plant
Elder
Elder as a plant people have named and used. Door tree, berry dark, hedge elder — one living kind, not a single symbol.
Elder is used in Medicine.
Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica lists elder (akte) among purgative and cooling plant drugs. A named elder in that handbook, not a folk-flute dump alone and not a witches’-tree dump.
from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE
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Elder is used in Beer.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, elder buds are taken with other spring herbs and boiled in ordinary beer — beer is the boil vehicle for those elder buds.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Elder is associated with Barley.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, the patient is caused to drink plentifully of barley-water, elder-flower-tea, or any other soft pectoral infusions — elder sits with that barley drink.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is associated with Orpiment.
In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, orpiment is mixed with indigo or manisc, or with juice of the elder, to fill in a drapery — elder juice mixes with that orpiment.
from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century
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Elder is historically related to Vinegar.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, vinegar of elder flowers is made after the same manner as rose vinegar, by long infusion in the sun — elder is infused into that vinegar.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Elder is historically related to Wine.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, Dr. Butler’s manuscript for dropsy boils dwarf elder in white wine and drinks the decoction — elder is boiled into that wine.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Elder is historically related to Honey.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, a person recovering from extreme cold may drink an infusion of elder flowers sweetened with honey — elder is sweetened into that honeyed drink.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is historically related to Bread.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, a bruise poultice is made by boiling crumb of bread, elder-flowers, and camomile-flowers in equal quantities of vinegar and water — elder is boiled with that bread poultice.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is historically related to Poppy.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, an anodyne fomentation boils white poppy-heads with elder flowers in water — the elder is boiled with that poppy.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is historically related to Whey.
In Buchan Domestic Medicine, measles drink lists infusions of elder flowers with clarified whey among the suitable liquors - elder infusion sits with that whey.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is historically related to Cinnamon.
In Dunglison’s Medical Lexicon, Bouchardat’s sarsaparilla syrup compounds sarsaparilla and senna with aniseed, cinnamon, syrup of elder, sugar, and water.
from Robley Dunglison · Medical Lexicon, 1874 (and earlier PD eds.)
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Elder is historically related to Lime.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, Cob’s powder is taken every three hours in a cup of the infusion of lime-tree and elder-flowers.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Elder is historically related to Milk.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, elder leaves are good fodder for kine to make them give more milk; bruised elder buds boiled with other spring herbs in beer are also drunk as a draught.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Peach is used in Elder.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, the peach-and-cherry kernel muscadel receipt also takes a handful of elder flowers before the gentle distillation — elder flowers sit in the same closed pot with the kernels.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Cherry is used in Elder.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, cherry-stone kernels are distilled with elder flowers in muscadel — elder flowers enter the same stone-easing distillate as the cherry kernels.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Fig is historically related to Elder.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, to promote gum suppuration a toasted fig is held between gum and cheek, and bags filled with boiled camomile-flowers or flowers of elder may be applied near the part — fig is set with that elder fomentation.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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Fennel is historically related to Elder.
In Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, the common decoction boils elder flowers with sweet fennel seeds in water — fennel shares that boil with elder.
from William Buchan · Domestic Medicine, 1791 (12th ed.; Gutenberg #74359)
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sources
- De Materia Medica · Pedanius Dioscorides
Dioscorides, De Materia Medica.
- The English Physician · Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician (Complete Herbal).
- Domestic Medicine · William Buchan
William Buchan, Domestic Medicine (12th ed., 1791).
- On Divers Arts · Theophilus Presbyter
Theophilus, On Divers Arts (De diversis artibus / Schedula diversarum artium).
- Medical Lexicon · Robley Dunglison
Robley Dunglison, Medical Lexicon (Dictionary of Medical Science).