It’s a time-honoured treatment and rubbing certainly helps, but other leaves could be just as good
If you’ve ever brushed against a stinging nettle, chances are someone told you to find a dock leaf. The wide green leaves of dock plants seem to grow conveniently nearby, and rubbing one on a sting is a time-honoured remedy. But does it actually work?
Probably not in any way that’s unique to the plant, says John Tregoning, a professor at Imperial College London and the author of Live Forever? A Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death.