals mainly from UK locations (a couple from the UAE, France and Sweden).

First Flush?

Onset of the menopause causes misery for many women. Hot flushes and night sweats reduce their quality of life as well as their productivity. The only treatment thus far has been hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is not, however, appropriate for women with family histories of breast and ovarian cancer. It's also contra-indicated for patients with high blood pressure. Treatment with Veoza (fezolinetant) has, however, recently been approved for use in both the US and the UK (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/18/veoza-fezolinetant-menopause-drug-hot-flushes-wins-uk-approval). Veoza relieves menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes, but isn't a hormonal treatment. Additional research needs, however, to be done. For example, women over the age of 65 have not yet been studied in terms of their response to Veoza. There's a (remote?) possibility, that extended treatment in this cohort, could have detrimental effects. This needs to be explored, along with other issues (like ethnicity).

Nice To See You Again

University of California, Berkeley researchers found that Bonobos and Common chimpanzees exhibited impressive long term memory of former peers. Thus far, it's longer than any other tested non-human species (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/18/chimps-recognise-peers-decades-later-long-term-memory). The researchers found these primates could recognise former peers, even decades after separation. Their likelihood of recognition was increased, if the pair had got on well in their earlier encounters. I wonder, however, if any were simply pretending not to recognise apes, they hadn't 'liked'. That would be even more humanoid!

Plants We Used To Use 167. Field speedwell

Field speedwell (Veronica persica) was thought to have 'magical' properties, impacting on protection, luck and love! The plant is edible, with a slightly bitter, peppery taste. It's been added to salads, soups and stews.

Plants We Used To Use 166. Field pepperwort

The young leaves of Field pepperwort (Lepidium campestre) can be eaten as greens or added raw to salads. The young fruit are a spice with a taste somewhere between black pepper and mustard.

Plants We Used To Use 165. Field pennycress

The young leaves of Field pennycress (Thlapsi arvense) can be eaten raw or cooked. They are rather bitter but are sometimes added to salads or lasagne.