In the year 1488 a very strange little girl was born in a cottage by the Dropping Well at Knaresborough, in Yorkshire. She had a long, hooked nose and a turned-up chin, and her eyes were like the eyes of a wise old woman.
She was sent to school only once, it's said, and then showed the schoolmistress that there was no need to teach her the alphabet, for she at once read off, with the greatest of ease, the most learned books that could be found in the parish. But she didn't show her most interesting talents until she was married to Toby Shipton. Then, one of her friends lost a new smock and petticoat, and came to her for help.
"Go to the market cross next market day at noon," said Mother Shipton, "and you will see what you will see."...
[Originally published in COYOTE - ©2005 by Mimi Riser]
All rights reserved.
11:26 PM
"Heroic Medicine" was a medieval Frankish, kill-or-cure system of healing (and I use the term loosely) that was once frighteningly popular. Literally frightening.
As explained in Flowers in the Blood (by Dean Latimer and Jeff Goldberg): "Their [the physicians'] techniques were rooted in the notion that the way to exorcise one set of afflictions from a patient's body was to subject it to a considerably more violent set of afflictions. The heroics were entirely on the part of the patient: for even the mildest ailments, one could expect to be bled, leeched, cupped, blistered, amputated, sweated, trepanned, scourged, purged and flayed to a fare-thee-well... In most cases, it was useless, of course, and downright lethal in many, yet its tenets remained broadly accepted for nearly a millennium."
To give you an up-close-and-personal view of what came to be called "heroic medicine," here's a scintillating eyewitness account by a 12th century Arab doctor, who had been called in to consult with a European colleague....
[Originally published in NATURAL STUFF - ©2002 by Mimi Riser]
All rights reserved.
~*~
11:31 PM
Lately there has been much talk, both in and out of the holistic community, regarding the libido-strengthening properties of herbs. Perhaps you’ve been hearing some of the buzz and wondering if there’s any truth to it. Well, possibly there is.
Muira puama (traditionally known as “potency wood”), damiana, ginkgo, ginseng, maca, and yohimbe, to name several, have been used as aphrodisiacs for centuries in cultures around the world. And, while all the votes aren’t in yet, modern studies are beginning to indicate that some herbs may indeed be effective in boosting arousal or treating certain forms of sexual dysfunction. For instance, yohimbine (an extract from the bark of the West African yohimbe tree, which increases blood flow to the penis) was approved by the FDA as a prescription treatment for erection problems even before Viagra was.
You don't need a prescription, however, for most natural aphrodisiacs. You don't even need a trip to the health-food store. As a matter of fact, four of the most time honored "love herbs" are probably sitting in your kitchen spice rack right now...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
[Originally published in SUITE - ©2005 by Mimi Riser]
All rights reserved.
11:00 PM
January, 2007
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