Herbs Gallery

Persian pharmacy, 13th century artwork

Persian pharmacy. 13th century Arabic artwork entitled The Preparation of Medicine from Honey'. This image was produced in Baghdad, Iraq, whilst it was still part of the Persian Empire. It is from a 1224 Arabic translation of the manuscript De Materia Medica, written by the ancient Greek physician Dioscurides (c.40-c.90 AD), in which he described herbs and herbal remedies. A doctor can be seen stirring the medicine in a large bowl over an open fire (centre), while the large pots (urns) used to store it are at top

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Plague doctor, France, 18th century

Plague doctor. Artwork of the clothing used by doctors during plague outbreaks. This design, though in use much earlier, is from The Great Plague of Marseilles, France, in 1720. The plague (or Black Death) affected Europe from the 1340s to the 1700s. It is thought to have been bubonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and spread by fleas on rats. This outbreak, one of the largest in Europe in the early 18th century, killed over 100, 000 people. The costume's beaked bronze mask contained aromatic herbs. This reduced the smell for the doctor and the limited airflow through holes in the beak reduced exposure to "bad air". Gloves and a heavily oiled undergarment and cloak were also designed to reduce exposure. 19th century artwork by Daumier, published in Devils, Drugs and Doctors (London, 1929)

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

paeony hand coloured woodcut

16th century, watercolor, hand painted woodcutting print of a peony or paeony plant from Leonhart Fuchs book of herbs: De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes Published in Basel in 1542 The original manuscript this image is taken from shows signs of water damage

© PhotoStock-Israel

1209639446, 16th, Flowers, Fuchs, Hand Painted, Herbal, Herbs, Sixteenth, Sketching