Observations placeholder
Bingen, Hildegard of - Lentils
Identifier
022687
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Scabies does not refer to what goes by that name today, rather sorts of skin condition 'eczema, scurvy and scabby head are embraced by the term'
A description of the experience
Hildegard von Bingen’s Physica – translated by Priscilla Throop from the Latin
Lentils (lens) are cold. When used as food, they augment neither the marrow nor blood nor flesh of a person. Neither do they contribute to his strength, but only satisfy his stomach, filling its emptiness.
They stir a person’s weak humors to make a commotion.
But if spots of scabies, or dirty hair with ulcers at the root, appear on a person’s head, he should gently reduce lentils to a powder, over a glowing stone. He should also pulverize a snail shell, with whatever slime there is in it, and add it to an equal weight of lentil powder. Placed over the spots, it will strip off the discharge of this disease, and it will be cured.