EXHIBITS
Plants in the Renaissance: Chamomile
Chamomile
There are several varieties of Chamomile. The most essential one to address for an exhibit on plants in England is Roman Chamomile. Gerard describes it as having slender stalks. He also says that in spite of them being slender, they are stronger than other varieties of chamomile. As result, it "stands more upright." [1] The flowers have a yellow center with white petals. This description, or similar one for another plant, is what the reader of the herbal could use to identify a plant they were unfamiliar with. They could also compare a plant they had found to the one described in the book. They might do this to ensure it was the right one before they used it.
The virtues of this plant, according to Gerard, include being able to treat colic. He also says that it provokes urine and treats stones. However, he does not clarify whether he means kidney stones, bladder stones, or both.
Chamomile was sometimes used in the birthing process. They would mix it in white wine and a woman would drink it to help expel the afterbirth. A woman might also drink this mixture to help deliver a child that had died in the womb. According to Gerard, when drunk in wine, chamomile also "mightily bringeth down the monthly courses." [2]
He also writes about the benefits of the oil of chamomile. He believes that this oil is "exceedingly good against all manner of ache and pain, bruisings, shrinking of sinews, hardness, and cold swellings." [3] This shows similarities between the past and present. While most people no longer use oil of chamomile to treat pain, we do use other medicines. Many people have over-the-counter pain medicine somewhere in their homes. The problems herbals instructed people on how to treat were not new. Many of those problems are still a regular part of life today. We may address health issues differently, but medicine and wellness has been part of the human condition for far longer than modern medicine. Wanting to be comfortable and healthy is not something new.