Description: (British Botanist, Geologist, Chemist and Physician Best Known for His Use of Extracts of Foxglove to Treat Dropsy)
William Withering, an English botanist, geologist, chemist, and physician, was an early pioneer in the study of digitalis. He trained at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and later worked at Birmingham General Hospital. Withering is known for identifying the active ingredient in a traditional herbal remedy for dropsy from the foxglove plant. His extensive publications on the medical uses, effects, and toxicity of digitalis greatly contributed to the understanding of its bioactivity.