tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post8659794664918115584..comments2023-10-31T07:32:11.739-04:00Comments on Wormtalk and Slugspeak: Anglo-Saxon MedicineMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07566889846240013567noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-83796792319210728452015-05-25T06:10:01.949-04:002015-05-25T06:10:01.949-04:00wine has alcohol, which will kill bacteria. Whiske...wine has alcohol, which will kill bacteria. Whiskey is even better.<br /><br />Gall has detergent action on fats, which could destroy the cell wall of germs. <br /><br />Copper is a poison that can stop cell growth. However, it might also kill living cells and stop the wound from healing, and it might be absorbed into the system and cause poisoning...Heavy metals have been used for centuries for infection, the most notorious one being mercury, which has a long history of being used for syphilitic ulcers and killing the patient (see the book Shakespeare's tremor and Orwell's cough). <br /><br />One heavy metal that works is silver, which we docs sometimes used before they found antibiotic creams to kill pseudomonas infection that killed burn patients.<br />and unlike copper, it is not very toxic if you drink it (main problem is your skin turns grey: Argyria).<br /><br />That said, there are several problems.<br /><br />One: Are they talking about using the medicine on top of an infected wound, or drinking it? If it is used as a "topical" medicine it could kill Staph aureus on the surface. Big deal. Lots of stuff will do that, from iodine to sugar. What kills you is when it gets into the blood stream.<br /><br />Now, if you "drink" gall and alcohol and garlic, no problem. Won't do much good, but the wine will make you drunk, garlic has vitamin c to help you heal, and the gall will help you digest fat. But copper? That is a poison if you drink it.<br /><br />Two: The "miracle" of penicillin and antibiotics is not that it killed germs but that it didn't kill human beings. And it could be used as a drug (injected or by mouth) to treat infections inside the whole body via the blood stream.<br /><br />why? Well, you asked for it:<br /><br />Penicillin and other "cidal" antibiotics worked by being eaten by the bacteria and weakening it's cell wall, so when it split into two, both new bacteria died.. animal cells don't have walls, so are not affected.<br /><br />Other antibiotics work on the metabolism of bacteria, and are "static", meaning they stop it from growing/dividing, so the body's own immune system can clean it up... sometimes these have a weak affect on human cells e.g. sulfa drugs and Folate metabolism, chrloramphenicol and anemia, tetracycline and green teeth. But usually the side effects are better than the alternative, i.e. being dead.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17171868717884718723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-50457475461618597952015-04-04T13:21:45.515-04:002015-04-04T13:21:45.515-04:00There's nothing like a good documented first t...There's nothing like a good documented first try to inspire a better second try.<br /><br />And nobody who's dealt with medieval recipes would be surprised that the first try at a redaction wouldn't necessarily work....Bansheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12594214770417497135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-45429814221497035932015-03-31T20:29:15.968-04:002015-03-31T20:29:15.968-04:00I'm glad you posted today, because I saw an ar...I'm glad you posted today, because I saw an article last week that made me think of your projects:<br /><br />From 2009, <a href="http://www.livescience.com/3300-dna-reveal-origins-medieval-manuscripts.html" rel="nofollow">DNA May Reveal Origins of Medieval Manuscripts</a>, reporting on work done at North Carolina State. Despite the title, the MS they were using was 15C. Have you been in touch with Tim Stinson or any of his collaborators?<br /><br /><br /><br />John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.com