dysentery and fevers. In China it is used for leprosy. Celsus, the author, presumed Roman, who lived around the turn of the current era compiled the most extensive medical encyclopedia of this time. His records recommend frankincense for treating wounds, bleeding, bruising and as a possible antidote to poisoning by hemlock.
During the 17th century, distillates of the resin, called the ‘oils of olibanum’, were popular among the surgeons, apothecaries and alchemists. Frankincense was used at this time to treat stomach ulcers and as an ointment for bruising. In India, people applied it to wounds and used it to treat rheumatism. Chinese healers incorporated it into remedies for bruises and infected sores, including those caused by leprosy. It was used in Kenya for dressing wounds and as a treatment for worms. English alchemists recommended frankincense to live a longer life.
Myrrh has been a versatile treatment for a variety of medical uses throughout history. The Indian myrrh, known as guggulu, is described in the ancient Ayurvedic texts as a medicine to ease the symptoms of coughs and chest infections and as an aid in weight loss. It was also used to treat rotten teeth by the early Sumerians and infections of the mouth teeth and eyes by the Greeks. The Greeks also suggested that myrrh could stop bad breath and protect against the plague. Myrrh was believed to have preservative qualities and was used to extend the shelf life of wine.
Turkish healers recommend myrrh as an aphrodisiac, and both frankincense and myrrh were recommended as protection against sorcery. Arabic doctors mixed myrrh with vinegar as a cure for baldness.
Use of myrrh for health and medical purposes in Europe goes