This week at our Thursday meeting Lady Rahil taught a class on Medieval First Aid. She was kind enough to share her handout with us, so with her permission we are sharing the information with you. Enjoy!
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Medieval First Aid
A Crash Course
By Rahil bint Haroun (MKA Leann Hill)
rahil.bint.haroun@gmail.com
Intro:
In the Middle Ages, just like today, most simple injuries and illnesses were treated at home. But there was no Walgreens or CVS to get medication from, people had to just use what they knew about and what was around them. We have lost a lot of that lore in the modern era. However, here's a crash course in what the Medieval person knew when it came to first aid.
Home First Aid Kit:
There were certain things, present in every home, that could easily be used for minor wounds.
1. Vinegar, Wine, or Beer
These were used to wash out cuts, scrapes, and punctures. Sometimes there would be herbs infused into the vinegar or wine to help with fevers, stomach issues, or other health problems. Today, we know that alcohol and vinegar are antiseptic, and help to stop infection from setting in.
2. Cobwebs
Once wounds were washed out, some of them might be a little worse than others. For wounds that were still bleeding, cobwebs would be used. They're naturally sticky, and modern science also has determined that they're antiseptic, anti-fungal, and full of Vitamin K (helps blood to clot). This makes for a great way to pack wounds and stop bleeding. Not to mention, they're fairly abundant. Just make sure they're clean and spider-free.
3. Honey
Honey would have been readily available in any home because it was widely used in cooking and mead making. What most people don't know about honey, however, is that it's an amazing antiseptic. Today, we know that honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which inhibits the growth of
bacteria. But that's not the only reason honey is such a potent antimicrobial, it's high sugar content also helps to draw out the fluids present in bacteria, effectively killing the bacteria by dehydration. Since honey is antiseptic, sticky, and still fairly moist, it makes for a great way to pack a wound. The antimicrobial action helps to prevent infection, the stickiness helps to keep the wound closed, and the moisture helps to keep the wound from drying out. Honey was also used, quite often, to improve the taste of Medieval medicines, and was especially useful for coughs and bronchial issues as it helps to soothe the throat.
4. Snail Slime
Snails constantly travel over rough terrain, and they have some pretty awesome tools to help them naturally heal the abrasions caused by these travels. Snail slime is the major tool of the snail. Modern research shows that snail slime is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, and that it contains antioxidants, collagen, and elastin. All of these properties makes snail slime great for skin repair. People of the Medieval Ages used snail slime for minor cuts and burns. If you can get past the “slime” part, it can still be beneficial today.
5. Moss
Most mosses have been used, throughout history and prehistory, to soak up blood. From battle wounds, to minor cuts and scrapes, to menstrual blood. The most predominant moss mentioned in Medieval texts, and probably the most absorbent moss in Medieval Europe, is Sphagnum moss. It was commonly used even as recently as World War I. Modern research shows that not only was it absorbent and deodorizing, but sphagnum moss is also home to several penicillin molds which makes it antibacterial.
In the Middle Ages, just like today, most simple injuries and illnesses were treated at home. But there was no Walgreens or CVS to get medication from, people had to just use what they knew about and what was around them. We have lost a lot of that lore in the modern era. However, here's a crash course in what the Medieval person knew when it came to first aid.
Home First Aid Kit:
There were certain things, present in every home, that could easily be used for minor wounds.
1. Vinegar, Wine, or Beer
These were used to wash out cuts, scrapes, and punctures. Sometimes there would be herbs infused into the vinegar or wine to help with fevers, stomach issues, or other health problems. Today, we know that alcohol and vinegar are antiseptic, and help to stop infection from setting in.
2. Cobwebs
Once wounds were washed out, some of them might be a little worse than others. For wounds that were still bleeding, cobwebs would be used. They're naturally sticky, and modern science also has determined that they're antiseptic, anti-fungal, and full of Vitamin K (helps blood to clot). This makes for a great way to pack wounds and stop bleeding. Not to mention, they're fairly abundant. Just make sure they're clean and spider-free.
3. Honey
Honey would have been readily available in any home because it was widely used in cooking and mead making. What most people don't know about honey, however, is that it's an amazing antiseptic. Today, we know that honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which inhibits the growth of
bacteria. But that's not the only reason honey is such a potent antimicrobial, it's high sugar content also helps to draw out the fluids present in bacteria, effectively killing the bacteria by dehydration. Since honey is antiseptic, sticky, and still fairly moist, it makes for a great way to pack a wound. The antimicrobial action helps to prevent infection, the stickiness helps to keep the wound closed, and the moisture helps to keep the wound from drying out. Honey was also used, quite often, to improve the taste of Medieval medicines, and was especially useful for coughs and bronchial issues as it helps to soothe the throat.
4. Snail Slime
Snails constantly travel over rough terrain, and they have some pretty awesome tools to help them naturally heal the abrasions caused by these travels. Snail slime is the major tool of the snail. Modern research shows that snail slime is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, and that it contains antioxidants, collagen, and elastin. All of these properties makes snail slime great for skin repair. People of the Medieval Ages used snail slime for minor cuts and burns. If you can get past the “slime” part, it can still be beneficial today.
5. Moss
Most mosses have been used, throughout history and prehistory, to soak up blood. From battle wounds, to minor cuts and scrapes, to menstrual blood. The most predominant moss mentioned in Medieval texts, and probably the most absorbent moss in Medieval Europe, is Sphagnum moss. It was commonly used even as recently as World War I. Modern research shows that not only was it absorbent and deodorizing, but sphagnum moss is also home to several penicillin molds which makes it antibacterial.
The Garden Apothecary:
1. Willow Bark Salix alba
Willow bark has been used since ancient times all over the world to deal with pain and fever, especially headaches. Ancient Greeks were advised to “chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation”. Willow bark actually does work to dull pain because it contains salicylic acid/salicin, which is used today to create aspirin. Willow bark was readily available and likely that this was the most popular go-to painkiller for medieval people. Willow twigs could also be chewed and used as a toothbrush and to help reduce mouth pain.
2. Peppermint Mentha peperita
Peppermint was ideal for treating cold symptoms. You can add a handful of fresh leaves to a bowl of hot water and breathe in the vapors to clear nasal passages and help you breathe easier. You can also add peppermint essential oil to a chest rub to help treat congestion. Peppermint was used as a digestive aid, drunk as a tea to calm upset stomachs. Peppermint essential oil is useful to help reduce headaches, but Medieval people likely crushed the leaves on their temples as opposed to diluting the essential oil and using that like we do now. Peppermint was also used to soothe skin irritations since it has lovely cooling qualities. Add it to bath water and soak irritated skin. In the Middle Ages, peppermint leaves were dried and powdered and used to whiten teeth and keep breath fresh. Mint vinegar was used as a mouthwash. In the Middle East, medicinal cordials called sekanjibin were used to treat a variety of ailments. Made of water, sugar, vinegar, and herbs, such as peppermint, the cordial was diluted in hot or cold water creating a delicious drink that also eased symptoms. Mint was also used to treat venomous wounds. Wilfred Strabo said in the 10th century that there were as many types of mint as the sparks that fly from Vulcan's forge-- in other words, lots!
3. Horehound Marribum vulgare
Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chesty and head-colds and coughs. Ancient herbalists prescribed the herb for a variety of conditions including fevers, malaria, snakebites, and dog bites. Horehound was once even considered an anti-magical herb. More recently, horehound has been used medicinally for asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, indigestion, flatulence, and painful menstruation.
4. Dandelion Taraxacum officinalis
Dandelion was prescribed to treat colds, boils, ulcers, dental problems, itching, jaundice and gallstones. Thanks in part to its bitter flavor profile, dandelion contributes to the foundation of traditional German medicine as a tincture, tea, or extract to combat obesity and high cholesterol. By improving metabolism and through efficient blood cleansing and detoxification, dandelion is thought to contribute to relieving gout, rheumatism, liver and bile ailments, blood ailments, ulcers, skin, and other symptoms of aging. Here it is recommended as a detoxifying agent in the context of a spring cleanse or fall cure.
5. Garlic Allium sativum
Garlic's use medicinally goes back all the way to prehistory, biblical old testament times, and Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian medical text, the Codex Ebers (1500 BC), prescribed garlic for abnormal growths, parasites, circulatory ailments, insect infestation and general malaise (a vague feeling of being out of sorts or unwell physically or mentally). In all, 22 different treatments included garlic. Garlic was considered important by the Egyptians. Cloves of garlic were found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb, which dates from 1500 BC. Copts (Egyptian Christians) prescribed garlic macerated in oil for skin diseases and to new mothers after childbirth to stimulate milk production. Garlic was used as an antibiotic and to pack in rotten teeth cavities. Athletes and workers used garlic to increase strength. In fact, early Olympians chowed down on the fragrant herb before they competed. The founder of modern medicine, Hippocrates (460-370 BC), recommended garlic for pulmonary ailments, to aid in the release of the placenta, to treat sores, as a cleansing or purgative agent, and for abdominal growths, especially uterine. Cooked garlic was prescribed to treat asthma. The Greek alchemist, Theophrastus (371-287 BC), reported that garlic was used by workers harvesting roots of the poisonous plant hellebore to prevent the ill effects of the toxic plant. Dioscorides (40-90 AD), the chief physician for Nero’s army, prescribed garlic because it “cleans the arteries and open[s] up the mouths of the veins.” At the time, arteries were thought to carry air and vein to carry blood throughout the body. In his well respected medical text, Materia Medica, Dioscorides recommended garlic to thin mucus and relieve coughing, to expel worms, for protection against viper and dog bites, to stimulate menstrual flow and to heal ulcers, leprosy and tooth aches. The Greek physician Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), who wrote the medical text, Historica Naturalis, recommended garlic for 23 different ailments. Ailments treated by garlic included toothache, hemorrhoids, consumption, animal bites (including shrew and scorpion), bruises, ear aches, tapeworms, epilepsy, insomnia, sore throat, poor circulation, lack of desire and neutralizing the effects of the poisonous plants aconite and henbane. Pliny also prescribed garlic for infections. In the Medieval age garlic was consumed with beverages to alleviate constipation. Garlic was recommended to workers to prevent heatstroke. The influential Medical School at Salerno classified garlic as a “hot food” to be consumed in winter to protect against pulmonary or breathing disorders. The Abbess of Rupertsberg, St. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179 AD), who was a prominent medical writer, recommended raw garlic for many disorders. Vikings and Phoenicians stocked their ships with garlic for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
6. Coriander Coriandrum sativum
The round seeds (which resemble bugs!) were used for cooking and to deter fevers; often used in breads. They may have been used to treat or prevent tummy aches, including gas. It was the unpleasant smell of coriander that led to its use as a medicine. The ancients believed that anything with such a strong and unpleasant odor must surely possess powerful curative and/or preventive attributes. The British Pharmacopoeia of medicines discusses coriander but it is now mainly used to disguise the taste of unpleasant medicines. Coriander water was once used to ease flatulence and ‘windy colic’. It was also used in ointments for the relief of rheumatism and arthritis. Coriander seeds can have a narcotic effect when consumed in quantity which is perhaps how it became to be known as ‘dizzycorn’.
7. Sage Salvia officinalis
Sage, whose first botanical name comes from the Latin salveo, meaning “I am well” , was used by the Romans in medicine and cooking. As with some other herbs, ‘officinalis’ is a reminder of its monastic medicinal use — the officina being the monastic storeroom where herbs and medicines were stored. The leaves were used in salads and green sauces and as a spring tonic. "A man shall live for aye who eats sage in May." A tonic that is supposed to 'clean out' the system. In the Renaissance, the English ate sage butter in May. In the medieval period sage was described as being ‘fresh and green to cleanse the body of venom and pestilence’. It was also chewed to whiten teeth and used very frequently in cooking along with lots of onions and garlic. This means that sage and onion stuffing has a medieval pedigree!
8. Cumin Cuminum cyminum
The ancient Egyptians used cumin to treat gastro-intestinal disease, to expel intestinal parasites, and cumin was included in different medicinal recipes for mouth rinses, suppositories, and ear instillations. Cumin seed is listed in Biblical texts in both the Old and New Testaments. It was said in ancient Greece that if one planted coriander, during the sowing process it must be cursed – if the crop was to be abundant. Medieval healers recommended cumin seeds mixed with barley then boiled in wine as a general cure-all. Medieval people used it in cooking and to treat gas. The Roman epicurean Apicius reported that the Egyptians of his time used cumin when they cooked marrows and grilled fish. The Roman writer Pliny highly recommended cumin and wrote:Yet of all the seasonings which gratify a fastidious taste, cumin is the most agreeable.Pliny also mentioned that cumin mixed with water commonly was used to treat stomach ache. In modern Egypt crushed cumin added to water and medicinal teas are used to treat colic and indigestion, and may be offered to pregnant and recently delivered women.
9. Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium
Before opium, feverfew was one of the major sources of pain relief. Used to treat arthritis, psoriasis, and headaches. It also was used to reduce fevers. I was also used to induce abortions, but wasn't fairly effective and could have some super dangerous side effects.
10. Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum
The Arabs flavoured their coffee with it, and it was also used in mulled wine. Meat and rice dishes are often flavored with cardamom. Used to ease digestion, reduce gas and tummy aches, and as an aphrodesiac. Also chewed to freshen the breath and to help calm hiccups.
11. Lemon Balm (Melissa) Melissa Officinalis
Light green oval leaves that smell and taste of artificial lemon. Used in foods and drinks; considered an aid against melancholy. Fresh leaves were used to polish furniture Beekeepers used it to charm bees into a new hive. (The flowers do attract bees!) The herbal known as “The Grete Herball” written by Gerad, recommended using balm as an ointment for all aches; steeped in wine to “keep one from swooning if the cause be cold.” The “Horitus Sanitatis” recommends placing the dried leaves of lemon balm atop the head to “…draw out congestion and leave one light headed.” This book also states lemon balm is helpful to clear the chest, relive difficult breathing, and “helpeth conception more.” Lemon balm was also used for seasoning soups ans sauces and cold wine beverages in medieval times.
12. Basil Ocimum basilicum
Used in cooking-- for 'potage' or boiled greens, in salads and green pickles. Symbolic of both love and hate. Culpeper cautions that smelling it too much may breed a scorpion in the head. Since the oldest written records, basil was associated with creepy-crawly things such as snakes and lice—but especially scorpions. In the Middle Ages, scorpions and worms were widely believed to be conjured from basil leaves. In the 1500s, doctors of the day warned that merely smelling basil would breed “scorpions of the mind.” It’s strange that a plant with such a vile reputation would also be called the “king of herbs,” but many ancient cultures treated this plant with great reverence. In India, basil was associated with two of the highest gods in the Hindu pantheon, Krishna and Vishnu. Christians dubbed basil St. Joseph’s Wort, in reference to the earthly father of Jesus. In Bulgarian and Catalan folklore, the smell of basil is identified as the medium for impregnating the Virgin Mary. In the Middle Ages, basil was believed to be poisonous simply because it would not grow near rue. Rue was considered the “enemy of poisons,” and any herbs that would not grow near it were suspect.
13. Borage Borago officinalis
The leaves boyled among other pot herbs do much prevaile in making the belly soluble, they being boyled in honied water be also good against the roughnesse of the throat, and hoarsenesse, as Galen teacheth. Syrrup made with the floures of Borage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholy, and quieteth the phrenticke or lunaticke person. Let whoever’s eyes are cloudy break borage into pieces, smear this on a piece of red silk cloth, and put this on his or her eyes at night. Do this often; the cloudiness of the eye will flee. It is not harmful if some of the ointment touches the inside of the eyes. If the piece of silk be green or white, let the person put borage juice on it and then smear it ion felt. Place this around the entire neck, over the back of the head and right up to the ears, but not over the ears. Do this often and the ringing of the ears will stop. Borage was used as a mild medicine. It was said to calm the heart, purge melancholy and calm lunatics. The leaves eaten raw were said to ‘engender good blood’, or to encourage health. It was known as a diuretic, demulcent, emollient. Herbalists believed that borage imparted a sense of well-being, and the Roman scholar Pliny considered it to be an antidepressant. It was associated with courage: "I, Borage, Bring Courage."
14. Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Pine-scented leaves, symbolic of wisdom and faithfulness. The flowers, boiled in tea, were an all-purpose medicine. A 1525 herbal suggests it boiled in wine for a face wash. Putting the leaves under your pillow guarded against nightmares. The ashes of the wood, burnt, were used for cleaning teeth. Brides and grooms exchanged rosemary wreaths instead of rings; rosemary was also planted or strewn on graves. Rosemary was burned as an incense to kill or prevent infection, including the plague. Rosemary is said to have blue flowers because the Virgin dried her cloak on it on the way to Egypt.
15. Rue Ruta graveolens
The proverbial bitterness of rue was regarded as an indication of its potency. Jerry Stannard, an authority on ancient and medieval medicinal botany, notes that the sharper and more pungent an herb, the greater the apparent faith in its efficacy, an aspect of ancient pharmacology that may have been grounded in folk belief. The Roman natural historian Pliny regarded rue as one of the chief medicinal herbs. Also called 'the herb of grace' because it was used as a holy water sprinkler. Used to treat venomous bites, and poor eyesight. Medieval authorities upheld rue’s ancient reputation as a warming herb; the Tacuinum Sanitatis, or Tables of Health, classes rue as warm and dry in the third degree. In Physica, Hildegard of Bingen treats rue both as a simple and as an effective ingredient in more than a dozen compound recipes. She considered the raw leaves to be more beneficial than those chopped and cooked in food.
16. Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Used to treat headaches and wounds, especially battle wounds, and the bite of mad dogs. The wound treatment caused it to be associated with knights. Yarrow, with its botanical name, is linked to one of legends’ greatest heroes. It is said of Achilles that he tended the wounds of his men. Hence, most of its common names are linked back to war: ‘Herbe Militaris’; ‘Soldiers Woundwort’; and amusingly ‘Devil’s Plaything’. During the Medieval period it was a herb connected with the casting out of witches, and at one time dedicated to the Devil. Having strong antiseptic qualities, this herb is good for the stomach, kidneys, skin and heart, and as a salve, external wounds. This herb was also known to the Chinese, in ancient times. With 49 Yarrow stalks being a form of divination, connected to I Ching, or Book of Changes.
1. Willow Bark Salix alba
Willow bark has been used since ancient times all over the world to deal with pain and fever, especially headaches. Ancient Greeks were advised to “chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation”. Willow bark actually does work to dull pain because it contains salicylic acid/salicin, which is used today to create aspirin. Willow bark was readily available and likely that this was the most popular go-to painkiller for medieval people. Willow twigs could also be chewed and used as a toothbrush and to help reduce mouth pain.
2. Peppermint Mentha peperita
Peppermint was ideal for treating cold symptoms. You can add a handful of fresh leaves to a bowl of hot water and breathe in the vapors to clear nasal passages and help you breathe easier. You can also add peppermint essential oil to a chest rub to help treat congestion. Peppermint was used as a digestive aid, drunk as a tea to calm upset stomachs. Peppermint essential oil is useful to help reduce headaches, but Medieval people likely crushed the leaves on their temples as opposed to diluting the essential oil and using that like we do now. Peppermint was also used to soothe skin irritations since it has lovely cooling qualities. Add it to bath water and soak irritated skin. In the Middle Ages, peppermint leaves were dried and powdered and used to whiten teeth and keep breath fresh. Mint vinegar was used as a mouthwash. In the Middle East, medicinal cordials called sekanjibin were used to treat a variety of ailments. Made of water, sugar, vinegar, and herbs, such as peppermint, the cordial was diluted in hot or cold water creating a delicious drink that also eased symptoms. Mint was also used to treat venomous wounds. Wilfred Strabo said in the 10th century that there were as many types of mint as the sparks that fly from Vulcan's forge-- in other words, lots!
3. Horehound Marribum vulgare
Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chesty and head-colds and coughs. Ancient herbalists prescribed the herb for a variety of conditions including fevers, malaria, snakebites, and dog bites. Horehound was once even considered an anti-magical herb. More recently, horehound has been used medicinally for asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, indigestion, flatulence, and painful menstruation.
4. Dandelion Taraxacum officinalis
Dandelion was prescribed to treat colds, boils, ulcers, dental problems, itching, jaundice and gallstones. Thanks in part to its bitter flavor profile, dandelion contributes to the foundation of traditional German medicine as a tincture, tea, or extract to combat obesity and high cholesterol. By improving metabolism and through efficient blood cleansing and detoxification, dandelion is thought to contribute to relieving gout, rheumatism, liver and bile ailments, blood ailments, ulcers, skin, and other symptoms of aging. Here it is recommended as a detoxifying agent in the context of a spring cleanse or fall cure.
5. Garlic Allium sativum
Garlic's use medicinally goes back all the way to prehistory, biblical old testament times, and Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian medical text, the Codex Ebers (1500 BC), prescribed garlic for abnormal growths, parasites, circulatory ailments, insect infestation and general malaise (a vague feeling of being out of sorts or unwell physically or mentally). In all, 22 different treatments included garlic. Garlic was considered important by the Egyptians. Cloves of garlic were found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb, which dates from 1500 BC. Copts (Egyptian Christians) prescribed garlic macerated in oil for skin diseases and to new mothers after childbirth to stimulate milk production. Garlic was used as an antibiotic and to pack in rotten teeth cavities. Athletes and workers used garlic to increase strength. In fact, early Olympians chowed down on the fragrant herb before they competed. The founder of modern medicine, Hippocrates (460-370 BC), recommended garlic for pulmonary ailments, to aid in the release of the placenta, to treat sores, as a cleansing or purgative agent, and for abdominal growths, especially uterine. Cooked garlic was prescribed to treat asthma. The Greek alchemist, Theophrastus (371-287 BC), reported that garlic was used by workers harvesting roots of the poisonous plant hellebore to prevent the ill effects of the toxic plant. Dioscorides (40-90 AD), the chief physician for Nero’s army, prescribed garlic because it “cleans the arteries and open[s] up the mouths of the veins.” At the time, arteries were thought to carry air and vein to carry blood throughout the body. In his well respected medical text, Materia Medica, Dioscorides recommended garlic to thin mucus and relieve coughing, to expel worms, for protection against viper and dog bites, to stimulate menstrual flow and to heal ulcers, leprosy and tooth aches. The Greek physician Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), who wrote the medical text, Historica Naturalis, recommended garlic for 23 different ailments. Ailments treated by garlic included toothache, hemorrhoids, consumption, animal bites (including shrew and scorpion), bruises, ear aches, tapeworms, epilepsy, insomnia, sore throat, poor circulation, lack of desire and neutralizing the effects of the poisonous plants aconite and henbane. Pliny also prescribed garlic for infections. In the Medieval age garlic was consumed with beverages to alleviate constipation. Garlic was recommended to workers to prevent heatstroke. The influential Medical School at Salerno classified garlic as a “hot food” to be consumed in winter to protect against pulmonary or breathing disorders. The Abbess of Rupertsberg, St. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179 AD), who was a prominent medical writer, recommended raw garlic for many disorders. Vikings and Phoenicians stocked their ships with garlic for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
6. Coriander Coriandrum sativum
The round seeds (which resemble bugs!) were used for cooking and to deter fevers; often used in breads. They may have been used to treat or prevent tummy aches, including gas. It was the unpleasant smell of coriander that led to its use as a medicine. The ancients believed that anything with such a strong and unpleasant odor must surely possess powerful curative and/or preventive attributes. The British Pharmacopoeia of medicines discusses coriander but it is now mainly used to disguise the taste of unpleasant medicines. Coriander water was once used to ease flatulence and ‘windy colic’. It was also used in ointments for the relief of rheumatism and arthritis. Coriander seeds can have a narcotic effect when consumed in quantity which is perhaps how it became to be known as ‘dizzycorn’.
7. Sage Salvia officinalis
Sage, whose first botanical name comes from the Latin salveo, meaning “I am well” , was used by the Romans in medicine and cooking. As with some other herbs, ‘officinalis’ is a reminder of its monastic medicinal use — the officina being the monastic storeroom where herbs and medicines were stored. The leaves were used in salads and green sauces and as a spring tonic. "A man shall live for aye who eats sage in May." A tonic that is supposed to 'clean out' the system. In the Renaissance, the English ate sage butter in May. In the medieval period sage was described as being ‘fresh and green to cleanse the body of venom and pestilence’. It was also chewed to whiten teeth and used very frequently in cooking along with lots of onions and garlic. This means that sage and onion stuffing has a medieval pedigree!
8. Cumin Cuminum cyminum
The ancient Egyptians used cumin to treat gastro-intestinal disease, to expel intestinal parasites, and cumin was included in different medicinal recipes for mouth rinses, suppositories, and ear instillations. Cumin seed is listed in Biblical texts in both the Old and New Testaments. It was said in ancient Greece that if one planted coriander, during the sowing process it must be cursed – if the crop was to be abundant. Medieval healers recommended cumin seeds mixed with barley then boiled in wine as a general cure-all. Medieval people used it in cooking and to treat gas. The Roman epicurean Apicius reported that the Egyptians of his time used cumin when they cooked marrows and grilled fish. The Roman writer Pliny highly recommended cumin and wrote:Yet of all the seasonings which gratify a fastidious taste, cumin is the most agreeable.Pliny also mentioned that cumin mixed with water commonly was used to treat stomach ache. In modern Egypt crushed cumin added to water and medicinal teas are used to treat colic and indigestion, and may be offered to pregnant and recently delivered women.
9. Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium
Before opium, feverfew was one of the major sources of pain relief. Used to treat arthritis, psoriasis, and headaches. It also was used to reduce fevers. I was also used to induce abortions, but wasn't fairly effective and could have some super dangerous side effects.
10. Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum
The Arabs flavoured their coffee with it, and it was also used in mulled wine. Meat and rice dishes are often flavored with cardamom. Used to ease digestion, reduce gas and tummy aches, and as an aphrodesiac. Also chewed to freshen the breath and to help calm hiccups.
11. Lemon Balm (Melissa) Melissa Officinalis
Light green oval leaves that smell and taste of artificial lemon. Used in foods and drinks; considered an aid against melancholy. Fresh leaves were used to polish furniture Beekeepers used it to charm bees into a new hive. (The flowers do attract bees!) The herbal known as “The Grete Herball” written by Gerad, recommended using balm as an ointment for all aches; steeped in wine to “keep one from swooning if the cause be cold.” The “Horitus Sanitatis” recommends placing the dried leaves of lemon balm atop the head to “…draw out congestion and leave one light headed.” This book also states lemon balm is helpful to clear the chest, relive difficult breathing, and “helpeth conception more.” Lemon balm was also used for seasoning soups ans sauces and cold wine beverages in medieval times.
12. Basil Ocimum basilicum
Used in cooking-- for 'potage' or boiled greens, in salads and green pickles. Symbolic of both love and hate. Culpeper cautions that smelling it too much may breed a scorpion in the head. Since the oldest written records, basil was associated with creepy-crawly things such as snakes and lice—but especially scorpions. In the Middle Ages, scorpions and worms were widely believed to be conjured from basil leaves. In the 1500s, doctors of the day warned that merely smelling basil would breed “scorpions of the mind.” It’s strange that a plant with such a vile reputation would also be called the “king of herbs,” but many ancient cultures treated this plant with great reverence. In India, basil was associated with two of the highest gods in the Hindu pantheon, Krishna and Vishnu. Christians dubbed basil St. Joseph’s Wort, in reference to the earthly father of Jesus. In Bulgarian and Catalan folklore, the smell of basil is identified as the medium for impregnating the Virgin Mary. In the Middle Ages, basil was believed to be poisonous simply because it would not grow near rue. Rue was considered the “enemy of poisons,” and any herbs that would not grow near it were suspect.
13. Borage Borago officinalis
The leaves boyled among other pot herbs do much prevaile in making the belly soluble, they being boyled in honied water be also good against the roughnesse of the throat, and hoarsenesse, as Galen teacheth. Syrrup made with the floures of Borage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholy, and quieteth the phrenticke or lunaticke person. Let whoever’s eyes are cloudy break borage into pieces, smear this on a piece of red silk cloth, and put this on his or her eyes at night. Do this often; the cloudiness of the eye will flee. It is not harmful if some of the ointment touches the inside of the eyes. If the piece of silk be green or white, let the person put borage juice on it and then smear it ion felt. Place this around the entire neck, over the back of the head and right up to the ears, but not over the ears. Do this often and the ringing of the ears will stop. Borage was used as a mild medicine. It was said to calm the heart, purge melancholy and calm lunatics. The leaves eaten raw were said to ‘engender good blood’, or to encourage health. It was known as a diuretic, demulcent, emollient. Herbalists believed that borage imparted a sense of well-being, and the Roman scholar Pliny considered it to be an antidepressant. It was associated with courage: "I, Borage, Bring Courage."
14. Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Pine-scented leaves, symbolic of wisdom and faithfulness. The flowers, boiled in tea, were an all-purpose medicine. A 1525 herbal suggests it boiled in wine for a face wash. Putting the leaves under your pillow guarded against nightmares. The ashes of the wood, burnt, were used for cleaning teeth. Brides and grooms exchanged rosemary wreaths instead of rings; rosemary was also planted or strewn on graves. Rosemary was burned as an incense to kill or prevent infection, including the plague. Rosemary is said to have blue flowers because the Virgin dried her cloak on it on the way to Egypt.
15. Rue Ruta graveolens
The proverbial bitterness of rue was regarded as an indication of its potency. Jerry Stannard, an authority on ancient and medieval medicinal botany, notes that the sharper and more pungent an herb, the greater the apparent faith in its efficacy, an aspect of ancient pharmacology that may have been grounded in folk belief. The Roman natural historian Pliny regarded rue as one of the chief medicinal herbs. Also called 'the herb of grace' because it was used as a holy water sprinkler. Used to treat venomous bites, and poor eyesight. Medieval authorities upheld rue’s ancient reputation as a warming herb; the Tacuinum Sanitatis, or Tables of Health, classes rue as warm and dry in the third degree. In Physica, Hildegard of Bingen treats rue both as a simple and as an effective ingredient in more than a dozen compound recipes. She considered the raw leaves to be more beneficial than those chopped and cooked in food.
16. Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Used to treat headaches and wounds, especially battle wounds, and the bite of mad dogs. The wound treatment caused it to be associated with knights. Yarrow, with its botanical name, is linked to one of legends’ greatest heroes. It is said of Achilles that he tended the wounds of his men. Hence, most of its common names are linked back to war: ‘Herbe Militaris’; ‘Soldiers Woundwort’; and amusingly ‘Devil’s Plaything’. During the Medieval period it was a herb connected with the casting out of witches, and at one time dedicated to the Devil. Having strong antiseptic qualities, this herb is good for the stomach, kidneys, skin and heart, and as a salve, external wounds. This herb was also known to the Chinese, in ancient times. With 49 Yarrow stalks being a form of divination, connected to I Ching, or Book of Changes.
17. Anise Pimpinella anisum
Smells and tastes like licorice. The seeds were used to treat gas and to make
people sweat. They were also used in sweets and candies.
18. Ginger Zingiber officinale
The dried slices were often powdered for use in recipes. Gingerbread was a popular sweet cake, sold in decorated slices by gingerbread baking guilds, at least in Torun. Suspected of provoking lust, but widely used in saucing meats, in cakes, and side dishes anyway. Its warmth was used medicinally to treat stomach problems, and as a remedy for the plague. Modern science confirms its use as a mild anti-nausea treatment.
19. Calendula (Pot Marigold) Calendula officinalis
Associated with the sun, they were said to follow its progress across the sky. Flower petals were used in broths and tonics, and in treatments to strengthen the heart. Now used in skin creams.
20. Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla
Used in handwashing waters and for headaches. Lawns and garden seats were planted with chamomile, for it 'smells the sweeter for being trodden on'. Scientific testing indicates that it really may help settle the stomach and soothe the nerves, which may be why it was used in fevers.
21. Hops Humulus lupulus
The cone-shaped flowers of the hop vine were used to flavor beer in much of Europe, though it only came to Britain late in period. Also used as a sedative (to make people sleep).
22. Lavender Lavendula spp
Used in food, and in refreshing washes for headaches; a cap with lavender flowers quilted in it kept headaches at bay. Used extensively in baths, as a personal scent and as a moth repellent.
23. Roses Rosa spp
Petals of white, pink and red roses [damask, apothecary, and dog roses among others] and the distilled water made from them were widely used in food as well as for scent, and added to medical preparations to strengthen the patient generally.
18. Ginger Zingiber officinale
The dried slices were often powdered for use in recipes. Gingerbread was a popular sweet cake, sold in decorated slices by gingerbread baking guilds, at least in Torun. Suspected of provoking lust, but widely used in saucing meats, in cakes, and side dishes anyway. Its warmth was used medicinally to treat stomach problems, and as a remedy for the plague. Modern science confirms its use as a mild anti-nausea treatment.
19. Calendula (Pot Marigold) Calendula officinalis
Associated with the sun, they were said to follow its progress across the sky. Flower petals were used in broths and tonics, and in treatments to strengthen the heart. Now used in skin creams.
20. Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla
Used in handwashing waters and for headaches. Lawns and garden seats were planted with chamomile, for it 'smells the sweeter for being trodden on'. Scientific testing indicates that it really may help settle the stomach and soothe the nerves, which may be why it was used in fevers.
21. Hops Humulus lupulus
The cone-shaped flowers of the hop vine were used to flavor beer in much of Europe, though it only came to Britain late in period. Also used as a sedative (to make people sleep).
22. Lavender Lavendula spp
Used in food, and in refreshing washes for headaches; a cap with lavender flowers quilted in it kept headaches at bay. Used extensively in baths, as a personal scent and as a moth repellent.
23. Roses Rosa spp
Petals of white, pink and red roses [damask, apothecary, and dog roses among others] and the distilled water made from them were widely used in food as well as for scent, and added to medical preparations to strengthen the patient generally.
- Dragon's Blood and Willow Bark: The Mysteries of Medieval Medicine by Toni Mount
- The Medieval Vagina by Karen Harris and Lori Caskey-Sigety
- Medieval Medicine and First Aid: https://donwinn.blog/2014/09/11/medieval-medicine-and-first-aid/
- 5 Things to Pack in Your Medieval First Aid Kit: http://www.medievalists.net/2015/12/5-things-topack-in-your-medieval-first-aid-kit/
