Herbal Medicine in the Black Plague

The discovery of holistic medicine used to cure ailments, both physically and mentally, has taken millennia to develop across countless cultures and eras. Depending on the environment and ecosystem does the discovery differ of potent herbs, spices, fruits, and more to build elixirs and potions meant to cure anything from condemnation to a stubbed toe. This project will specifically be looking at the remedies formulated by ancient healers and doctors to combat the black death killing off millions of Europeans. To start, a briefing on the history of how herbalism became the prominent use of medicine in Europe before modern scientific advancements will be acknowledged. 

Specifically, herbalism in the middle ages Europe consisted of the accumulation of knowledge on holistic medicine from centuries of travel and trade before the thirteenth century. For over five thousand years, different societies have simultaneously begun the usage of plants for cures. The knowledge of European doctors at the time came from the dispersion of Greco-Roman culture after the abrupt dissipation of the subsequent empires.

Three leaders in classical medicine Dioscorides, a philosopher from the first century CE, Galen, a doctor from the second-century middle ages, Hippocrates, a famous physician in the early century Greece, developed much of the information that inspired medical thought in the thirteenth century. Each has written a medical text, Hippocrates writing the Hippocratic Corpus, De Materia Medica of Dioscorides, and Galen writing over twenty thousand pages in therapeutic work, concentrating on the four humors of the body: blood, bile, phlegm, and water. "Approximately 130 medicinal substances are mentioned in the Hippocratic corpus, the majority of the herbs" (Francia, 34). Each of the philosophers material centralizing around the body and digestion and the use of medicinal herbs to keep the body in alignment with the cosmos. Scientific knowledge was based on the body in connection with the earth and the universe and the environment surrounding the human. "Nature was considered an intelligent and healing power… which could be comprehended and harnessed" (Francia, 61). Culturally, herbs and spices were heavily used as commodities for the wealthy to show division of class. However, the use of herbs was much more vital than for culinary use. Herbs and plants during Roman times were used to save lives and cure illnesses. Gardens became central to Roman society not just for culinary advancement but for scientific medical advancements.

As the Romans took over the Greek empire and thus expanded, eventually controlling large portions of Europe, the knowledge came with them as well. Across Europe, trade became a significant influence on herbs being grown as various seeds became available to different parts of Europe. Plants like black nightshade, antimicrobials such as myrrh and Commiphora, and frankincense and thyme. Throughout the medieval period, medicinal information was sought and repeatedly copied from past Greco-roman texts that were dispersed throughout different kingdoms. As time went on, the integration of roman health values was taken on by Medieval Europe. As ancient Christianity began to formulate into modern Christianity and in 476 C.E when the Roman empire began to disassemble as the power shifted to the church, so did knowledge. 

As Christianity began to dominate Europe during the 300s, it began to collect information on healing and the natural sciences left from the Romans. As most of the texts were written in ancient Latin and during the middle ages, Europe was split into many kingdoms without a unifying language; few were intelligent enough to translate the works. It was challenging to transmit knowledge from one person to another, especially experience in health. However, due to the economic advantage of the church, many monks were trained classically in Latin and other scientific languages. Monks were also isolated within monasteries as well, isolated to focus on work and to worship in peace. All over Western Europe, various monasteries began to accumulate knowledge on herbal medicine, copying Roman and Greek manuscripts for over 500 years carrying on the ideology and research of herbalism. The transition of the thinking of herbology from Roman views to Christian was the creation of herbal medicine stemmed from the Lord. 

Within monasteries, Monks began to have gardens and practice herbalism, soon becoming the leaders in medical care and helping communities through philanthropy. Monks began to write Medieval herbals, a book about herbs and plants concerning pharmacological and scientific data (Evaluating the Content of Medieval Herbals).

The bubonic plague or better known as the black plague was at its height over Europe from 1347-1350, killing an estimated 20 million people in roughly three years was the first killer in a population due to the formation of firmly built cities and increasing trade between societies. Originating in China and traveling on trade boats to the ports of Florence, the plague settled in Europe and stuck around for centuries without an official cure. The disease spread to humans by fleas on the backs of rodents such as the rat and eventually gerbils.

Today the black plague has been recognized as Yersinia Pestis, a bacterial disease. Working swiftly, the plague spread through the air and was inhaled or spread through blood is ingested through the lungs or can be transferred by a flea or rodent via a bite. Bites were common as newly formed cities increased the lack of hygiene in close quarters.

Symptoms of the black plague came on rapidly. The bacterium instantly after inhalation injected toxins into the defense cells of the immune system. Quickly the body's lymph-nodes swell up with puss and blood to the size of an egg, even the size of an apple. These buboes were the defining symptom of the plague, not known as the lymph-nodes yet. Other symptoms were nausea, diarrhea, fever, weakness, abdominal pain, and bleeding from orifices. Victims coughed and sweated massively dying within three days, sometimes even less than 24 hours to being diagnosed. During this time of such high mortality rates, Europe sought advice from the most knowledgeable and was desperate for a cure. Putting their faith in the Lord's work, which was the creation of herbalism to cure the plague,“and God said: Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed”(Genesis 1:29).

While little is known on the remedies used during the Black Plague due to no breakthroughs in slowing the disease and such fast death turnover, there were a few folklores used for prevention. The black plague was a time of desperation, with a large portion of the population turning to monks for cures to plague. While Europe was looking for the Lord's answers, Monks were consulting their Greek and Roman manuscripts to search for the cure. Monks sought to align the four humors of the body in the time of the plague as it would be a preventative measure to keep the body in harmony as to not get affected. Some of the preventative measures were to carry sweet smelling herbs around clearing the evil air around the person(Jones, 162). Other preventative measures were to clean out the kidneys and livers with garlic from the garden or lavender and chamomile teas to calm the stomach bile. A more folkloric cure the Four Thieves vinegar, a combination of wormwood, sage, rosemary, cloves, and vinegar. The vinegar was meant to be a preventative measure to be rubbed behind the ears and under the nose. Mythology says it was discovered when grave robbers invented it to rob black death victims and they survived exposure.(Plaguesage.com). 

However, for saving victims, Monks had a difficult time as the death was swift and extremely painful. One folklore in particular became of big use, King Mithridates had an antidote for poison later used for the plague, this folkloric cure traveled throughout history. The ultimate “extract included over 50 plants and was mixed with opium forming a paste”(Pain,1). This plant remedy was a cure all and became excitedly used throughout Europe, being made in Venice, during the black plague (Pain,1). Opium derived from the poppy plant in the garden contributing to numbing to ease death. Some monks prescribed baths of calming herbs like lavender, musk mallow, lesser periwinkle and rosewater was supposed to suppress the lesions. Rosewater was held in high revere in christianity as it symbolized God’s fruit and the innocence of beauty, materially was used because of natural antimicrobial properties and help with healing buboes. Willow bark was given to patients as a pain reliever as well as giving large doses of valerian to induce lengthy sleep before death.  

Almost every herbal remedy was given to victims of the plague. Yarrow, the most revered herb in the garden was the cure all for most ailments. A pain reliever and fever reducer yarrow still did not cure the plague. Monks however, progressed and used herbs in accordance with surgery, entering many of the medicinal herbs directly into the organs of the body, especially English Walwort (Jones,167). Oils made by taking flowers and plants and mixing with these highly sought olive oil, heating them in the sun for twenty days, and then dousing the buboes was a common treatment as well (Jones,170). However, by 1351 over 60 percent of the European population was killed off even with extensive use of medical knowledge.

"I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it" (Genesis, 1:29)

During the plague in 1347, the church had already established its extensive knowledge on material of the natural world and order. With increasing fear of the disease and lack of information on the plague many turned to the church for a cure. With Europe at a weakened state and half the population dead as well as agricultural production down much of Europe turned to the church as a solution and absolution from the plague. While the Lord sent down the plague to kill sinners the Lord also gave herbal medicine as a way to combat the evil. Even though there was no cure during the plague Europeans had confidence in Christianity to save them from death. Monasteries and monks did all they could with the knowledge that had received and while their was no solution the weakened state of Europe had no one else to turn to as the only other options were experimental surgeries or death.