Neil’s guest today is historian and friend of the show Emma Kay. Today we talk about Emma’s new book A History of Herbalism: Cook, Cure & Conjure which was published in June 2022. We talk about the importance of herbs in medicine, magic and food, and how these things were interconnected, the four humours, Anglo-Saxon medical texts, the double standards surrounding men and women who practised magic and medicine, two female pioneers of botany and herbalism, and narcotic garden vegetables. Emma’s book is published by Pen & Sword History: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-History-of-Herbalism-Hardback/p/21395 Follow Emma on twitter @museumofkitchen and Insta @emma_kay_author. Her website is www.museumofkitchenalia.com. Things mentioned in today’s episode: Marianne North’s edited biography: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Recollections_of_a_Happy_Life/fdnVAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 Elizabeth Blackwell’s A Curious Herbal: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_Curious_Herbal_Containing_Five_Hundred/ogHjFWeztJAC?hl=en&gbpv=0 Neil’s book A Dark History of Sugar is available now from all bookshops as well as from the publisher Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/A-Dark-History-of-Sugar-Hardback/p/20481 If you want to buy a signed copy directly from Neil for £18 + postage (£2.85 if within the UK, the going rate if outside!). Contact him via email or social media if you fancy it (see below). Also, don’t forget if you have any questions or queries about today’s episode, or indeed any episode, or have a question about the history of British food please email me at [email protected], or find me on twitter @neilbuttery, or Instagram dr_neil_buttery my DMs are open. If you like my blog posts and podcast episodes, please consider a monthly subscription or buying me a virtual coffee or a pint? Go to https://britishfoodhistory.com/support-the-blog-podcast/ for more details.