How Angelica Herb Got its Name in the Year of the Great Plague in 1665, London

One of the greatest legends about angelica dates back to 1665, the year of the great plague in London.

In early spring of 1665 the number of deaths, caused by plague, was on the rise in poorer sections of London. Death rate escalated when the spring turned into one of the hottest summers ever. As the panic set in, the rich, followed by the merchants, lawyers, clergy and surgeons left the city.

By June, the gates of the city were closed and the only way to get out was to present “the certificate of health” which became much more valuable than gold.

In July, when about 1,000 deaths per week were reported, the rumors spread that cats and dog spread the disease. According to author of the “Journal of the Plague Years”, Daniel Defoe, about 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed.

However, the real carriers were fleas, which lived on rats as parasites. With all the cats and dogs in the capital gone, rats had even fewer natural enemies and the plague was spreading more and more rapidly.

Doctors, nurses and inspectors, who were in constant contact with the victims of plague, were forced to wear colored staffs outdoors so they were easy to spot and to avoid.

The houses of victims of plague were sealed for forty days after the person recovered or died. In the meantime, the guard was watching the house to make sure no one got out. The imprisoned inhabitants became so desperate that they bribed the guard in order to get some food passed to them. In the worst cases the inmates broke through the wall of their home to escape or they hung the guard by lowering the noose through an attic window and over the guard’s head.

Even the letters from London were said to be treated as poisonous. On that behalf they were heated, scraped, soaked, aired and finally pressed flat to dispose of "pestilential matter".

In August of 1665, the death rate reached its peak - over 6,000 deaths per week. According to estimates, over 100,000 people perished until February of 1666, when King Charles declared that return to the city of London is safe again.

The legend says that in the middle of this true horror story, an angel visited a monk in his dreams and gave him a message that angelica could cure the Black Death (which was another name for plague due to the tell-tale black lumps on the bodies of the victims).

Some sources deny this particular healing virtue of angelica but the written historical sources are proof that angelica water became one of the ingredients in “the King’s Majesty’s Excellent Recipe for the Plague”. That was an official remedy for plague, published by the College of Physicians in London.

Angelica water, nutmeg and treacle were beaten together and then heated over the fire. Twice a day this medicine was given to those who suffered from plague.

Obviously, angelica herb had an important role in curing one of the deadliest diseases of all times and therefore deserves an ‘angelic name,’ whether an angel was involved or not, in carrying the message about angelica’s healing powers.