Lavender
(lavandula officinalis among
others) has been documented since ancient Egypt. It has gone
by a multitude of names, which contribute to its allure. In an
effort to limit confusion throughout this paper, all forms of
lavender will be referred to by their scientific (Latin) names. The
origins of the name 'lavender' have been hypothesized to have begun
with washer women, lavanders
from the Latin word “to wash”, would lay clothes to dry on
the fragrant lavender bushes or place sprigs of it between layers of
cloth before storing it. Another source states that the Romans had a
practice of steeping lavender in the bathing water of the villa,
providing another variation of 'lavare' to wash. During the course
of my research, these are the only two explanations of the name of
the herb. As with many herbs, it is difficult to prove or disprove
the validity of these claims.
It is
commonly accepted that the plant is native to the climate of northern
Spain and was carried to other areas (such as to the Mediterranean).
However, the “Venice Laws”
as quoted in Practical Materia Medica of the Medieval
Eastern Mediterranean According to the Cairo Genizah state
“[lavender] is listed under the merchandise exported from the
region (the ports of the Land of Isreal and Egypt) to Europe during
the Crusader ruler (12th-13th
cent.) and afterwards.” As
the Laws did not provide a
Latin name for the lavender, it is impossible to determine if the two
varieties are one in the same. The most widely known use for
lavender is that of an aromatic, as either a stimulant or a sedative,
with the occasional deviation into cuisine. My focus will be on its
medicinal uses.
.
Medieval beliefs about the body, its ailments and how to cure them
were centered around the four
humours: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm. Balance
of these within the body meant good health, while imbalance lead to
sickness. The hot or
cold, dry or
wet
qualities of the humours gave healers clues as
to how best to
return the body's equilibrium.
Galen, a Greek
in the early part of the
first century, further
defined the aspects
of plants and gave them
degrees; one being the weakest and four being the strongest.
Saladino d'Ascoli also
referred to lavender as a “hot and dry drug”.
Lavender is said to be both
hot and dry in the third degree, which means that it is rather
potent.
'Hot'
herbs were generally
used to stave off chills and stimulate metabolism. Many of the herbs
that fall into this category are strong in both aroma
and taste. 'Dry'
herbs were best used to purge the body of moisture, such
as phelgm.
All of the cures were determined by opposites. If you had an
ailment that was cold and wet, an
example being a bronchial
cough, lavender with its hot
and dry properties would be beneficial
in easing the patients
suffering and place on the road to well-being.
De
Materia Medica written
by Discorides,
a Greek
botanist in the first century was consistently used by
healers, later physicians, throughout the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance. Discorides claimed that lavandula officinalis and
lavandula spica could be used to ease pains of the
chest or as a carminative (aid for the digestive system) if prepared
as follows:
1
pound bruised lavender (wrapped in a thin linen cloth) into nine
gallons of must and also put in small stones so that the bundle
subsides to the bottom. After 40 days strain is and put it in
another jar.
My process was on a much
smaller scale, as I do not have the room or money necessary for 9
gallons of juice. Using 450 millilitres of grape juice, without a
chemical called sorbate which prevents fermentation, I added a
teaspoon of lavender flowers in the manner prescribed by the recipe.
Upon the advice of Mistress Muirghein ni Ghrainne, who has worked
with fermentation, I added some wine yeast to the juice as well as
the lavender. My goal is to attempt both and see which delivers the
best result.
Hildegard von Bingen, a
German Abbess in the 11th
century, catalogued many
herbal treatments in her book,
Physica. She
states
that lavender “...possesses the power of the strongest aromas and
the usefulness of the most bitter ones.
It curbs very many evil things and, because of it, malign spirits
are terrified.” Spirits in this case may refer to the
temperaments, often considered a synonym for humours.
She claimed “...whoever cooks
this [spica] lavender
in wine or, if he has no wine, honey and water, and frequently drinks
it when it is warm, will lessen the pain in his liver and lungs and
the stiffness in his chest.” In
my experience, simply adding water and herbs to honey does not allow
the full potential of the elixir to be realized. The
following method yields better results:
Warming the honey over low heat and adding the water slowly. Once
the honey has absorbed the water proceed
to add the herbs. This
process creates a uniform
consistency, making it easier to strain and
creates a smooth more
complete mixture overall.
John
Gerard, an herbalist from the mid-16th century, recommends
“The decoction of the husks and flowers drunke, openeth the
stoppings of the liver, the lungs, the mitt , the mother, the bladder
and in one worde all other inward parts, cleansing and driving forth
all evill and corrupt humours, and procureth urine."
Two
of the recipes recommend the
use of wine to create the cures. This may be to the lack of clean
water in the area, the believed restorative powers of the wine itself
or how wine is well known for its ability to absorb the medicinal
properties of herbs placed within it. Bingen's
suggestion of using honey if one did not have wine, may have been to
tap into the many benefits of honey as well as soften the heat of the
lavender.
The
heat of lavender is the very reason I have submitted it under the
theme of “Winter”. Dry air can often irritate the throat and
lungs, leading to coughs. Lavender can be harvested in the warmer
months and then kept preserved within the home. It is important to
note that all parts of the plant can be used for its volatile oil.
Using lavender during the winter months could ease much of the
discomfort brought by the cold.
Works
Cited
Clarkson, Rosetta E. Herbs: Their Culture and
Uses. New York: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1942.
Culpeper,
Nicholas. Culpeper's Medicine: A Practice of Western Holistic
Medicine.
Daisley,
Gilda. Herbs International & Illustrated. Chevprime Ltd,
1989.
Discorides.
De Materia Medica.
Gladstar,
Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's
Guide. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2012.
Kane,
Charles W. Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions. Lincoln
Town Press, 2009.
Kourik,
Robert. The Lavender Garden Beautiful Varieties to Grow and
Gather. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1998.
Laws,
Bill. Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History.
Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2010.
Lev,
Efrayim and Zohar 'Amar. Practical Materia Medica of the Medieval
Eastern Mediterranean According to the Cairo Genizah. Brill,
2008.
Paavilainen,
Helena M. Medieval Pharmacotherapy Continuity and Change: Case
Studies from Ibn Sina and Some of His Late Medieval Commentators.
Brill, 2009.
http://www.botanical.com
http://www.greekmedicine.net/Principles_of_Treatment/Herbal_Therapeutics_and_Materia_Medica.html
