Drug Trade
February 3, 2005 1:08 PM Subscribe
Therapy, pharmacy, and commerce in early-modern Europe Drug Trade is an exhibition of 16C-18C drug jars at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford. "Marrysh mallowe, soden in wyne or mede, or brused and laid on by it selfe, is good for woundes, for hard kynelles, swellynges, and wennes, for the burnyng and swelling behynd the eares ... & it will ease the payne of ye tethe."
Wierd.
The last line about "ye teeth" is either a mss-transliteration or a mistake of the author, and I'd be curious to know which. "Ye" is not supposed to be a word in English. It was an eth followed by and 'e:'ðe (I don't know if that will work on your end, it sort of like a curly 'd' with a cross bar on the riser, like a partial differentiation '?' with a bar, kind of). Sign painters were often illiterate, and as the eth became less common in English, didn't know what it was and mistook it for a 'y.' Hence "Ye Old Pub" which is just a mistake for "The Old Pub" written as "ðe Old Pub."
posted by teece at 1:52 PM on February 3, 2005
The last line about "ye teeth" is either a mss-transliteration or a mistake of the author, and I'd be curious to know which. "Ye" is not supposed to be a word in English. It was an eth followed by and 'e:'ðe (I don't know if that will work on your end, it sort of like a curly 'd' with a cross bar on the riser, like a partial differentiation '?' with a bar, kind of). Sign painters were often illiterate, and as the eth became less common in English, didn't know what it was and mistook it for a 'y.' Hence "Ye Old Pub" which is just a mistake for "The Old Pub" written as "ðe Old Pub."
posted by teece at 1:52 PM on February 3, 2005
And I am, of course, an idiot. I thought it was trying to say "the teeth" but of course it was trying to say "your teeth." Ye was a pronoun. Duh.
I am going to try marsh mellows on my teeth, to see if I see the benefit.
posted by teece at 2:05 PM on February 3, 2005
I am going to try marsh mellows on my teeth, to see if I see the benefit.
posted by teece at 2:05 PM on February 3, 2005
Yeah, teece, I'm with you. Probably best to use a dessert wyne like a Riesling.
posted by laurenbove at 2:51 PM on February 3, 2005
posted by laurenbove at 2:51 PM on February 3, 2005
Just be careful it doesn't purgeth downewarde. I hate it when that happens.
posted by taz at 3:03 PM on February 3, 2005
posted by taz at 3:03 PM on February 3, 2005
I'm having bad High School Chaucer flashbacks.
Middle English isn't a language, it's a curse. Damn their teutonically inspired hides.
*shudderes*
posted by JGreyNemo at 3:24 PM on February 3, 2005
Middle English isn't a language, it's a curse. Damn their teutonically inspired hides.
*shudderes*
posted by JGreyNemo at 3:24 PM on February 3, 2005
Interesting. I'm in Oxford but I've never been to the History of Science Museum. I really should go one of these days..
posted by salmacis at 4:21 PM on February 3, 2005
posted by salmacis at 4:21 PM on February 3, 2005
I wonder what the pharmacist would recommend for riftes of the fundament?
posted by arse_hat at 9:58 PM on February 3, 2005
posted by arse_hat at 9:58 PM on February 3, 2005
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I know what's going on my Valentine's Day card!
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