Fw: HERB - Two Questions

[LadyPDC@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/8/00 2:16:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ezagula at srv.net 
writes:

> Oops, I forget to add that I did check in both Gerard's and Parkinson's and
>  neither list Benn, Benjamin, Liquidamber Orientalis in any of the indexes. 
>  I haven't checked Culpeper yet.
>  
>  Elizabeth
>  


Ahem, much as it hurts me to pass this information along to someone who will 
be competing against me in the same area and doing the same project this 
Saturday. ;)

If you look in "Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery and Booke of Sweetmeats" 
on page 433 under the recipe #311 "To make the Court Perfume", you will find 
information on Benjamin.   She states "Beniamin, benjamin, is gum benzoin. A 
dry brittle resinous substance with a fragrant odor, obtained from Styrax 
benzion, a tree of Sumatra.  The name comes from Arabic luban jawi, 
'frankincense of Jawa (Sumatra)' (the lu was lost in translation)  In 
English, the name was typically assimilated to a word that was understood, 
the proper name, Benjamin (OED)."

She also states that this tree is commonly known today as the Storax.

Period information on the Storax tree can be found in Gerard's Herbal on page 
1526.  Gerard also notes that the Storax oil is commonly used in perfumes, 
pomanders, sweet waters, etc.  He states he will say no more as the use in 
these ways is not pertinent to what he is writing.

There is also a great deal on information on same in Mrs. M Grieve's Herbal 
on page 775 and in Culpeper on page 355.

Hope this helps

Constance de LaRose

*See you on Saturday Elizabeth

(wondering what I am doing competing against all the most knowledgeable and 
talented people in the kingdom - glutton for punishment maybe?) <g>
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