SC - Honey (& other) butters

[Bonne of Traquair]

>Umm. Okay, I guess I was a bit unclear. What I really meant was what
would
>they have used capsicum pepper for medicinally in the SCA time period.
I
>know that concentrated capsicum is now used in burn treatment and such.
But
>I was wondering what they would have done with it. Making an assumption
that
>they used it for a medicinal purpose because we do, is not a good
assumption
>to make.
>
>I've never used Tiger Balm or a mustard plaster. Is this last a plaster
of
>Paris type thing mixed with ground mustard seed?

No "plaster of Paris" in a mustard plaster. It's a poultice
containing mustard. It used to be printed on mustard powder tins.
Here's one version:
Mix one part powdered mustard with four parts flour. Add warm water
to form a paste. Spread over a cloth and cover with a second cloth.
Place on the chest or over a muscular injury. Leave on as long as
desired but not to exceed 20 minutes. Use more flour and/or less
mustard for delicate skin and children.

The American Heritage$B%g(J Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth

Edition. 2000, says:
NOUN: A medicinal plaster made with a pastelike mixture of powdered
black mustard, flour, and water, used especially as a
counterirritant. Also called sinapism.

>From what i can tell, you have to monitor the plaster carefully,
since if made too strong and/or left on too long, it can leave
blisters!

>  > A modern folk remedy I use for really bad sinus headaches and
fever'n'ague
>>  is a cup of Celestial Seasonings' Bengal spice tea, brewed with
sage,
>>  mint, and a pinch of cayenne, and sweetened with honey.
>
>You mean take the regular tea and add sage, mint and cayenne to it,
right?
>The tea doesn't contain any of these to start with.

Celestial Seasonings' Bengal Spice tea contains no tea. The terms
"tisane" and "infusion" are just "too hard" to say, i guess.
Formulation of the most recent pack in my cupboard (and they
reformulate periodically):
cinnamon, roasted chicory root, roasted carob, natural spice and
vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, dates, ginger root,
cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg - essentially a variation
on masala chai.

So, question to the original poster, why sage? Medicinal properties?

>  > After the first
>>  sip, you're sure your head will blow off. After half a cup, it feels
like
>>  your head IS blowing off. At the end of the cup, you almost feel
human.
>>  Combining this with rubbing Tiger Balm Ultra around the temples, on
the
>>  cheekbones, and the neck glands is very effective for me.
>
>Sounds like the cure could be worse than the symptom. But at times I
>have gotten terrible sinus headaches due to allergies, so I'll have to
>keep this in mind. How much of these spices/herbs do you add to a cup?
>Does this tea actually clear your sinuses or just ease the pain for
>a while?

I often go out and eat a VERY HOT SPICY Thai meal when my sinuses are
backed up worse than an LA morning traffic jam. That tends to clear
them out.

Tiger balm is quite nice. I used to always carry a little tin in my
purse - hmmm, i think i'll revive the practice. It contains camphor,
menthol, cajuput oil (from a tree related to the eucalyptus) and
clove oil. There's red and white, formulated slightly differently -
the red has cinnamon, i think and is "warm" while the white, which is
more menthol-y, is "cool". They've got a whole bunch of "new"
products now.
http://www.tigerbalm.com/index3_html.htm
And don't forget the pretty fantastic, okay, pretty kitschy, Tiger
Balm Gardens in Singpore and Hong Kong.

Anahita al-shazhiyya