Renaissance Faire

Recently, we took a trek to the Maryland Renaissance Faire.  In addition to the fun shows and jousts and good food and really attractive costumes, it provided yet another chance to learn about herbs.  

The living history section provided a glimpse into the way herbs were used to make fragrant pomanders and how the plants were distilled to make floral waters and some essential oils.   


We took a few moments to learn the top five diseases of the time, their cures and whether you lived or died.  French Pox (syphilis) was common but not survivable.  Consumption (tuberculosis) literally consumed you leading to a slow demise.  Gout common from the poor diet, was excruciatingly painful, but not lethal.  The poultice that was applied offered little relief.  Leprosy was treated with a map to the lepers colony and a walking stick to help on your journey as well as a bowl so you could catch the food offerings people would toss at you from a distance.   Finally, the plague, treated by a plague doctor in full black garb, with the patient marked with a red X, but even with treatment, lead to a quick death alas.