William Withering summary

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William Withering, (born March 17, 1741, Wellington, Shropshire, Eng.—died Oct. 6, 1799, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, Warwickshire), English physician and botanical author. Withering is best known for his treatise An Account of the Foxglove, and Some of Its Medical Uses (1785), which provided a detailed description of the use of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) to treat dropsy (edema), a condition characterized by the accumulation of fluid in soft tissues. This discovery proved crucial to modern understanding and treatment of heart failure, and drugs containing the active compound of foxglove, digitalis, continue to be prescribed today.

botany Summary

Botany, branch of biology that deals with the study of plants, including their structure, properties, and biochemical processes. Also included are plant classification and the study of plant diseases and of interactions with the environment. The principles and findings of botany have provided the

medicine Summary

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