The balsam of Matariyya: an exploration of a medieval panacea

Milwright, Marcus

doi:10.1017/s0041977x03000119

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Another center of production of the apharsemon was developed later in the Coptic Church garden in Matariyya, Egypt (Milwright 2003 ). The dating of this place is not well documented, but the pricing of the resin was double its weight in gold.…”

Section: Apharsemon Production In Matariyya Egyptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A special formulation of myrrh is the mithridatum, a poison antidote containing myrrh, named after King Mithradates (fi rst century BCE ) who was terrifi ed of being poisoned or falling sick, and took a dose of strengthening antidote daily (Milwright 2003 ). The mithridatum is based on a mixture described by Theophrastus, called megalium, a sweet-smelling potion containing myrrh to relieve wounds.…”

Section: Myrrhmentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED CHAPTER: Apharsemon, Myrrh and Olibanum: Ancient Medical Plants

Ben-Yehoshua

Hanŭs

2014

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World

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Among the most reputed ancient medical plants were the: olibanumfrankincense, derived from Boswellia spp., myrrh, derived from Commiphoras spp., both from southern Arabia and the Horn of Africa, and apharsemon of Judea, derived from Commiphora gileadensis that had its origin also in these territories. The demand for these medical plants that were also important spices was met by scarce and limited sources of supply. The incense trade and trade routes were developed to carry this precious cargo over long distances through many countries to the important foreign markets of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The export of the frankincense and myrrh made Arabia extremely wealthy, so much so that Theophrastus, Strabo, and Pliny all referred to it as Felix (fortunate) Arabia . At present, this export hardly exists, and the spice trade has declined to around 1,500 t, coming mainly from Somalia; both Yemen and Saudi Arabia import rather than export these frankincense and myrrh.Apharsemon, known also as the Judaean balsam, grew only around the Dead Sea Basin in antiquity and achieved fame by its highly reputed aroma and medical properties but has been extinct in this area for many centuries. The resin of this crop was sold, by weight, at a price twice that of gold, the highest price ever paid for an agricultural commodity. This crop was an important source of income for the many rulers of ancient Judea; the farmers' guild that produced the apharsemon survived over 1,000 years. Currently there is interest in a revival based on related plants of similar origin. These three ancient plants now are under investigation in many countries for medicinal uses. Many publications and patents on these three plants appeared in recent years.

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Section: Apharsemon Production In Matariyya Egyptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Myrrhmentioning

confidence: 99%

RETRACTED CHAPTER: Apharsemon, Myrrh and Olibanum: Ancient Medical Plants

Ben-Yehoshua

Hanŭs

2014

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World

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“…10 Drvo balsam se u kontekstu medicine pominje od III veka pre n. e., njegova smola je bila cenjena u arapskom svetu kao sredstvo u lečenju bolesti disajnih organa, jetre, paralize, vrtoglavice, u Evropi takođe za snižavanje temperature, čak i protiv kuge; posebnu vrednost i arapski pisci daju smoli iz uske oblasti kod svetog izvora u Matariji (Heliopolis, deo današnjeg Kaira), a u hrišćanskom svetu je zbog veze tog mesta i svete porodice, postaje dragocenost za spravljanje svetog ulja, za miropomazanje i balsamovanje, a zbog ograničene dostupnosti van vladarskih i crkvenih krugova, samo u ograničenoj meri u medicini (Milwright 2003).…”

Section: Svetlost Nauke?unclassified

Mummy – Body, Antiquity, or Medicine?

Vasiljević

Babić²

2017

EAP / IEA

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Apstrakt:Uporedo sa zanimanjem i divljenjem za egipatske starine, u renesansnoj Evropi zabeležen je i običaj izrade lekovitog praha nastalog mrvljenjem mumija i namenjenog isceljenju od brojnih bolesti. Primeri ove prakse poznati su sve do početka XX veka. Uverenje o blagotvornom dejstvu ove supstance u tesnoj je vezi sa poverenjem u vesti iz antičkih i arapskih izvora, i moglo je biti ojačano idejama o mističnoj mudrosti drevnih Egipćana, koje se protežu kroz celu evropsku istoriju i sežu sve do antičkih Grka. Međutim, ovaj konkretni primer na upečatljiv način pokreće pitanje različitih načina na koji shvatamo i klasifikujemo materijalne ostatke prošlosti. U slučaju egipatske mumije, radi se o ljudskom telu koje je pripremljeno za zagrobni život na kulturno specifičan način. Recepcija starog Egipta u kasnijim epohama obavila je praksu mumifikovanja, kao i druge aspekte ove kulture, mističnim velom koji je zaklonio originalnu prirodu materijalizovanog traga. Ljudsko telo -ekofakt, podvrgnuto ritualizovanom tretmanu, postalo je stoga jedna od najupečatljivijih starina -artefakt, čije je posedovanje obezbeđivalo simbolički društveni prestiž. U isto vreme, upravo zbog svoje kulturne pripadnosti shvaćeno je i kao izvor sasvim konkretne dobrobiti -izlečenja, poput prirodnih tvari kao što su neke biljke ili rogovi životinja. Ovaj izuzetan primer slikovito ukazuje na poroznost razvrstavanja materijalnih tragova prošlosti u kategorije prirodno/ kulturno, artefakt/ekofakt, koje dalje vodi u specijalizovane i često nedovoljno integrisane arheološke interpretacije.Ključne reči: mumifikovanje, ljudsko telo, ekofakt/ artefakt, recepcija antike * Rad je nastao na osnovu izlaganja na konferenciji "Srpska arheologija između teorije i činjenica V -Arheologija između artefakta i ekofakta", održanoj aprila 2017. godine u organizaciji Centra za teorijsku arheologiju Odeljenja za arheologiju Filozofskog fakulteta u Beogradu i predstavlja rezultat rada na projektima Gradski život u antici: ekspanzija gradova i urbane civilizacije na Bakanu i u susednim oblastima od helenističkog do pozno rimskog perioda (br.177005) i Arheološka kultura i identitet na zapadnom Balkanu (br. 17708), koje finansira Ministarstvo nauke i tehnološkog razvoja Republike Srbije.

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“…Commiphoraglieadensis) is a member of large and commonly utilized plant family known as "Burseraceae", which is a resinous family comprising, among others, the biblical frankincense and myrrh. C. opobalsamum has a distinctive and famous odour and it is known in the society as "Al-besham", "Balsam", "Balessan" and "Balsam of Mecca" (Miller and Morris, 1988;Williamson et al, 1996;Wood, 1997;Milwright, 2001;Milwright, 2003;Gupta et al, 2006;Iluz et al, 2010;Amiel et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They utilize its twigs for tooth brushing, and they make tea from its leaves as well as they eat its fruits. C. opobalsamum was used to treat the disease of chest, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and to offer symptomatic relief in rheumatism (Milwright, 2001;Milwright, 2003;Sultana and Saeed, 2012). In addition, it is also used in case of common colds, in the treatment of ear aches, and the application of desiccated bark on wounds to act as an antiseptic, whereas ground balsam bark in its tincture form is utilized for the treatment of skin disorders like eczema and inflammation, additionally it is accredited for impressive relief of labor pains (Abdul-Ghani and Amin, 1997;Gupta et al, 2006;Sultana and Saeed, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative study of analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Commiphora opobalsamum with diclofenac in rodents

Al-Salmi¹,

Sattar²,

Khan³

et al. 2015

Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.

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This study aims to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Commiphora opobalsamum in rodents in comparison with diclofenac, and its ability to enhance the activity of diclofenac in reduced doses. Wister rats or Swiss mice (5 groups/ 6 each) were administered methalonic extract of C. opobalsamum, saline and diclofenac 30 min before the test initiation by i.p. route. The analgesic activities were examined utilizing the acetic acid, hot plate and formalin paw lick techniques. The anti-inflammatory efficacy was examined by utilizing the granuloma induced by cotton pelletand paw edema induced by carrageenan C. opobalsamum demonstrated a stronger inhibition of writhing compared to diclofenac, and the 500 mg/kg dose completely inhibited the writhing response. In hot plate, C. opobalsamum co-administrated with diclofenac exhibited significant prolongation of reaction time compared to diclofenac alone. Furthermore, C. opobalsamum (500 mg/kg) significantly shortens the licking time compared to diclofenac at both phases. In addition, the suppression of paw edema induced by carrageenan was significant in comparison to diclofenac at first hour. Interestingly, significant weight reduction of granuloma tissue was perceived at all doses of C. opobalsamum in contrast to control group. This study provides a strong evidence of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of extract of C. opobalsamum, additionally it has revealed significant anti-inflammatory effect, equivalent to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Moreover, the combination of reduced doses of C. opobalsamum and diclofenac with resultant synergistic potentiation of both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, necessitates a cautious approach to elucidate its mechanism with the concomitant meticulous study of its safety profile.

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The balsam of Matariyya: an exploration of a medieval panacea

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

RETRACTED CHAPTER: Apharsemon, Myrrh and Olibanum: Ancient Medical Plants

RETRACTED CHAPTER: Apharsemon, Myrrh and Olibanum: Ancient Medical Plants

Mummy – Body, Antiquity, or Medicine?

Comparative study of analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Commiphora opobalsamum with diclofenac in rodents

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