Bald’s Leechbook, a tenth-century medical text that contains Anglo-Saxon medical advice and recipes for medicines, salves and treatments (© The British Library Board)

Suffering from an eye infection? A medieval medical text suggests treating it with “Bald’s eyesalve,” a mixture of garlic, onion, wine and just a smidgen of cow bile. Now, more than a millennium after its development, new research has proven that this unusual remedy actually works.

The findings, published last week in the journal Scientific Reports, also indicate that the brew may be effective at combating bacteria strains that are resistant to traditional antibiotics.

Per the study, Bald’s eyesalve appears to shows promise against biofilm infections, or groups of bacteria that have banded together to create a protective barrier, making them particularly challenging to kill. Fighting these types of infections often requires an antibiotic concentration 100 to 1,000 times higher than needed to eradicate the same biofilm-free bacteria.

The growing menace of drug-resistant bacteria inspired the paper’s authors to peer back in time in hopes of identifying novel weapons in the fight against these so-called superbugs.

The researchers’ earlier work demonstrated that the 1,000-year-old concoction showed promise in the lab, killing the bacteria responsible for staph infections and MRSA (an antibiotic-resistant type of staph). The new paper expands on this research, highlighting potential applications in an attempt to turn the find into “something clinically useful,” says Harrison.

Speaking with CNN, Harrison notes that the research shows “particular promise” in treating diabetic foot infections, which she describes as “the ultimate, super-resistant biofilm infection.”

The microbiologist adds, “There’s a high risk that these diabetic foot ulcers are completely resistant to any antibiotic treatment. Then there’s a risk of a person developing sepsis … and people end up having their foot or lower leg amputated.”

Interestingly, the salve didn’t contain just one ingredient that could be isolated and used on its own. Instead, the solution required all of its ingredients to work effectively.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-potion-kills-stubborn-bacteria-180975459/

Interesting. Wonder how many GPs have a copy of Bald’s Leechbook tucked away somewhere.

The Ancients, They Knew

SCIENCE said:

The Ancients, They Knew

sometimes got lucky.

Lots of ancient remedies kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Lithium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, fluorine, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, carbon tetrachloride, potassium, calcium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, antimony, tellurium, iodine, polonium, astatine, radium, radon, americium, plutonium, copper, lead, chromium, technetium, botox, ricin, nerve gas, thallium, strychnine, cyanide, etc. … , oh yes – and soap.

Good luck getting any of them past an ethics committee, though.

party_pants said:

SCIENCE said:

The Ancients, They Knew

sometimes got lucky.

Maybe, but most if not all had herbal remedies for various ailments, some of which worked very well and we have often learnt from them. Most drugs originate from plants, so don’t knock them as thousands of years of evolution generally beats the efforts of a walking hairless ape.

mollwollfumble said:

Lots of ancient remedies kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Lithium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, fluorine, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, carbon tetrachloride, potassium, calcium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, antimony, tellurium, iodine, polonium, astatine, radium, radon, americium, plutonium, copper, lead, chromium, technetium, botox, ricin, nerve gas, thallium, strychnine, cyanide, etc. … , oh yes – and soap.

Good luck getting any of them past an ethics committee, though.

You should have been a scientist moll, they could use your intuition.

PermeateFree said:

party_pants said:

SCIENCE said:

The Ancients, They Knew

sometimes got lucky.

Maybe, but most if not all had herbal remedies for various ailments, some of which worked very well and we have often learnt from them. Most drugs originate from plants, so don’t knock them as thousands of years of evolution generally beats the efforts of a walking hairless ape.

maybe but what is the benefit of killing malaria for the sweet wormwood

PermeateFree said:

mollwollfumble said:

Lots of ancient remedies kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Lithium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, fluorine, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, carbon tetrachloride, potassium, calcium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, antimony, tellurium, iodine, polonium, astatine, radium, radon, americium, plutonium, copper, lead, chromium, technetium, botox, ricin, nerve gas, thallium, strychnine, cyanide, etc. … , oh yes – and soap.

Good luck getting any of them past an ethics committee, though.

You should have been a scientist moll, they could use your intuition.

Yeah. My science degree didn’t major in medicine.

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

mollwollfumble said:

Lots of ancient remedies kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Lithium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, fluorine, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, carbon tetrachloride, potassium, calcium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, antimony, tellurium, iodine, polonium, astatine, radium, radon, americium, plutonium, copper, lead, chromium, technetium, botox, ricin, nerve gas, thallium, strychnine, cyanide, etc. … , oh yes – and soap.

Good luck getting any of them past an ethics committee, though.

You should have been a scientist moll, they could use your intuition.

Yeah. My science degree didn’t major in medicine.

Shame. The greater loss for science.