On the spikenard of the ancients / By Charles Hatchett.

  • Charles Hatchett
Date:
[1836]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the spikenard of the ancients / By Charles Hatchett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/36 page 6
    other aromatic vgeetables, this would be a great recommendation to the ancients, as its virtues would be more durable, and they were not acquainted with the method of collecting Essential Oils being ignorant of the art of distillation yet after this remark. Sir Gilbert goes on to mention a circumstance which proves that the Oil of Spikenard was well known to the ancients, for having mentioned the names of Celsus and of Galen, he observes “that the first occasion on which the latter (Galen) was called to attend Marcus Aurelius, was when that Emperor was severely afflicted with an acute complaint in the bowels, answering by description to what we now call cholera morbus, and the first remedy he applied was warm Oleum Nardinum on wool to the stomach ; he was so successful in the treatment of this illness, that he ever afterwards enjoyed the highest favor and confidence of the Emperor.” At the present time, the natives of that part of India where it is known, not only regard the Oil as a valuable external remedy, but likewise consider the plant to be highly efficacious in fevers when given internally, for which purpose (according to Mr. Blane of Lucknow) they infuse about a dram of it in a pint of hot water with a small quantity of black pepper ; this infusion serves for one dose, and is to be repeated three times during the day. It is esteemed a powerful medicine in all kinds of fevers whether continued or intermittent.* The odour of the plant is so powerful, that although camels will eat almost any vegetable, yet they will not browse on this, nor will insects approach the Oil, which is highly fragrant. The perfume of the Ointment is thus described by St. John (Chap. 12 Verse 3) “ Then took Mary a pound of Ointment of Spikenard very costly * A considerable part of this little tract, as far as concerned the history of Spikenard, was expressly written by the author for that most excellent woman the Right Honorable Lavinia late Countess Spencer, and the manuscript (now probably at Althorp) was presented to her Ladyship in February 1831.
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