I apologize for being remiss! I never published my first oral hygiene paper from 2017. Or, if I did, I cannot find it since I changed sites. So, here you go!
The history of oral hygiene is diverse and extensive. Contrary to believe in television and movies, people during the Middle Ages and Renaissance took great care of their teeth, as it was a sign of social standing to have well maintained teeth and sweet breath. Therefore, throughout history there is a plethora of documentation outlining the process of oral hygiene. In this work, I plan on discussing a tooth water from Naturall & Artificial Directions for health by William Vaughan, published in 1602.
In his excerpt entitled “Fifteen Directions to preserve Health” Vaughan outlines the method for keeping teeth clean and the breath sweet.
I will aduertise you by foure rules of importance how
to keepe your teeth white and vncorruyt (mc), and also
to haue a sweete breath. First, wash well your mouth
when you haue eaten your meat : secondly, sleepe with
your mouth somewhat open. Thirdly, spit out in the morning
that which is gathered together that night in the throate :
then take a linnen cloth, and rub your teeth well within
and without, to take away the fumositie of the meat
and the yellownesse of the teeth. For it is that which
putrifieth them and infecteth the breath. But least peraduenture
your teeth become loose and filthy, I will shew you a water
farre better then ponders, which shall fasten them, scoure
the mouth, make sound the gums, and cause the flesh to growe
againe, if it were fallen away. Take halfe a glasse-full of vineger,
and as much of the water of the mastick tree (if it may easily
be gotten) of rosemarie, myrrhe, mastick, bole Armoniake,
Dragons herbe, roche allome, of each of them an ounce ; of
fine cinnamon halfe an ounce, and of fountaine water three
glassefulles ; mingle all well together and let it boile with a
small fire, adding to it halfe a pound of honie, and taking
away the scumme of it ; then put in a Kttle bengwine, and when
it hath sodden a quarter of an houre, take it from the fire, and
keepe it in a cleane bottle, and wash your teeth there withall as
well before meate as after ; if you hould some of it in your mouth
a little while, it doth much good to the head, and sweetneth the
breath. I take this water to be better worth then a thousand of
their dentifrices.
The translation for the above is outlined below:
I will advise you of four rules of importance to keep your teeth
white and clean, and also on how to have a sweet breath. First,
wash out your mouth well after you have eaten your meal.
Secondly, sleep with your mouth somewhat open. Thirdly, spit
out in the morning that which has gathered together that night
in the throat. Next, take a linen cloth and rub your teeth well
within and without to take aware the fumes of the meat and the
yellowness of the teeth. For that is what putrefies and them and
infects the breath. But to slow your teeth from becoming loose and
filthy, I will show you a water worth its weight, which shall fasten
them, scour the mouth and make sound the gums, and make the
flesh to grow again, if it had fallen away. Take half a glass of vinegar,
and the same amount of water from the mastic tree (if it may be
easily gotten) of rosemary, myrrh, mastic, bole Armoniake, dragons
herbe, roche alome, an ounce each, ground cinnamon, a half an ounce,
and three glasses of water. Mix them together and boil over a small
fire, adding to it half a pound of honey, removing the scum from the
top, then put in a little bengwine, and when it has simmered a quarter
of an hour, take it off the fire and keep it in a clean bottle. Wash your
teeth with it before and after meals. If you hold some of it in your
mouth for a little while, it will do much good to the head and sweeten
the breath. I think this water is better than a thousand dentifrices.
From this translation, I redacted the recipe for tooth water.
½ glass vinegar
½ glass of mastic water (if available)
1 oz rosemary
1 oz myrrh
1 oz mastic
1 oz Armenian bole
1 oz dragon’s herb
1 oz potassium alum (additive in baking powder)
½ oz cinnamon
3 glasses of water
½ lb honey
A pinch of bengwine
Take the vinegar, mastic water, rosemary, myrrh, mastic, bole Armoniake, dragons herbe, potassium alum, water and bring to a boil. Add honey and continue to boil, removing the scum that forms on the top. Add bengwine and simmer for a quarter of an hour. Store in a clean bottle.
I am not a chemist or an herbalist. I have no medical credentials that would make me qualified to judge the safety of this concoction. There were several items that immediately made me scratch my head and wonder if what I was doing was safe. I am, however, wildly curious and resourceful. Why were these ingredients used? What about them made them good for cleaning the teeth? My next step in the process was to find out the medicinal properties of each ingredient as it was known during period, and, if possible, to find out if they were still used mundanely for similar purposes. This would alleviate any concerns about testing the product.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is perennial herb native to the Mediterranean. In The herball, or, Generall historie of plantes by John Gerarde, first published in 1597 stated “The distilled water of the floures of Rosemary being drunke at morning and evening first and last,taketh away the stench of the mouth and breath, and maketh it very sweet, if there be added thereto, to steep or infuse for certaine daies,a few of Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon, and a little Annise seed. “
Today, rosemary is primarily used in cooking, though recent studies have shown that rosemary has antibacterial properties. Tanja Rožman’s study entitled Antimicrobial activity of rosemary extracts (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) against different species of Listeria states “Rosmarinic acid, a natural polyphenolic antioxidant found in rosemary, has been found to have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant functions.” This would seem to support the use of it as a breath freshener, as eliminating bacteria in the mouth would minimize halitosis.
Myrrh (Commiphora molmol) is the sap from Commiphora myrrha. I have seen reference to myrrh being used to treat bloody gums, to stimulate menses, and in the embalming process. I have not, however, found a primary source to substantiate these assertions. Myrrh was also used heavily in perfumes and incense. In the New Testament, myrrh was one of the gifts presented to Christ.
Myrrh is still used today as a treatment for sore gums, loose teeth and bad breath. According to WebMD.com “Myrrh is applied directly to the mouth for soreness and swelling, inflamed gums (gingivitis), loose teeth, canker sores, bad breath, and chapped lips. It is also used topically for hemorrhoids, bedsores, wounds, abrasions, and boils.” I have been unable to substantiate this yet, but am continuing to look through medical studies for more reliable sources.
Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is the resin from the tree of the same name. I have found several secondary and tertiary sources that cite Hippocrates as prescribing mastic “tears” to treat bad breath and help ease stomach ailments. Dioscorides in his work De Materia Medica references several preparations of mastic and their medical applications. It was chewed, dissolved into liquid and pounded into powder. It was considered to sweeten the breath and strengthen the gums when chewed.
Mastic is sold today as a dietary supplement to help alleviate breathing problems, digestive issues, muscle aches and various bacterial and fungal infections. A study published in 1998 also showed that mastic is an effective treatment against Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes peptic ulcers.
Armenian Bole is defined as “an argillaceous earth containing a variable amount of ferric oxide.” Its modern chemical formula is H2Fe2O4. This is clay with a high metal content, which contributes to its red color. Hakim Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, was an eleventh century doctor and philosopher who wrote the Canon of Medicine. This work references Armenian clay, or bole armoniac, and its medicinal uses. It was known to Hakim Ibn Sina as a material to help with the treatment of ulceration after long bouts of diarrhea when combined with pomegranate juice and ingested.
While clay is still used in the preparation of toothpaste today, Armenian bole is not. Due to the high metal content, I determined that prolonged use was ill advised, but that trying a sample would not cause any long term problems.
Dragon’s Herb (Artemisia dracunculus) is another name for the herb tarragon. In the 1597 The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes by John Gerarde. “It is named in Latin Draco; of the Italians Dragoncellion : in French Dragon: in English Tarragon.”
It is known modernly as an herb to aid with digestion problems, poor appetite, water retention, and toothache; to start menstruation; and to promote sleep. I have been unable to find a satisfactory description of its use medicinally in period.
Potassium alum is part of the alum family. Alum, as defined by The Encyclopedia Brittanica is “any of a group of hydrated double salts, usually consisting of aluminum sulfate, water of hydration, and the sulfate of another element.” Potassium alum is used in a wide variety of modern industries. It is used in the manufacture of dyes, tanning leather, as an additive in baking powder. It is a known astringent. Potassium alum is used an antiseptic and astringent/styptic. It helps reduce bleeding from minor abrasions. From that I surmised that it was used in the recipe to help reduce any bleeding of the gums.
Note: When I first tried this recipe, I had believed that roche alum was salt. And while potassium alum is in the salt family, it is not salt in the way we typically think of it. Based on additional information received, it appears that roche alum is actually potassium alum. Potassium alum is an additive in baking powder. It is also used for tanning leather, and can found in dyes. It is known to be an astringent. It is also, thankfully, easy to find and available labeled “food grade.”
Cinnamon (cinnamomum verum) is derived from the bark of the cinnamomum verum tree. Gerarde stated that cinnamon was used to sweeten the breath. It is referenced in many concoctions outlined by Gerarde including one to “help the panting and passion of the heart…”
Today, cinnamon is used primarily as a flavoring. However, studies are beginning to indicate that cinnamon could be an effective treatment for diabetes. Scientists believe that further research is required to substantiate this claim before making recommendations for using cinnamon as a daily supplement.
Bengwine according to A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles , published in 1888, is another name for benzoin. Benzoin is the resin from the tree Strayx benzoin. It is defined as “dry and brittle resinous substance, with a fragrant odour and slightly aromatic taste…It is used in the preparation of benzoic acid in medicine and extensively in perfumery.” Benzoin is widely available for purchase in solid and liquid forms. It is used modernly in dentistry to treat swollen gums and sores in the mouth.
Ingredients now identified and analyzed, it became apparent that I had absolutely no idea how prepare the herbs. Were they fresh? Dried? Chopped? Whole? Were they strained out of the mixture, or kept part of it? Cinnamon was easy, it was specified as “fine” which I took to mean ground. I also used a powdered benzoin, as the recipe called for “a pinch” which seemed to indicate a solid form, instead of using a liquid resin. I surmised that the other ingredients would be whole and fresh.
Knowing how herbs tend to fall off their stems while cooking, I elected to wrap the rosemary and tarragon in cheesecloth before submerging them into the liquid. This way, I could remove the bundle and avoid having large pieces of the herbs floating in the substance. I rolled the bundle in my hands to try to break up the leaves and stems to release their natural oils to get as much of the benefit from the herbs as possible.
I added the herb satchel into a pot with water and vinegar. I added the alum, cinnamon, Armenian bole, myrrh, mastic and honey and brought it to a boil. I stirred it and allowed it to boil for 15 minutes, occasionally skimming off the film that began to form. After the first 15 minutes, I added a pinch of benzoin. Once added, I reduced the temperature and let the mixture simmer for another 15 minutes. The mixture thickened as the liquids cooked down. It reduced by ¼ of the original volume. Using a fine mesh strainer, I transferred the liquid from the cooking pot to glass jars that had been sterilized.
As mentioned earlier, this was the second attempt to make the tooth wash. My first attempt yielded similar results, with a few marked differences. First, since I boiled the mixture longer, it reduced more, which created a thicker product. Second, having bundled the herbs together, it was easier to remove the herbs. Third, the use of the correct alum changed the taste and consistency of the product.
Further research and experimentation of this recipe is required. I would like to attempt it again using dried herbs and cooking the mixture longer, to see what impact it has. I would also like to experiment using ground mastic and myrrh, instead of dissolving whole pieces. From there, it is my intention to test all three variations of the recipe to determine which is the most effective.
I also plan on expanding my research to include the honey and vinegar, which were omitted from my research to this point. It would be interested to know if the honey was thought to have any medicinal properties, or if it was selected merely as a sweetener.
Bibliography
Abu-Asab, Mones, PhD, Amir, Hakima PhD, Micozzi Marc, M.D., PhD Avicenna’s Medicine A New
Translation of the 11th Century Canon with Practical Applications for Integrative Health Care, Healing Arts Press,
Dioscorides De Materia Medica, translated by TA Osbladeston and RPA Wood, 2000, South Africa
Gerarde, John The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes, John Norton, 1597, London
Murray, James A.H. A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1888, Oxford
Rožman, Tanja and Jeršek, Barbara Antimicrobial activity of rosemary extracts (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)
against different species of Listeria Acta agriculturae Slovinca, 93-1, maj 2009
Vaughan, William Naturall & Artificial Directions for health, Bradocke, 1602, London
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