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Article ID: CBB553711160

Studies on the Balsams in the 18th Century: A Modern Experimental Approach (2010)

Alfonso-Goldfarb, Ana Maria (Author)
Waisse, Silvia (Author)
Ferraz, Marcia H. M. (Author)

Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology
Volume: 15
Pages: 123-140
Publication date: 2010

URI: http://univerlag.uni-goettingen.de/handle/3/Annals_of_the_history_and_philosophy_of_biology_series

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Plants Balsams Experiments and experimentation New Hampshire (U.S.) Hoffmann, Friedrich Gren, Friedrich Albrecht Carl Boerhaave, Herman

The balsams are among the most enigmatic and fascinating substances known from antiquity to the present time due to their fragrant smell and alleged wonderful healing properties. Although it is traditionally held that modern pharmacological methods of studying drugs only emerged in the 19th century after the isolation of the first vegetal active principles, the experimental approach was already in practice in the 1700s. In the case of balsams, the most recent 18th century chemical notions and methods were applied, leading to a more accurate definition of balsams as well as experimentally-grounded theories to account for their properties, among which, those developed by Hermann Boerhaave (1768-1738) and Friedrich Hoffmann (1660-1742) had the highest influence on the community of scholars. Both showed in the laboratory that balsams had two principles: an oily one that served as vehicle for a volatile one. The latter, called Spiritus Rector by Boerhaave, was the one determining the properties of the balsams. This ―dualistic theory‖ became the prevailing one until the end of the century, when Friedrich Albrecht Carl Gren (1760-1798) joined together both principles – the oily and the volatile one – within the one category of ―ethereal oils‖.

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