Old English Medical Remedies: Mandrake, Wormwood and Raven's Eye

How pagan women blended magic and medicine—and why their medieval recipes may help cure modern-day illnesses.

In ninth-century England, Bishop lfheah the Bald is dabbling with magic. By collecting folk remedies from pagan women, he risks his reputation. Yet posterity has been kind, as from the pages of Bald's book a remedy has been found that cures the superbug MRSA where modern antibiotics have failed.

Within a few months of this discovery, a whole new area of medical research called ...