Once again it appears that a possible cure for an illness affecting thousands of people is to be found in our own backyards – or rather – on the hillsides of Wales, writes Louise Ellis

The devastating illness of dementia which afflicts 700,000 people in the UK alone has been in the news this week, as government ministers admit that sufferers are not getting the treatment and care that they deserve.

The government has unveiled a plan to set up specialised 'memory clinics' throughout the country, to improve diagnosis and care.  However, the number of sufferers is expected to double in the next 30 years as people live longer. 

Fantasy fiction writer Terry Pratchett has spoken about his diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease, calling for the illness to be given the same priority for medical research as other conditions such as HIV. 

However, several years ago, scientists in Wales announced their findings that a substance in daffodils, particularly those growing on the higher slopes of the Welsh hills, have been effective in combating the disease. The only reason it hasn’t been developed into pills available to the general populace is...money. 

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