Fw: HERB - Two Questions

[Elizabeth Zagula]

Constance,

I have looked at both those sources also.  What do you think about Martha
Washington's Booke of Cookery and Sweetmeats mentioning "frankincense of
jawa"??  It is hard to say from the different period sources what it is.  
In a previous post I listed info from the glossaries of Gervase Markham's
"The English Housewife" and Hugh Plat's "Delights for Ladies" which say
different things for benjamin or beniamin.  In one project I am going to
use powdered frankincense and in another I am going to use both powdered
benzoin and benzoin oil.  Interesting??  Can anyone shed anymore light on
the subject??


P.S.  I am sure you will do fine in the competition and we will all learn
something new!

Elizabeth

There is a fine line between anal and efficient, I straddle it!

> 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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