From folk medicine · Christian legend; Turkey

A drop of milk on the leaf

Milk thistle

The white veins on the leaves of milk thistle are linked to a legend: while Mary was nursing Jesus under this plant, a drop of her milk fell on the leaves. In Turkey the plant has many names: deve kengeri, sütlü kengel, akdiken, mübarek diken, şevkülmeryem.

Source: Hafize Bilge Eren, Sevgi Şar, “Meryemana Dikeni Bitkisinin Kullanımının Eczacılık ve Tıp Tarihi Açısından İncelenmesi”, Lokman Hekim Dergisi 10(1), 2020 (Eren and Şar, Lokman Hekim Dergisi, 2020). This is a folk record, not a treatment recommendation.

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