Edward Stone (natural philosopher) piece of bark from a willow tree and was struck by its extremely bitter taste. Knowing that the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree − from which quinine (used in the treatment of malarial fevers) is derived − has a similarly bitter taste, he surmised that the willow might also have therapeutic properties. Stone's interest in willows was due to the ancient "doctrine of signatures" – whereby the cause of a disease offers a clue to its treatment. According to Stone: "As this tree delights in a moist or wet soil, where agues chiefly abound, the general maxim that many
Bark bread bark is the only part of a tree trunk that is actually edible, the remaining bark and wood is made up of cellulose which animals, including humans, cannot digest. The dried and ground inner bark was added in proportions like 1/4th to 1/3rd "bark flour" to the remaining grain flour. Erik Pontoppidan, the Bishop of Bergen, Norway, in the mid 18th century, recommended using elm, as it helped the often crumbly bark bread hold together better. The bark will, however, add a rather bitter taste to the bread, and give particularly white bread an unappetizing grey-green hue. Another problem is