Medical uses Ancient Rome and wine

romans believed wine had power both heal , harm. wine recommended cure mental disorders such depression, memory loss , grief, bodily ailments, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gout, , halitosis snakebites, tapeworms, urinary problems , vertigo.

cato wrote extensively on medical uses of wine, including recipe laxative: wine made grapevines treated mixture of ashes, manure , hellebore. recommended flowers of plants, e.g. juniper , myrtle, soaked in wine snakebites , gout. believed mixture of old wine , juniper, boiled in lead pot, aid in urinary issues , mixing wine acidic pomegranates cure tapeworms.

the 2nd-century ce greco-roman physician galen provided several details concerning wine s medicinal use in later roman times. in pergamon, galen responsible diet , care of gladiator , used wine liberally in practice, boasting not single gladiator died in care. wine served antiseptic wounds , analgesic surgery. when became emperor marcus aurelius s physician, developed pharmaceutical concoctions made wine known theriacs. superstitious beliefs concerning theriacs miraculous ability protect against poisons , cure plague mouth sores lasted until 18th century. in work de antidotis, galen noted trend in romans tastes thick, sweet wines lighter, dry wines easier digest.

the romans aware of negative health effects of drinking wine, particularly tendency towards madness if consumed immoderately. lucretius warned wine provoke fury in 1 s soul , lead quarrels. seneca elder believed drinking wine magnified physical , psychological defects of drinker. drinking wine in excess frowned upon , imbibed heavily considered dangerous society. roman politician cicero labeled rivals drunkards , danger rome—most notably mark antony, apparently once drank such excess vomited in senate.