4.1 More examples

Knowing that anyone can edit Wikipedia, I decided to follow up some links to articles about the use of nettles for textiles. At the bottom of the Wikipedia page (Figure 6), there is a list of references, where you can find out the original source of the information quoted.

I clicked on the link to an article in the Guardian newspaper from 2008 claiming that stinging nettles have been historically used to make textiles with, and provide an eco-friendly alternative to cotton: www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/feb/28/ethicalliving.fashion . A search for ‘Urtica dioica textiles’ in Google Scholar (a facility provided by Google to search academic literature including publications in journals and books) reveals many articles about the use of the stinging nettle for making cloth.

Curiosity about how nettles may be used locally, including possible links to food, nutrition and health, led me to explore cookery websites, including the leading food website BBC Good Food, which had a recipe for nettle soup.

However, despite finding all this information, I was still worried about the possible impact of nettle stings. I resolved to find out how the sting works and possible remedies, so consulted the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal , a reputable professional magazine. From its website I learned that nettles have a physical and chemical action that lacerates and then irritates the skin (Figure 8).

So now I knew the science behind a nettle sting, but is there anything that can be done to treat it? I looked back at the Wikipedia page and found a reference to dock leaves for treating nettle stings. I followed up the link in the references at the bottom of the Wikipedia web page which took me to a primary school activity page about nettle stings and some interesting experiments relating to their treatment (Figure 8).

I also found that the Woodland Trust had some useful information, answering questions about the use of dock leaves to alleviate symptoms. I’m not brave enough to try it right now, but the next time I happen to get stung, I will try using them and share my experience! See the Woodland Trust website for more information on this (Figure 9).

I then decided to search for ‘nettle sting’ on the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service) website to see what the current medical advice was. There was no mention of dock leaves, but instead it advises that the rash will settle quickly and recommends speaking to a pharmacist about anti-histamine tablets. So it seems that there are potentially some myths around the use of dock leaves, but I wanted to have a final look into this. I went back to the article in the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal to see if there was any mention of dock leaves. They suggest that dock leaves (and other plants) might help with nettle stings by reducing the biochemical impacts, but they can’t do anything to reduce the mechanical impacts of a nettle sting on the skin.

Of course, you might want to go beyond this suggested activity and find answers to other questions you have about your chosen species. Often the more answers you find, the more questions you have!