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Forum:	The Solar
Topic:	The Black Death.....

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T O P I C R E V I E W
toughguy12 Does anyone else know what "remedies" people used to ward off the Black Death? The only ones I know of are:
1.They used pomanders, or oranges stuck with cloves.
2.They used peeled onions.
I'd appreciate your help!
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A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan, To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
--- The Canterbury Tales
Gordon The rhyme 'ring a ring a roses' also gives a clue. Apparently 'the posies' ie bunches of flowers, were thought to keep the infection
(and the smell) at bay...but obviously it didn't work...as they all fell down. The rings of roses signify the pock marks caused by the infection. I've also read of garlic having been used in the same way.
Levan One of the main "remedies" to the black death and other sickness was isolation. Sometimes whole communities would be cut off - even to the point of starvation - people were very understandably terrified of catching the plague.
There is a pretty horific example of this in Edinburgh. There is a street, now underground (more-or-less beneath the Royal Mile leading up to the castle) called Mary King's Close where black death victims of mid 1600s were reputedly sealed-in until they died.
You can still take part in organised visit to this row of dwellings today, which now displays a number of petrified objects such as dolls, whch have been left over more recent centuries(best by candle-light during haloween for real "spooky" value).
http://www.ebs.hw.ac.uk/MaryKing/haunted.htm
[This message has been edited by Levan (edited 04-25-2002).]
levanne And another example of a community voluntarily isolating itself is Eyam in Derbyshire. There the whole village cut itself off and other communities left food for them outside the village . The descendants of those who survived have been found to carry a gene which is thought to help protect against the modern 'plague'-the AIDS virus.
Peter The recent series on U.K. television on the Plague & fire of London. Mentioned all these items. Reenactment of a medieval street where the plague started was excellent. In woodcuts we see pictures of people wearing strange animal like masks.
These were depicted in the series. The snouts of the masks were stuffed with various herbs, to cut down the risk of infection.
One of the educational sites has some good pictures on this. I pulled it all off for my grandaughter who was doing a project. She also visted the local libary, and made up a very good folio.
As an 11-year old she now knows more about it than I do !
toughguy12 Thanks!
------------------
A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan, To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
--- The Canterbury Tales
Lili BBC series " A History of Britain" by Peter Schama provides a recipe:
5 cups of rue (?) for a man but leave out the rue for a woman
5 little blades of columbine
A great quantity of marigold flowers
An egg that is newly laid and make a hole in one end and blow out all that is within
Lay it to the fire and roast it but do not burn it
Brew all these herbs with a good ale but do not strain them
And make the sick drink it for three evenings and mornings
If they hold it in their stomach they shall have life
Peter Rue;
a somewhat bitter herb. And one of the Bible herbs I think.
We have it outside our side-door, on the herb rockery. Quite pugnent, and can infuse the air on a warm damp morning.
About the only use I put it to is a 'little' finely chopped on a cheese sarnie/buttie etc. Silver green in colour, with pretty shaped leaves, a little like small shamrocks. Can be used as a blood-cleanser etc.
toughguy12 Another "remedy" that I know is that the rich ground precious stones (diamonds, rubyies, emeralds, etc.) and swallowed them to ward off the plague.
------------------
A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan, To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
--- The Canterbury Tales