Balms
Balsams or balsam resins are herbal secretions from the intercellular ducts of balsam trees and other balsam plants. They are more or less fat-soluble, semi-viscous, syrupy mixtures of resins and essential oils . Balms are characterized by a characteristic odor, which is created by the combination of benzoic acid and cinnamic acid esters with a little vanillin . Typical balms are Peru balsam , tolu balsam , Canada balsam , copaiba , gurjun balsam , benzoin , elemi and myrrh , frankincense , and Styrax , further Cabureibabalsam , Cativobalsam .
Extraction
If they do not flow out by themselves, balms are obtained by cutting or boiling the relevant parts of the plant. During storage, the essential oils can evaporate, so that the balms often become almost glassy in consistency.
Word origin
The German word balsam probably comes from the Latin balsamum ("balsam tree, resin of the balsam tree, balsam resin from Commiphora species such as Commiphora abyssinica "), which in turn goes back to the Greek βάλσαμον . The earliest tangible stem of the word is found in ancient Hebrew : בשם bośem (modern bosem ) not only denotes the balsam tree ( Commiphora gileadensis , synonymous Amyris opobalsamum , Burseraceae ) and its resin , but also generally means “fragrance, spice”. In ancient Hebrew, the word was pronounced with a voiceless lateral alveolar fricative heard by the Greeks as an ls .
The phrase "balm for the soul" is a well-known linguistic image for something that brings relaxation and calm. In today's parlance, the term "balm", which is used quite often in cosmetics and skin care , is related to this: In the field of shaving care, "after-shave balms" are often used, which are considered to be particularly gentle skin care. As a lotion , for example, these contain less or no alcohol than a comparable aftershave and are therefore suitable for aftercare for sensitive, normal, oily and combination skin. Thanks to their natural ingredients, they prevent "razor burn".
use
The cultural use of balm has been documented since ancient times. So he was u. a. Used for embalming the dead, for medical purposes and for making ointments for perfuming. In the Jewish cult it was also part of the sacred incense. Since the late Middle Ages, balm has also been the basis for pharmaceutical "miracle drugs", some of which are produced by distillation, such as the Magdalene balm (or Maria Magdalene ointment ) or the Jerusalem balm .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Hermann Ammon (Ed.): Hunnius Pharmazeutisches approximately . 8th edition, de Gruyter, Berlin 2004. ISBN 3-11-015792-6 .
- ↑ Entry on balms. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on December 22, 2014.
- ↑ What is a balm? | Simple & easy explanation. In: After Shave Balm. Retrieved on May 21, 2019 (German).
- ↑ balsams (myroxylon, Burseraceae). Retrieved April 28, 2016 .
- ^ Gundolf Keil : Miracle Drug Tract. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil, Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 1504. See also: Francis B. Brévart: Between medicine, magic, and religion: Wonder drugs in German medico-pharmaceutical treatises of the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries. In: Speculum. Volume 83, 2008, pp. 1-57.
- ↑ Karl Sudhoff : The healing properties of the Magdalene balm. In: Sudhoff's archive. Volume 1, 1908, pp. 388-390.
- ↑ Wolfgang Wegner: 'Magdalenenbalsam'. In: Werner E. Gerabek et al. (Ed.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. 2005, p. 878 f.