[Sca-cooks] Estrella A&S and stooge fright

[LadyPDC at aol.com]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
In a message dated 10/31/2001 9:16:32 AM Mountain Standard Time,
selene at earthlink.net writes:


> Arte wrote:
>
> > <<The arts competitions are for war points this year.
> > They are:
> >
> > Casting (metal)
> > Herbal (anything but medicinal)
>
> Food, tasty tisanes, scented pomanders, I suppose plant-based dyes would
> technically qualify but I wouldn't go in expecting to win.
>
>

However, that brings up my main question.

Food - most herbs used in period for culinary purposes were added not only
for the flavor but also for their medicinal effect.  They were known to
increase the appetite or to aid in the digestion of certain foods or to
effect humors or to eliminate flatulence, etc.

Tisanes - these were specifically made for medicinal purposes and to have a
specific medicinal effect even if that effect were only to calm a person or
encourage sleep.

Pomanders - although by very late period these became more of a decorative
costume accessory, in the beginning of their use and esp. where herbs were
used in them, they were to ward off illness.

So, of the four things mentioned only the last could probably be said to not
fall within the medicinal arena.

As for the other persons comment of going to the person in charge of the
competition and "getting it from the horses mouth".  The categories for
Estrella A&S war point are chosen in a treaty negotiation meeting involving
the royalty from the four major kingdoms.  Usually this is done with some
prior input from the kingdom MOAS's.  In this years case the four MOAS's
picked 5 categories which the treaty negotiations could then narrow down to
the three areas which would be involved in the war point.  The suggestions
from the MOAS's did include "herbal arts" but did not include the
"non-medicinal" clause.  I have checked with my own kingdom MOAS and with the
MOAS from another of the four kingdoms.  Neither one of them suggested the
"non-medicinal" clause and neither knows what it means.  So far, no one has
been able to ascertain what is meant by it other than the vague reference
that those conducting the treaty negotiations wanted to avoid any poisonous
herbs.

To take it to specifics, I have two items which could be entered into this
competition and my husband has two more.  My first is a hand cream.  It was
created specifically because of a medical condition I have which requires
medication that dries my skin and literally left me with cracked and bleeding
skin on my hands just from something as simple as typing.  The two herbal
ingredients are in there specifically to deal with this problem (and they
work wonderfully) but even moistening dry skin and healing already cracked
and dry skin is medicinal.  Removing those ingredients leaves me with a non
herbal non working preparation.  My second is a mouthwash.  It uses myrrh to
prevent decay and mint to eliminated bad breath.  Both of those are medicinal
uses.  Eliminating those herbs leaves me with wine.  Again non herbal and non
working.

My husband made a wonderful cough syrup. Medicinal certainly but something
which could be purchased "over-the-counter" in these modern days if it were
at a pharmacy and containing no poisonous or even damaging herbs.  In fact
something that could safely be taken by very young children.  He also made an
ointment for fighters which contains an ingredient to eliminate immediate
pain and another to lessen bruising and give deep muscle relief.  Both items
are nonpoisonous and in fact one of the herbs is commonly used in cooking
even today.  Yet, the purpose of the ointment would fall under the current
broad definition of "medicinal".

So, unless we can get a more narrow definition, I don't see how these can be
entered and in fact (see above) I don't see how most herbal preparations can
be entered unless you eliminate any documentation of how/why the herb was
used in period.  Eliminating research and education seems to me to be the
opposite of what we as a society are supposed to be trying to do.

Since the addendum definition to the herbal category was decided at a treaty
meeting involving the four sets of royalty, I don't know how to go about
getting a more explanatory definition.  Any suggestions?

Constance