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St. Fiacre curing ulcer  A Curious Connection   Compiled by Diane Handlos

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How is a 7th Century Irish saint connected to Geranium?  Geranium maculatum  

 Our highly regarded medical consultant, William C. Dwyer MD, mentioned

 that St. Fiacre (fee-ACK-ree) is the patron saint of gardening. The garden

 connection to Geranium is obvious, but somewhat distant.

       Then Dr. Dwyer added, incidentally and curiously,

"St. Fiacre is also the patron saint of hemorrhoids."      Voila!   Two degrees of separation, i.e.

             St. Fiacre                          no image chosen                           Geranium maculatum   

         St. Fiacre    <---------->   hemorrhoid treatment   <---------->     Geranium maculatum  

                       See below for more information on St. Fiacre and Geranium maculatum

 

In St. Fiacre's garden, IrelandSt. Fiacre (Fiachra)   Patron Saint of Gardening and Hemorrhoids

St. Fiacre, an Irish Monk, spent his days creating beautiful gardens and

healing, and became the patron saint of gardening.

<  St. Fiacre's Garden, Kilfiachra, Ireland

 

St. Fiacre (Fiachra) was born in a monastery in Ireland about the end of the sixth century and died

18 August, 670.. In a monastery , Fiacre had access to plants and seeds that a normal peasant in

those days would never have known..  Having been ordained priest, he lived as a hermit on the banks of the

Nore near the townland Kilfiachra, or Kilfera, County Kilkenny still preserves his memory. His unwanted

fame as one skilled with herbs, a healer and holy man, caused disciples to flock to him. 

 

St. Fiacre with Pelargoniums

Needing greater solitude, Fiacre left his native land and arrived, in 628, at Meaux, France.  

As a priest, he was given land by St. Faro. St. Fiacre planted so many flower and herb gardens

that he soon ran out of land. St. Faro offered him as much land as he could turn up in a day.

Legend has it that Fiacre drew a trench with his cane and  prayed and by the next morning all the soil was turned. 

It was during this miracle that a (possibly jealous)  woman went to the Bishop and accused him of working magic.

The Bishop, however, upon seeing the miracle proclaimed Fiacre a Saint and the spying woman a witch!

 

The herbs that St. Fiacre grew and their healing powers earned him the distinction of being a healer during his lifetime.

He cured everything from worms to cancer but specialized in urology and proctology. One healing miracle to

which he was attributed was he cured a man of a large sore on his “genitale” (you figure it out) by constructing

a wax replica of the part of that man’s anatomy. At the risk of embellishing an already tainted story the last

heard of this mold was that it was used as a candle. The term “figs of St. Fiacre” refers to hemorrhoids,

another specialty of Fiacre’s.

St. Fiacre with pink Pelargonium

During the seventeenth century, Cardinal Richelieu, who was afflicted with hemorrhoids, begged

that the Saint’s bones be made available to rid him of this problem because they were said to

still possess healing powers.

                     from   www.catholic.org  &   www.ponddoc.com  

Further thoughts on St. Fiacre   www.washingtonpost.com   "The Patience of a Saint"  By Adrian Higgins
                                                      Thursday, March 17, 2005       

                                                                      and

Information below from www.oshims.com

"Biological Name: Geranium maculatum   Family: Geraniaceae

Other Names: Wild Geranium, American Cranesbill, Storksbill, Alumroot

 

Elements Applied: The root is the core component used in herbal medicine.

Active Components: The plant is better to pick up before blossoming, when it contains high levels of tannins, like gallic acid.

Used For:

Due to its astringent characteristics American Cranesbill is applied in dysentery, diarrhea and hemorrhoids. The plant is also used in digestive system conditions which can cause bleeding, including stomach ulcer. In this case it’s mixed with other herbal digestives. When faeces contain blood, the remedy can be successfully applied; still, you should visit your health-care provider first. Additionally the herb is applied to reduce menstrual bleeding, thus impeding abnormal blood loss. Externally the plant can be applied to regulate leucorrhoea.

Commonly mixed with: In case of ulcer conditions Cranesbill is mixed with Comfrey, Meadowsweet, Agrimony, or Marshmallow. For leucorrhoea the remedy is used together with Beth Root.

Preparation and intake: For a decoction take 1-2 teaspoons of the root extract and dilute it with cold water. Boil the mixture and infuse it for 15 minutes. The decoction is taken 3 times per day. In form of a tincture the remedy is used in a dose of 3 ml on average 3 times per day.

Safety: There is no data or evidence concerning the safety level of American Cranesbill. There is a possibility of interaction with chemical medicines. For this reason its administration should be discussed with a health-care provider."