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There is one medication still is usage that dates to the Middle Ages(probably 15th or 16th century). To my knowledge it is the oldest medication still in use. Compound Tincture of Benzoin has had about 300 names thru the centuries. Some of the old names are, Balsam of the Holy Victorious Knight, Wound Elixir, Turlington's Drops, Balsam of Life,Saint Victor's Balsam,Friar's Balsam and many others. It was claimed that it would cure any wound that did not reach the heart. Nowdays it is used in sports under adhesive bandages, as an inhalant in vaporizers and to treat mouth ulcers
I just read about the herbal medicines used during these times. Even anesthesia was used for major surgeries (like amputations :o). There's some recipes for baldness and indigestion if anyone's interested. Let me know if it works for you, cause I ain't trying it! ;DFunny thing, my book doesn't even refer to these times as the Dark Ages. I wonder why they were ever called that. It seemed pretty lively and as Phid said, a lot of preservation in writing and emphasis on education. Was this the time of the first books?
I just read about the herbal medicines used during these times. Even anesthesia was used for major surgeries (like amputations :o). There's some recipes for baldness and indigestion if anyone's interested. Let me know if it works for you, cause I ain't trying it! ;DFunny thing, my book doesn't even refer to these times as the Dark Ages. I wonder why they were ever called that. It seemed pretty lively and as Phid said, a lot of preservation in writing and emphasis on education. Was this the time of the first books?
Gutenberg's press mass produced the first “books” but before then manuscripts were copiously copied by scribes and monks.
Ski, there was a thread on here a while ago where we talked about the “Dark” Ages being not-so-dark, and I believe the term was coined by Italian humanists during the Renaissance. Of course if you think you are capturing the essence of the classical minds of antiquity that you think has been lost for a thousand years or more, you might think that your immediate predecessors were ignorant. At least, this is probably along the lines of what they thought. I think Donnie had a good list of the popular figures during the Dark Ages in that same thread.
