Medicinal absinthe
Published by on September 1st, 2009 1 Comment »
No one likes having an upset tummy. About a year ago I decided to try absinthe as a remedy. There is historical precedence for this, and I figured that if it didn’t make me feel better, it might at least stop me from caring…
If you were to see a French or American doctor in 1872 for certain illnesses or a fever, you may have been prescribed wormwood oil. The oil was a controlled substance and absinthe blamed for its own disease, absinthism. Wormwood and the other ingredients in absinthe were all blamed for severe reactions or ailments. At a time when every herb was under investigation, even the lowly oregano was recorded as causing vertigo, trembling, and obscured memory!
Fortunately, not all physicians were against absinthe and several published a pamphlet in 1904 called Opinions Scientifiques sur l’Absinthe. The pro-absinthe doctors recommended the beverage for everything from gout to improving intellectual activity. The dubious instructions of a Dr. Pagès from the Seine region even recommended absinthe as a sort of sports drink — a Gatorade of 1898 — for bakers, glassblowers, and workers labouring in sun. His logical conclusion was that “Absinthe allows one to absorb, without danger of indigestion and general depression, great quantities of water.”
But does absinthe help an upset tummy? According to Dr. F J Cazin of Paris, 1886, wormwood “in moderate amounts, it excites the stomach, sharpens the appetite, facilitates digestion, and accelerates the circulatory and secretive functions.”
I have tried absinthe on several occasions for stomach upset, and have prepared it for my husband’s discomfort as well, and I have to say that we both believe there is something to it. The preparation is typically very small and strong — perhaps only around 15ml of absinthe, no sugar, in at least 25-30ml of ice-cold water — but in this household we seem to agree with Dr. Cazin.
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References:
Conrad III, Barnaby; (1988). Absinthe History in a Bottle. Chronicle books. ISBN 9780811816502
Nathan-Maister, David; (2008). The Absinthe Encyclopedia. Oxygéneé Ltd. ISBN 9780955692116
One Response to “Medicinal absinthe”
Oh sure, I self-medicate absinthe for all sorts of illnesses. It must work because I always feel great once the bottle is nearly empty.