Recipes against melancholy by Hildegard of Bingen and Constantine the African. From Nastasja Khrushcheva's 'Metamodern in and Around Music' (translated from Russian):
'Hildegard of Bingen writes: "mallow juice dissolves melancholy, sage juice dries it up, olive oil quenches the fatigue of a sore head, and vinegar extracts the painful thorn of melancholy. There are other remedies too - fowl's meat, swan's lung"
And Constantine the African recommends thyme, saffron, black and white hellebore in equal quantities, diluted in hot water. Boil, boil for a third, strain, pour into a cauldron, add sugar, wine and spices, seven pounds in total. Boil, skim the foam, drink five ounces at a time with a little almond butter.
For mallow juice dissolves melancholy, sage juice dries it out, olive oil quenches the fatigue of a sore head, and vinegar extracts the painful thorn of melancholy.
But avoid mandrake - it is forbidden fruit, dangerous to know, a carrier of death and ecstasy.
Constantine the African prescribes moist and warm food - fresh fish, ripe fruit, lamb, chicken and meat of various female animals.
Melancholia is associated with black bile, and therefore requires both excitatory and sedative remedies. Opium is therefore recommended. Belladonna, datura, belena.
Milk is an ideal substance; it will soften and rejuvenate the melancholic, which he desperately needs. Milk gives young blood.
Black bile, simultaneously dark and brilliant, is capable of both darkening and highlighting: where melancholy meets, bifurcation begins. Saturn is the "black sun of melancholy".
Syrups and decoctions of hellebore, scammonium, cassia, bitter gourd, rhubarb, with additions of aromatic herbs, citrine terminale, almonds, pistachios help against black bile in melancholy. And, of course, vomitstone. Vomiting stone draws out black bile!'
Kommentare