Salad Burnet has been used in herbal remedies for over 2000 years, even Pliny the elder (1st century AD Greek) first poured it into a goblet of wine, mixed it with honey and claimed that it treated a diverse range of complaints.
“Gerard writing in his Herball of the 16th century says that ‘It gives a grace in the drynkynge’ which is a reference to the way it was commonly used both in the Renaissance and in Pliny’s time in ancient Rome. It was steeped in wine sometimes with other herbs to make it more refreshing. One of its Latin names ‘Poterium’ means ‘drinking cup’ reflecting this use. ‘Sanguiscorba’ means absorbing blood, and warriors would drink this herb in wine before going into battle in the hope that their wounds would be lessened by its effects.
Gerard also says of salad burnet: It gives ‘a speciall helpe to defend the hart from noysome vapours and from the infection of the Plague or Pestilence and all other contagious diseases for which purpose it is of great effect, the juice thereof being taken in some drink.’ He continues ‘It is a capital wound herb for all sorts of wounds, both of the head and body, either inward or outward either in juice or decoction of the herb, or by the powder of the herb or root, or water of the distilled herb, or made into an ointment by itself or with other things to be kept.’ [herbs-treatsandtaste]