Roman treatment of migraine headaches

[M. Porcius Cato]

From today's NYT:

 

In ancient Rome, patients with unbearable head pain were sometimes treated with jolts from the electricity-producing black torpedo fish, or electric ray.

 

Scribonius Largus, physician to Emperor Claudius, was a staunch advocate of the remedy.

[Pertinax]

What an entertaining post!

 

The electromagnetic therapy market (for all sorts of treatment) is going ballistic at present. So once again our noble forbears were ahead of the game.Perhaps the sluggish overfed Senatorial elite neeeded a good jolt to get them digesting properly?

 

The commonplace Roman remedy for migraine is of course Achillea millefollium-known as "Nosebleed" though it has many common names-Yarrow is the one most members will be familiar with. This is more because of its haemostatic properties [along with painkilling actions (salicylic acid-asprin as synthesised),and eugenol which is a type of anaesthetic] than any property relating to aiding digestion.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=217

 

The problem is usually an inability to ingest certain types of carbohydrates-the Italians have an elegant solution antipasta and pasta -keep your protein and carbs apart for a little while.

[Andrew Dalby]

What an entertaining post!

 

The electromagnetic therapy market (for all sorts of treatment) is going ballistic at present. So once again our noble forbears were ahead of the game.Perhaps the sluggish overfed Senatorial elite neeeded a good jolt to get them digesting properly?

 

The commonplace Roman remedy for migraine is of course Achillea millefollium-known as "Nosebleed" though it has many common names-Yarrow is the one most members will be familiar with. This is more because of its haemostatic properties [along with painkilling actions (salicylic acid-asprin as synthesised),and eugenol which is a type of anaesthetic] than any property relating to aiding digestion.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=217

 

The problem is usually an inability to ingest certain types of carbohydrates-the Italians have an elegant solution antipasta and pasta -keep your protein and carbs apart for a little while.

 

My younger daughter suffered from migraine as a child. It took us a while to work out why, but eventually we found that she never got it any more if she never ate cherries or anything containing cherry flavouring. Is that a known causal agent? I never came across it in ancient texts, I know that!

[Pantagathus]

I suffer from 'migranes' and notice they always follow a night of heavy drinking...

[Pertinax]

AD, the kernels and pips in the Cherry fruit are potentially high in Cyanide-several members of the rosaceae family (which includes apples and plums) have this potential. One can easily surmise why this might cause a migraine-an adult consuming very small doses would actually benefit , any intestinal parasites would suffer badly.

 

Dear Members please do not rush out and make a paste from the various kernels , a sudden rash of Senatorial fatalities would be too obvious.

 

 

From CUP "Evaluation of Antidotes" series (1993):

 

 

" Cyanide is found in foodstuffs such as cabbage, spinach, and

almonds, and as amygdalin in apple pips, peach, plum, cherry, and

almond kernels. In the kernels themselves, amygdalin seems to be

completely harmless as long as it is relatively dry. However, the

seeds contain an enzyme that is capable of catalysing the following

hydrolytic reaction when the seeds are crushed and moistened:

 

C20H27NO11 + 2H2O --> 2C6H12O6 + C6H5CHO + HCN

 

amygdalin glucose benzaldehyde hydrogen

cyanide

 

The reaction is slow in acid but rapid in alkaline solution,(Pertinax

adds-and of course cherry flesh is exceptionally alkaline)

 

Natural oil of bitter almonds contains 4% HCN. American white

lima beans contain 10 mg cyanide/100 g bean. The dried root of

cassava (tapioca) may contain 245 mg cyanide/100 g root. The

cyanide content in 100 g of cultivated apricot seeds has been found

to be about 9 mg and that in wild apricot seeds more than 200 mg."

 

One needs a sulphur source (a divalent one ) to bind to the cyanide and get it out of the body-Sodium Thiosulphate is the handiest chemical counter measure , but sulphurous foods and water (as purge and poison binder) would help (copious mushy peas!).

 

Pantagathus: I am at a loss to explain your mysterious affliction ? Voodoo perhaps? Perhaps you are not drinking sufficient fluid?

[Lost_Warrior]

Pertinax, does that mean that peach-pit jelly is poisonous?

[Pertinax]

Pertinax, does that mean that peach-pit jelly is poisonous?

Peach pith and Almond Kernels in particular should be treated with respect.In the post above you will note the circumstances though-small child (low body weight) ingestion of seeds in an alkaline medium, hey presto a "detox migraine" . Peach pit jelly has the potential to have a heavier than usual concentration of cyanides-but I assume you are aware of the easy way to test a simple food (apart from feed it to your slaves) the tongue curdling bitterness of rancid almonds is the hint of cyanide.

 

Note the starting point of amagdilyn glucose-

So dont stop eating it, just dont accept any from rival political figures (if The Augusta sent me some for example I would offer it to friends first , just in case :

http://www.raintree-health.co.uk/cgi-bin/g...eachkernel.html