Garlic, leeks, wine, and bile…
While that headline may read like a menu item from the latest molecular gastronomy restaurant it’s actually the ingredients of an eye salve recipe from medieval times. What’s even more interesting – it may actually have been effective.
Found in Bald’s Leechbook, a medical text from the mid 10th century, the combination of garlic, leeks, and wine (along with the bile from a cow’s stomach) was said to be ideal for getting rid of styes. The four ingredients was carefully tested in 2015 to gauge whether there was any efficacy to the claim.
After being left in a brass-lined container for nine days, the salve was tested in vitro and “found to be as effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as vancomycin, the antibiotic used for MRSA”. Now the discovery is helping scientists as they develop new drugs for hard-to-treat skin infections.
It’s a fascinating story, one that highlights just how important it is to both look to the future while keeping an eye on what’s come before.
Note: Obviously, you should not attempt to replicate the salve recipe at home. If you have eye issues, see a health professional who was born within the 20th or (perhaps) 21st century.
