Interesting facts

The Latin name Aesculus is thought to be derived from the Latin "edere" = to eat. Hippocastanum is a Latin translation of Horse Chestnut, possibly derived from a Turkish custom of feeding them to horses suffering from respiratory ailments, as mentioned in the New Kreuterbuch, a 16th Century herbal: "The Turks call them horse chestnuts because they are very helpful for treating panting horses."

It was only in the second half of the 16th century that the Horse Chestnut spread from its native Greece to Central Europe. The starchy chestnuts, the seeds of the Horse Chestnut tree, soon came to be used as food for domestic and wild animals and as a source of starch. Despite the longstanding belief that carrying three chestnuts in your pocket would ward off various diseases, the actual healing powers of the Horse Chestnut were not realised until the end of the 19th century. Instead, the seeds were used to obtain a paste for bookbinders and paperhangers which was not eaten by maggots and insects because of its bitterness.

Dried chestnuts tied in a cloth bag can be used for a pleasant foot massage. Just put your feet on the bag and move them gently back and forth.