PhD in Medical History. Currently working on animal and mineral remedies in Early Modern Europe, particularly snakestones. I also maintain an active interest in Crusade studies, including through researching modern memorialisation of the crusades in philately. Address: Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
The herb Datura has been used medicinally, and more commonly as an hallucinogen both ritualistica... more The herb Datura has been used medicinally, and more commonly as an hallucinogen both ritualistically and recreationally, as well as a poison to debilitate victims of crime. This article discusses an account of Datura intoxication at Leiden University in the mid-seventeenth century. It explores the circumstances and effects of recreational ingestion by a quartet of students, and evaluates the symptoms against modern scientific analyses. The original account itself is highly unusual; it is authored by Louis Philiberto Vernatti, who ingested the poison, rather than by an observer or attending physician, and contains a wealth of detail regarding the symptoms.
Snakestones, purported to naturally generate in the head of a snake, were reputed to be a cure fo... more Snakestones, purported to naturally generate in the head of a snake, were reputed to be a cure for snakebites in the early modern world. Against the backdrop of European exoticism, which influenced the circulation of pharmaceutical and medical knowledge, snakestones became a subject of popular and scholarly interest during the late seventeenth century. Analyzing unpublished archival evidence, this paper considers the circumstances of the 1664 transmission of an individual snakestone specimen—sent from Louis Philiberto Vernatti, an employee of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, Indonesia, to the Royal Society in London, England, which had a demonstrable interest in the East Indies. The correspondence with Vernatti highlights the value of “weak-tie” relationships to the Royal Society’s pursuit of knowledge and artifacts and also demonstrates the importance of weak-ties to the circulation of snakestones, in particular. Unlike other pharmaceutical exotica that was commonly conveyed via large-scale commercial networks, the trade in snakestones was characterized by small-scale transfer in the manner of kunstkammer materials.
Snakestones were exotic, manufactured pharmaceutical items used to treat snakebite. Drawing on a ... more Snakestones were exotic, manufactured pharmaceutical items used to treat snakebite. Drawing on a spectrum of accounts, and building on my previous work, this article explores the role of snakestones in early modern European society. Forming part of the gift-giving culture , snakestones were also subject to empirical trials by natural philosophers who sought to challenge established medical philosophy and advance the study of snakes and venom. Th eir high cost and limited medical use in comparison with remedies such as theriac and bezoar, resulted in snakestones having minimal eff ect on the British medical market, in contrast to other exotic imported pharmaceuticals.
Distinctive accounts of the origin of snakestone beads occur in the folklore of Britain. The bead... more Distinctive accounts of the origin of snakestone beads occur in the folklore of Britain. The beads, usually formed of glass, were believed to be generated by the action of a knot of living snakes. This work considers snakestone bead folklore and explores when it may have developed—evaluating theories ranging from direct descent from the first century ad to early modern reinvention. Accounts of the creation of the snakestone bead from Scotland, Cornwall, and Wales are examined and compared, resulting in the identification of features unique to the folklore of each region.
The medicinal uses of the snakestone bead within the British Isles are surveyed and considered fo... more The medicinal uses of the snakestone bead within the British Isles are surveyed and considered for the first time. The snakestone beads of the British Isles - often annular beads formed of glass or paste, but also other items similar in form - were employed against a variety of ailments, including several of the most deadly childhood diseases of the nineteenth century: teething, whooping cough and ague. In addition, they were used in the treatment of livestock and as a remedy for eye diseases. The eighteenth century saw the snakestone beads conflated with the hag-stone and employed as an amulet against witches and evil spirits.
‘Serpent stones’ have been credited with medical efficacy since antiquity. Likely hav- ing their ... more ‘Serpent stones’ have been credited with medical efficacy since antiquity. Likely hav- ing their root in ancient traditions from India, accounts are now widespread across much of the world. Serpent stones are known by many names and descriptions of their appearance and medical uses are diverse; however, they commonly have a legendary association with serpents and are most frequently considered efficacious in the alexipharmic treatment of snakebite. This work presents and details five broad categories of serpent stone: a round white stone (thought to be extracted from the head of a dragon), a smooth lens-shaped black stone (purported to be taken from the head of a snake, but artificially manufactured of burnt bone or horn), ammonites (the fossilized shells of extinct cephalopods), glass or vitreous paste in the form of rings or beads, and serpentinite.
Conference Abstract. History of Geology Group conference "Geology and Medicine: Exploring the His... more Conference Abstract. History of Geology Group conference "Geology and Medicine: Exploring the Historical Links and the Development of Public Health and Forensic Medicine", 2-4 November 2014.
Providing an introduction to the various strands of mythology regarding serpent stones across Europe from ancient times to the current day, and outlining the various medical uses to which they were put.
Medical Heritage of the National Palace of Mafra, 2020
In his Serpentum et draconum historiae (1640), a first edition of which is held in the Library of... more In his Serpentum et draconum historiae (1640), a first edition of which is held in the Library of the Palace of Mafra, Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) selectively recounted ancient and contemporary beliefs concerning the dragonstone–a fabulous jewel said to naturally occur in the head of a dragon. The mythology of the dragonstone can be traced to works from the third century BC, and connections made to earlier mythology. Greek and Roman sources described the manner of the stones’ capture; their subtle inferences of the stones’ magical influence on eyesight were, however, omitted by Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) from his encyclopaedic Historia Naturalis (Natural History). Pliny’s text regarding the dragonstone became pre-eminent, and the key components of his account were repeated, to varying degrees, in written texts until the De Mineralibus of Albertus Magnus (circa 1200–1280), which introduced alexipharmic use for the dragonstone into medieval medical literature. Subsequent accounts relied either upon Pliny or Albertus Magnus as their primary authority. Additional consideration of vernacular accounts and material culture from the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries demonstrates that dragonstone mythology was widespread across various sectors of European society. Its particular depiction on tableware was likely an indirect consequence of the influence of Albertus Magnus’ genesis of a divergent tradition, which conflated the dragonstone with the supposed medical efficacy of the snakestone (a stone from a serpent’s head) against poison.
Medical Heritage of the National Palace of Mafra, 2020
Very little has been written on the unique historical medical heritage of the National Palace of... more Very little has been written on the unique historical medical heritage of the National Palace of Mafra in Portugal, which celebrated its new status as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. This book brings together a set of innovative studies which begins to consider the importance of this unique collection of medical texts and items of medical material culture. A team of international researchers has brought together a series of essays which addresses various aspects of the history of the Palace, its Monastery, and the associated Library and Pharmacy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, topics as diverse as the rise of alchemy at the hands of Paracelsus, the lives and contributions of neglected eighteenth century physicians, and the history of elements of the materia medica are brought together in this celebration of a Portuguese national icon. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of science, and especially those who enjoy the history of medicine and pharmacy, and bibliographic studies.
The herb Datura has been used medicinally, and more commonly as an hallucinogen both ritualistica... more The herb Datura has been used medicinally, and more commonly as an hallucinogen both ritualistically and recreationally, as well as a poison to debilitate victims of crime. This article discusses an account of Datura intoxication at Leiden University in the mid-seventeenth century. It explores the circumstances and effects of recreational ingestion by a quartet of students, and evaluates the symptoms against modern scientific analyses. The original account itself is highly unusual; it is authored by Louis Philiberto Vernatti, who ingested the poison, rather than by an observer or attending physician, and contains a wealth of detail regarding the symptoms.
Snakestones, purported to naturally generate in the head of a snake, were reputed to be a cure fo... more Snakestones, purported to naturally generate in the head of a snake, were reputed to be a cure for snakebites in the early modern world. Against the backdrop of European exoticism, which influenced the circulation of pharmaceutical and medical knowledge, snakestones became a subject of popular and scholarly interest during the late seventeenth century. Analyzing unpublished archival evidence, this paper considers the circumstances of the 1664 transmission of an individual snakestone specimen—sent from Louis Philiberto Vernatti, an employee of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, Indonesia, to the Royal Society in London, England, which had a demonstrable interest in the East Indies. The correspondence with Vernatti highlights the value of “weak-tie” relationships to the Royal Society’s pursuit of knowledge and artifacts and also demonstrates the importance of weak-ties to the circulation of snakestones, in particular. Unlike other pharmaceutical exotica that was commonly conveyed via large-scale commercial networks, the trade in snakestones was characterized by small-scale transfer in the manner of kunstkammer materials.
Snakestones were exotic, manufactured pharmaceutical items used to treat snakebite. Drawing on a ... more Snakestones were exotic, manufactured pharmaceutical items used to treat snakebite. Drawing on a spectrum of accounts, and building on my previous work, this article explores the role of snakestones in early modern European society. Forming part of the gift-giving culture , snakestones were also subject to empirical trials by natural philosophers who sought to challenge established medical philosophy and advance the study of snakes and venom. Th eir high cost and limited medical use in comparison with remedies such as theriac and bezoar, resulted in snakestones having minimal eff ect on the British medical market, in contrast to other exotic imported pharmaceuticals.
Distinctive accounts of the origin of snakestone beads occur in the folklore of Britain. The bead... more Distinctive accounts of the origin of snakestone beads occur in the folklore of Britain. The beads, usually formed of glass, were believed to be generated by the action of a knot of living snakes. This work considers snakestone bead folklore and explores when it may have developed—evaluating theories ranging from direct descent from the first century ad to early modern reinvention. Accounts of the creation of the snakestone bead from Scotland, Cornwall, and Wales are examined and compared, resulting in the identification of features unique to the folklore of each region.
The medicinal uses of the snakestone bead within the British Isles are surveyed and considered fo... more The medicinal uses of the snakestone bead within the British Isles are surveyed and considered for the first time. The snakestone beads of the British Isles - often annular beads formed of glass or paste, but also other items similar in form - were employed against a variety of ailments, including several of the most deadly childhood diseases of the nineteenth century: teething, whooping cough and ague. In addition, they were used in the treatment of livestock and as a remedy for eye diseases. The eighteenth century saw the snakestone beads conflated with the hag-stone and employed as an amulet against witches and evil spirits.
‘Serpent stones’ have been credited with medical efficacy since antiquity. Likely hav- ing their ... more ‘Serpent stones’ have been credited with medical efficacy since antiquity. Likely hav- ing their root in ancient traditions from India, accounts are now widespread across much of the world. Serpent stones are known by many names and descriptions of their appearance and medical uses are diverse; however, they commonly have a legendary association with serpents and are most frequently considered efficacious in the alexipharmic treatment of snakebite. This work presents and details five broad categories of serpent stone: a round white stone (thought to be extracted from the head of a dragon), a smooth lens-shaped black stone (purported to be taken from the head of a snake, but artificially manufactured of burnt bone or horn), ammonites (the fossilized shells of extinct cephalopods), glass or vitreous paste in the form of rings or beads, and serpentinite.
Conference Abstract. History of Geology Group conference "Geology and Medicine: Exploring the His... more Conference Abstract. History of Geology Group conference "Geology and Medicine: Exploring the Historical Links and the Development of Public Health and Forensic Medicine", 2-4 November 2014.
Providing an introduction to the various strands of mythology regarding serpent stones across Europe from ancient times to the current day, and outlining the various medical uses to which they were put.
Medical Heritage of the National Palace of Mafra, 2020
In his Serpentum et draconum historiae (1640), a first edition of which is held in the Library of... more In his Serpentum et draconum historiae (1640), a first edition of which is held in the Library of the Palace of Mafra, Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) selectively recounted ancient and contemporary beliefs concerning the dragonstone–a fabulous jewel said to naturally occur in the head of a dragon. The mythology of the dragonstone can be traced to works from the third century BC, and connections made to earlier mythology. Greek and Roman sources described the manner of the stones’ capture; their subtle inferences of the stones’ magical influence on eyesight were, however, omitted by Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) from his encyclopaedic Historia Naturalis (Natural History). Pliny’s text regarding the dragonstone became pre-eminent, and the key components of his account were repeated, to varying degrees, in written texts until the De Mineralibus of Albertus Magnus (circa 1200–1280), which introduced alexipharmic use for the dragonstone into medieval medical literature. Subsequent accounts relied either upon Pliny or Albertus Magnus as their primary authority. Additional consideration of vernacular accounts and material culture from the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries demonstrates that dragonstone mythology was widespread across various sectors of European society. Its particular depiction on tableware was likely an indirect consequence of the influence of Albertus Magnus’ genesis of a divergent tradition, which conflated the dragonstone with the supposed medical efficacy of the snakestone (a stone from a serpent’s head) against poison.
Medical Heritage of the National Palace of Mafra, 2020
Very little has been written on the unique historical medical heritage of the National Palace of... more Very little has been written on the unique historical medical heritage of the National Palace of Mafra in Portugal, which celebrated its new status as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. This book brings together a set of innovative studies which begins to consider the importance of this unique collection of medical texts and items of medical material culture. A team of international researchers has brought together a series of essays which addresses various aspects of the history of the Palace, its Monastery, and the associated Library and Pharmacy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, topics as diverse as the rise of alchemy at the hands of Paracelsus, the lives and contributions of neglected eighteenth century physicians, and the history of elements of the materia medica are brought together in this celebration of a Portuguese national icon. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of science, and especially those who enjoy the history of medicine and pharmacy, and bibliographic studies.
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East Indies. The correspondence with Vernatti highlights the value of “weak-tie” relationships to the Royal Society’s pursuit of knowledge and artifacts and also demonstrates the importance of weak-ties to the circulation of snakestones, in particular. Unlike other pharmaceutical exotica that was commonly conveyed via large-scale commercial networks, the trade in snakestones was characterized by small-scale transfer in the manner of kunstkammer materials.
Providing an introduction to the various strands of mythology regarding serpent stones across Europe from ancient times to the current day, and outlining the various medical uses to which they were put.
This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of science, and especially those who enjoy the history of medicine and pharmacy, and bibliographic studies.
East Indies. The correspondence with Vernatti highlights the value of “weak-tie” relationships to the Royal Society’s pursuit of knowledge and artifacts and also demonstrates the importance of weak-ties to the circulation of snakestones, in particular. Unlike other pharmaceutical exotica that was commonly conveyed via large-scale commercial networks, the trade in snakestones was characterized by small-scale transfer in the manner of kunstkammer materials.
Providing an introduction to the various strands of mythology regarding serpent stones across Europe from ancient times to the current day, and outlining the various medical uses to which they were put.
This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of science, and especially those who enjoy the history of medicine and pharmacy, and bibliographic studies.