A Medicinal History of … Dropsy

Dropsy can be seen in literature, biographies and historical articles as an ailment of the rich and poor alike. But what was it? Dropsy is an antiquated term for oedema being a collection of fluid stuck and building up inside body tissues and cavities such as the peritoneal space in the abdomen (ascites). Oedma appeared …

A Medicinal History of … Tisane

Ancient medicinal and food crop - Barley. Drawing by Fauget (1867), Histoire de Plantes The word Tisane is derived from the Ancient Greek ptisane which developed into the French tisane meaning medicinal tea and today known as a herbal tea. Under the Syrian Arab Republic, tisane is recognised as a pharmaceutical method of administering herbs …

A Medicinal History of … Poultice

Charcoal Poultice. Image courtesy of Paul Simpson [Flickr], detail available from How to Make an Activated Charcoal Poultice Poultices, also known as fomentations and cataplasms, have been used since ancient times. A preparation of various warm herbs, plants, foodstuffs in a cloth packet, usually a bandage of some description, would be laid directly over the …