Medieval and Early Modern Physic Greenhouse

Rooted in History, Growing in Knowledge

Our mission: The High Point University Department of History’s Medieval and Early Modern Physic Greenhouse aims to connect the campus and Triad communities with the history of medicinal plants. By bridging research on Medieval and Early Modern medical texts with practical experience with medicinal plants, this project provides an inspiring environment in which the past and present converge. Through this experiential learning public history space visitors will connect with the past to better understand the roots of modern medical knowledge.

Medical History Overview

As in any historical period, the people of the Medieval and Early Modern Era, roughly 500 CE to 1700 CE, sought ways to care for their sick and hurting effectively. Using ancient scholars and philosophers such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Aristotle, medical minds, often monks, created medical treatises entailing herbal remedies for various health-related conditions, including respiratory sickness, intestinal problems, fevers, headaches, infertility, and poisoning. Medieval and Early Modern physicians used Galen and Hippocrates’ theory that the human body was composed of four humors that needed to be balanced for perfect health: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. This is connected with the prevailing understanding of natural philosophy, or science, known as metaphysics.

Medieval
Early Modern

Developed first by Aristotle in ancient Greece, Medieval theologians, and scientists, such as Thomas Aquinas, reaffirmed this idea. Metaphysics asserts all objects are composed of form and matter. Form is the physical aspect of the thing while matter is the essence that makes the object unique. In medicine, the physical body- from limbs to blood to organs- was the form, while the human soul was the matter. Plants held these as well. Thus, physicians had to figure out what was wrong with the human form and counter the imbalances with plants of opposing forms.

As Europeans began to explore in the Early Modern Era, physicians were exposed to new plants from the Americas and Africa. Learning about these plants and their medical uses from Indigenous and African peoples, these new plants were added to the medical knowledge corpus. Many of the species were taken to Europe and cultivated in the already established medieval monastic physic gardens and greenhouses (especially those from tropical climates which differed greatly from European climates). This greenhouse includes some of these important plants and treatments.

Here's a sneak peek of the plants you might see when you visit!

Aloe

It's uses in the Middle Ages vary with records claiming it healed headaches, stomachaches, persistent coughs, and even malaria. Today, we use it mainly for direct application on burns to speed up the healing process. Due to its scientifically proven success, anyone can find aloe-based products for burn treatment at any store across the country. Both plants have been influential in the advancement of medicinal innovation and continue to serve within the field of medicine in some capacity.

Pennyroyal

Though used sometimes as a means of flavoring food, the primary use of pennyroyal was as an emmenagogue. This is due to the pennyroyal's ability to stimulate pelvic blood flow. Women would apply salves of pennyroyal in hopes of encouraging pregnancy. In addition, pennyroyal has been used to ease the pain of hemorrhoids as well as other things.

Sage

Its origins are traced back to the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Europe with its first recorded use as being medicinal. For Thousands of years, Sage was an integral plant to medicinal practice and household use as it was used in a variety of ways. The herb was able to: be eaten, block out odors, be additives to drinks, sanitizer, ward away evil spirits, hair care, treat inflammation, reduce fevers, treat wasp stings, and more. Later in the Middle Ages, Sage was also added to alcoholic drinks for flavoring and as a way of making a medicinal beer.

To visit schedule a tour of the greenhouse, contact the High Point University’s gardens team or Dr. Allen at [email protected]

For more information: Connect with High Point Museum

This project was supported by:

North Carolina Humanities Community Engagement Grant

High Point University Department of History

Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

High Point University Campus Enhancement

High Point Museum

Special Thanks to:

Dr. Nido Qubein
Ken Elston
Dr. Jeff Adams
Dr. Daniel Erb
Dr. Angela Bauer
Dr. Amanda Allen
Dr. Shannon Lalor
Sara Blanchett
Panda Powell
Amanda Elbert
Rachel Diaz
Emma Martone
Dr. Jason Lattier
A.B. Seeds
Strictly Medicinal