EXHIBITS

Wheat Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

Barley Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

Barley Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

Oats Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

Turkie Corne Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

Wheat Uses and Rye Full page, Gerard's Herbal: The General History of Plants, Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, HATCH 39&40

The virtues of these crops all relate to healing various ailments. The multitude of cures are based on Galen's humoral medicine. The significance isn't in the type of medicine itself but in the idea that all things have healing properties. It provides people a common way of healing. Grains in particular were a staple in most Renaissance diets. This tied to the fact that they provide something beyond merely sustenance shows the people are reaching for new ways to look at what they have. It shows the continued exploration of the Renaissance.