Stitching, Stumpwork and the Stuarts

by Prue Batten

Embroidery – notionally and popularly a woman’s activity throughout history. And at no time more so than the seventeenth century when raised, also called embosted work, was the fashion de jour. Called stumpwork embroidery since the nineteenth century, raised work traces its roots back to the highly padded ecclesiastic work of the fifteenth century, but gradually the three dimensional stitching and unique subject matter became popular with the more affluent families of Stuart England.

Stumpwork relied heavily on detached buttonhole stitch, on wires and threads and metal threadwork and developed into a spectacular art form. Colours were bright, and a strict pattern was followed. Black outline on extant pieces of raised embroidery leads one to believe that stitchers actually worked from kits in much the same way we do today. There is evidence that embroidery pedlars would travel from wealthy house to wealthy house with scenes and subject matter tailored cleverly to the families visited. Wily pedlars would appeal to the vanities of the women of the house by including fashion of the times in the designs, ensuring a ready sale.

The kits were luscious – ‘silver and gold thread, fine gimp cords from Italy, lightly twisted silk, chenille threads, wools, satin ribbons, tiny brocade tassels, silk-covered purls, painted bullion, spangles, seed pearls, semi precious stones, (floral glass, amber, turquoise) coral, tiny seashells, slivers of mother of pearl, fine kid leather, peacock plumules, wrapped and looped vellum, sheets of mica and talc and scraps of treasured fabrics.’ (see references). I can speak from experience when I say the opening of a kit to reveal a heavenly rainbow of silks that lie softly but seductively in one’s hand, along with little containers of metallic thread and delicate beading is something that raises the heartbeat of any embroiderer.

Subject matter inveigled its way into political causes as well, royalist loyalties signified by Charles I’s caterpillars and Charles II’s butterflies, oaks and acorns. As in all aspects of the arts, flower species were used to define particular emotions and when an embroiderer merely wanted to throw all caution to the wind, they would stitch a cornucopia of fruits, birds and animals from pattern sheets that the same wily pedlar would hawk to the house, no attention at all being paid to the relative size and shape of subject matter!

The finished piece would be sent to a carpenter or joiner to be mounted into caskets, mirror-frames, trays and chests and many pieces exist in museums around the world. The artform faded from popularity in the eighteenth century when exploration began to introduce new and more fashionable modes of expression from across the globe.

However in the 1990’s stumpwork resurrected itself into a much sought after form of embroidery and in all countries of the world there are many examples of contemporary stitching based on those age-old techniques. I can also say from experience that it is an extremely exact form of embroidery requiring good light, good eyes and exemplary patience.

The first two requirements alone make one wonder how such magnificent work was ever achieved in the candle lit domains of the seventeenth century.

References:
Nicholas J. Stumpwork Embroidery – a collection of fruit, flowers and insects for contemporary raised embroidery. Sally Milner Publishing Australia 1995
Stinton K & Needlework, Royal College of. Stumpwork Search Press Ltd UK 2011

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A former journalist from Australia who graduated with majors in history and politics, Prue Batten is now a historical romance writer who is also a farmer, dog owner, gardener, embroiderer and all round seaman who is most at home in the sea, on the sea and by the sea.

In 2012, her historical fantasy A Thousand Glass Flowers won a silver medal with the Readers’ Favorites Annual Book Awards. In the same year, Gisborne: Book of Pawns (Book One of The Gisborne Saga) was awarded an honourable mention in the Golden Claddagh Book Awards and in 2013, the same book received an honourable mention in the RONE Awards USA. Book of Kings, the third and final novel in The Gisborne Saga will be released in 2014.

Details of purchase are available from:

www.pruebatten.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/prue.batten.writer

www.pinterest.com/pruebatten

Twelfth Night Revels

by Maria Grace

Epiphany or Twelfth Night was the exciting climax of the Christmastide season, a time for putting away social norms. It was a feast day to mark the coming of the Magi, and as such was the traditional day to exchange gifts. 

Decorations were to be taken down and burned by midnight on this day or the family would face bad luck for the rest of the year. Some believed that for every branch that remained a goblin would appear.

Revels, masks and balls were the order of the day and night. Often each guest would randomly select a character to play by drawing a slip of paper from a hat or bag. Guests had to remain in character for the entire evening. 

Besides the King and Queen, a variety of characters, often pulled from popular literature and plays, were available. Common characters included Sir Gregory Goose, Sir Tumbelly Clumsy, Miss Fanny Fanciful and Mrs. Candour. Sets of pre-made characters could be purchased from stationers, or a family might copy them from books on games and merry-making.

Servants were often included in the revelries. This could become particularly interesting when one became the king or queen for the evening.

Mince Meat Pie and Twelfth Night Cake

Though many dishes graced the tables for Twelfth Night revelry, two particular dishes were known for their connection to Twelfth Night.

Most considered mince meat pies, also known as Christmas or Twelfth Night pies staples of the season. Recipes varied by region, but usually included beef, poultry and other meats, suet, sugar, raisins or currants, spices, orange and lemon peel, eggs, apples and brandy. Leftovers from the Christmas feast would be used to make pies for the twelve days until Epiphany. Eating minced pie every day of the twelve days of Christmas was said to bring twelve months of happiness in the new year. To strengthen the charm, the pies must be baked by the dozen and offered by friends.

A special Twelfth Cake would be the centerpiece of the party. By the early 19th century, the cakes were elaborate creations with sugar frosting, gilded paper trimmings, and sometimes delicate plaster of Paris or sugar paste figures. In towns, confectioners would display these cakes in their shop windows that were illuminated by small lamps so the displays could be admired during winter evenings.

Parlor Games 

Parlor games were played by all classes of society and often involved overstepping the strict bound of propriety. Losers often paid a forfeit, which could be an elaborate penalty or dare, but more often were a thinly disguised machination for getting a kiss. Often, forfeits were accumulated all evening, until he hostess would ‘cry the forfeits’ and they would all be redeemed.

Blind Man’s Bluff and variations thereof

Playing Blind man's bluff

Many variations of this game existed, including Hot Cockles, Are you there Moriarty, and Buffy Gruffy. All the variations include one player being blindfolded and trying to guess the identity of another player who had tapped them or who they have caught. A great deal of cheating was generally involved, which only added to the sport.

Snapdragon 

A Dragon playing Snapdragon

 Raisins were piled in a bowl, topped with brandy and lit on fire. Players would try to snatch raisins out of the blue brandy-flames and eat them without getting burned—or lighting anything else aflame. The guest with the most raisins is destined to find true love in the upcoming year. 

While brandy burns with a relatively cool flame, I’m not sure I would suggest this for the next family Christmas party. Though not nearly so dramatic charades is probably much safer!

The Courtiers 

 The king or queen occupied a chair in the center of the room. The courtiers would then copy the monarch’s movements with losing their decorum. Any number of simple or vulgar actions might be attempted to cause laughter among the courtiers, thus resulting in a forfeit.

Steal the White Loaf 

 A chosen player, ‘it’, stood with their back to the others and a ‘treasure’ on the floor behind him/her. Another player would try to sneak up and steal the treasure. If ‘it’ turned around and saw them moving, then they would be ‘caught’ and become ‘it’.

Bullet pudding 

Flour was piled into a high mound and a bullet placed on the top. Players cut slices out of the flour pile with a knife without dislodging the bullet. If the bullet fell, the player had to retrieve the bullet from the flour with their teeth.

Post and pair 

This was a quick card game. Each player is dealt three cards. The winning hand was a pair of kings, queens or jacks, or otherwise highest ranking pair.

Tableaux Vivants 

Players took on the positions of a famous painting, nursery rhyme, or play and remained still and on display for those not participating in the scene.

Charades 

The game could be played two different ways. In one, each player in turn would recite their riddle, and the rest had to guess at their word. In the second, the party would divide into two or more groups, would create short one minute acts to describe the syllables, the last describing the whole word for the rest of the party to guess.

The End of Twelfth Night Revels 

Although Twelfth Night revelry could be peaceable and even family-friendly, it often became quite riotous thanks to large quantities of highly alcoholic punch served during the evening. In the 1870′s, Queen Victoria outlawed the celebration of Twelfth Night in fear the celebrations had become out of control.

References
A Regency Christmas. Kieran Hazzard ©2013 2nd Bn. 95th Rifles
Christmas in the Regency Jo Beverley
Celebrating a Regency Christmas.Regina Jeffers
Christmas Traditions in Regency England. Regan Walker
Christmas Frivolity. Joanna Waugh. 2008.
Revel,Rachel.Winter Evening Pastimes or The Merry Maker’s Companion. 1825
Jane Austen and Christmas: Celebrating Twelfth Night 
Jane Austen and Christmas: Parlour Games for the Season and Twelfth Night Twelfth Night
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 Maria Grace is the author of Darcy's Decision,  The Future Mrs. Darcy and All the Appearance of Goodness.  Click here to find her books on Amazon. For more on her writing and other Random Bits of Fascination, visit her website. You can also like her on Facebook, follow on Twitter or email her.

The Royal Medicine: Monarchs’ Longtime Love for Homeopathy

by Dana Ullman

Queen Elizabeth II with members of the British Royal Family

The love of homeopathy by the British royal family is well known today, in part because Queen Elizabeth II is patron of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital and because Prince Charles has taken an active role in his support for homeopathic and “complementary” medicine.

What is less well known is the love for homeopathy by so many other monarchs of yesterday. When one considers that these members of royalty had access to the best of available medical treatment and that there were certainly implications of their choice of less orthodox methods, the large number of monarchs who chose homeopathy represents a significant statement about the value they found in this medical system.

In 1842, an astonishing number of seventy-seven homeopathic physicians were on record to have served as personal physicians to monarchs and their families (Everest, 1842, 200–203).

British Monarchs

Royal Monogram of Queen Adelaide of Great Britain

The British royal family has had a longtime and deep appreciation for homeopathic medicine, ever since Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), wife of King William IV, first made public her special interest in this “new medicine” in 1835. Other British aristocrats shared the queen’s interests, including the Marquess of Anglesey who crossed the British Channel to go to Paris for treatment by the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.

In 1830, the Earl of Shrewsbury (1791–1852) had asked Hahnemann for the name of a homeopath who could come to England to be his doctor, and Hahnemann suggested Dr. Francesco Romani (1785–1854) of Italy. Dr. Romani’s cures were so remarkable that he soon created a sensation in London and its surrounds. Queen Adelaide heard about this new medical system from his good work. However, the cold climate didn’t suit the Italian homeopath, and he returned home just one year after his arrival (Granier, 1859).

A homeopathic medicine kit

Queen Adelaide had been suffering from a serious malady that the court physicians couldn’t cure. The queen called for the services of one of Hahnemann’s oldest and most faithful colleagues, Dr. Johann Ernst Stapf (1788–1860), who cured her, creating the first of many supporters of homeopathy from British royalty. The British homeopath to the titled Marquess of Anglesey, Dr. Harris Dunsford (1808–1847), wrote a book on homeopathy that was dedicated, with permission, to Queen Adelaide (Dunsford, 1842). This dedication made public her interest in and her appreciation for homeopathy. She was instrumental in helping to establish homeopathy’s early popularity, especially among the upper classes in England.

Queen Mary

Various kings and queens of Great Britain since Queen Adelaide have openly sought medical care from homeopathic physicians. Princess May, who later became Queen Mary (1865–1953), wife of King George V, headed the fundraising efforts to move and expand the London Homeopathic Hospital. King George V (1865–1936) was appreciative of homeopathy because it provided him with the real practical benefit of treating his seasickness whenever he suffered from it.

King Edward VII (1841–1910) carried on the homeopathic tradition and was a close drinking and eating partner of Dr. Frederick Hervey Foster Quin (1799–1878), the first British physician to become a homeopath. Edward’s daughter, Maud (1869–1938), married King Haakon VII of Norway, and both sought the homeopathic care of Sir John Weir, MD (see below).

George VI

King Edward VIII (1894–1972), known as Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, after his abdication in 1936, carried his homeopathic medicines in powder doses in his pocket.

His brother, King George VI (1895–1952), also had a special love for homeopathy. He even named one of his prize racehorses Hypericum, after a homeopathic medicine for injuries. He was known to be an expert user of homeopathic medicine himself, and he formally granted the use of the royal title to the London Homeopathic Hospital, now called the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Today’s Queen Elizabeth II (1926–), King George VI’s daughter, who ascended the throne in 1952, is patron to this important hospital, which underwent a $35 million refurbishing in 2005.

The most famous homeopath to royalty was Sir John Weir (1879–1971), who served six monarchs: King Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, George VI, Elizabeth II, King Gustav V of Sweden (1858–1950), and King Haakon VII of Norway (1872–1957).

The early growth of homeopathy in Britain in the mid-1800s became possible in large part through royal support and British aristocracy. The first British homeopath to British royalty, Dr. Quin, was a son of the Duchess of Devonshire (1765–1824), and thus himself an aristocrat. When Quin began his full-time homeopathic practice in London in 1832, he primarily treated members of his own noble class. During the mid-1800s, poor people could not usually afford treatment from doctors and instead tended to use the services of herbalists and apothecaries for their health care.

Another reason that the British royalty embraced homeopathy is that its approach of individualized treatment for each person seemed to give them the real sense that they would not be given medicines that would be prescribed for just anybody (Morrell, 1999). This premise of individualization of treatment is an integral part of homeopathy, and it makes sense to educated classes of people.

The fact that the royals have been Christians has probably also helped link them to homeopathy in subtle ways. Homeopathy has had a solid history of support from the clergy in both Europe and the U.S. (see Chapter 13 of my book The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, Clergy and Spiritual Leaders, for more details on this subject). A board of governors, primarily composed of clerics and bankers and a few titled persons and minor aristocrats, headed most of the homeopathic dispensaries for the poor. This was a consistent pattern in Europe and America.

The Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon

Not only did British royalty express their support for homeopathy by going to homeopaths and openly encouraging others to do so, they also put their money where their beliefs lay. Many British royalty were patrons to homeopathic organizations and hospitals. HRH Princess Adelaide (the Duchess of Teck) (1880–1940), the Lord Mayor of London, Sir George Wyatt Truscott (1860–1940), the Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon (1865–1940), Lord Cawdor (1870–1914), Lord Robert Grosvenor (1801–1893), the Earl of Wemyss and March (1857–1937), and the Earl of Donoughmore (1875–1944) were but some of a long list of royal patrons to homeopathy.

Others included: the Dukes of Beaufort, Dukes of Cambridge, Earl of Essex, Lord Gray of Gray, Viscount Malden, Lord Ernle, Earl of Kintore, Earl of Kinnaird, the Lords Paget, Dukes of Sutherland, Earls of Dudley, Lord Leconfield, Earl of Wilton, Earl of Albermarle, Viscount Sydney, Lady Radstock, Duke of Northumberland, Earl of Scarborough, Earl of Dysart, Marchioness of Exeter, Countess Waldegrave, Countess of Crawford and Balcarres, Lord Headley, Earl of Plymouth, Lord Calthorpe, Earls of Shrewsbury, Lord Horder, Lord Gainford, Lord Moynihan, Lord Ernle, Lord Ampthill, Lord Home, Viscount Elibank, and the Earls of Lichfield. One can also add numerous knights, barons, military officers, and clerics to this already impressive list.

Sir Henry Tyler (1827–1908) was another titled and rich patron to homeopathy. He not only personally contributed large amounts of money for the expansion of the London Homeopathic Hospital, but his daughter, the later famed Dr. Margaret Tyler (1857–1943), became an influential homeopathic doctor in London. She authored Homoeopathic Drug Pictures, a book that is still popular among practicing homeopaths, and she was the editor of a leading journal simply called Homoeopathy.

It is not surprising that homeopathy in nineteenth-century England came to be called the “rich-man’s therapy.” ....

....Other European Monarchs

Various monarchs throughout Europe were not simply patients of homeopaths; they were also advocates for this system of medicine. Because European royalty usually do not have a history of expressing advocacy without obvious and strong reasons, it is important to ask why so many European monarchs were so supportive of homeopathic medicine. The most obvious reason was that it was extremely effective for them, and, compared with conventional medicine of that day, it was considerably safer than the strong drugs, debilitating bleedings, and use of leeches.

Samuel Hahnemann

It has been theorized that the British royals (House of Windsor) learned about homeopathy from the German royals, who were all particularly strong advocates of this medical system that was originally founded by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, MD. The German kings sought homeopathic care from Dr. Hahnemann and his disciples. Thus, when Queen Victoria (1819–1906) married a German, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), the German royals’ interest in homeopathy began to develop even more popularity among British royalty, though Queen Victoria herself was not a vocal supporter of homeopathy.

King Leopold I

It should also be noted that the Belgian royalty were also advocates of homeopathy. Prince Leopold, who later became King Leopold I, sought the homeopathic care of Dr. Quin. Royalty from other countries soon also began to seek out homeopathic physicians and even became advocates of this new, safer system of medicine.

Even before Quin became a homeopath, he was a highly respected physician to various royalty. Dr. Quin was even called to become personal physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, though the day before Quin was to attend him, Napoleon died.

(For information on the use of homeopathy by other European royals, please see HERE or Mr. Ullman's book listed below.)

Royal Homeopathy Today

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth I

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (1926–) is an active supporter of homeopathy. She is patron of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, which was originally founded by Dr. Frederick Quin, the first “royal physician.” Her personal homeopath is Dr. Peter Fisher, who is also the medical director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital as well as editor of the leading academic journal in the field, Homeopathy (originally called the British Homoeopathic Journal).

Until her death in 2002, at the ripe old age of 101, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, was the principal royal patron of the British Homeopathic Association. The Duke of Gloucester, formerly Prince Richard, remains royal patron of the association. Princess Alice, the late Duchess of Gloucester, was the patron of the Blackie Foundation Trust established in honor of Dr. Margery Blackie, the former royal homeopathic physician who served from 1969 until 1980. At present, Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy, is patron to the Blackie Foundation Trust, and Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, serves as one of the vice-presidents of this organization.

Prince Charles by Dan Marsh

Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales (1948–), has been the most outspoken modern-day royal family member to advocate for what he has popularized as “complementary medicine.” In 1982, he became president of the British Medical Association, and made it his mission to get the medical community to understand the problems and limitations of orthodox medicine and to appreciate the contributions of various complementary therapies, including homeopathy.

In 1996, the prince established what is now called The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) and made a substantial contribution toward a £2 million endowment for the charity. In February 1996, he convened and chaired a seminar involving various health care professionals to discuss practical steps to improve communication and cooperation among all those concerned with the provision of health care. As a result, working groups were created to examine requirements for research and development, education and training, regulation, and the delivery of integrated care....

Prince Charles may be the most vocal royal proponent of homeopathic medicine, but he and the queen certainly are not alone. Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, sought homeopathic care from Jack Temple, an unconventional homeopath who died in 2004 at age 86 (Daily Telegraph, 2004; Rayner and Paveley, 2001). Princess Diana was also a regular at the Hale Clinic, an “alternative and complementary medicine” clinic in London, which was opened by Prince Charles. Simone Simmons, an “alternative healer” and close confidante of Diana, confirmed what many others have known, that “Prince Charles only uses homeopathic and complementary medicines as Diana and the children did.” (Daily Mail, 2005).

In 1997, Sarah, Duchess of York, made an unannounced trip to Dr. Isaac Mathai’s holistic health center in Bangalore, India. A reporter asked her: Now that you had holistic treatment, what is your perception about alternative healing methods? Sarah replied, “We were on the homeopathic system at home for a long time. My grandmother, who died in December (1996), was a homeopathic practitioner. As children, we were given Arnica for colds and other ailments.” (The Week, 1997)

Excerpted from:
The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy
(North Atlantic Books/Random House, 2007)
by Dana Ullman, MPH Copyright 2007 www.homeopathic.com
dana@homeopathic.com
Publication date:  October, 2007

From EHFA Blog owner, Debra Brown

Homeopathy is not synonymous with naturopathy or herbology. Homeopathic remedies trigger a healing or preventative reaction in the body much like vaccinations trigger an immune response.

Mr. Ullman's book discusses many other persons who have been pleased with the results of homeopathic medicine, including literary persons of years past. There will be a future post about some of those.

The study of homeopathy is fascinating. I have long purchased my homeopathic books and medicines from Mr. Ullman's website and even from his catalog before we were in the internet age. I encourage you to visit his site. 

References
Atkin, G. The British and Foreign Homoeopathic Medical Directory and Record. London: Aylott and Company, 1853.
Ameke, W. History of Homœopathy: Its Origin; Its Conflicts. 1885. Available at http://homeoint.org/seror/ameke/index.htm
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Blodi, F. C. Field Marshall Radetzky’s Orbital Abscess, Documenta Ophthalmologica, 1989, 71:205–219.
Bojanus, Dr. C. Historical and statistical report of the rise, progress and present condition of homoeopathy in Russia, Transactions of the World Homoeopathic Convention, Philadelphia, 1876, Vol II.
Bradford, T. L. Life and Letters of Samuel Hahnemann, Letters to Schweikert. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1895.
Bradford, T. L. Pioneers of Homoeopathy. Philadelphia: Boericke and Tafel, 1897.
British Journal of Homeopathy, 1854, 686 (letter from French medical correspondent). Quoted in Tyler, M. L., Lecture to Missionary Students, Homeopathy, April 1932, 1(4):126–134.
By Royal Appointment, Health and Homeopathy, Spring 1992.
Clarke, J. H. Homoeopathy Explained. London: Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1905. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Cook, T. Samuel Hahnemann: His Life and Times. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1981.
Coulter, H. L. Divided Legacy: A History of the Schism in Medical Thought. Vol. III: The Conflict Between Homeopathy and the AMA. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1973.
Coulter, H. L. Divided Legacy: A History of the Schism in Medical Thought. Vol. II: Progress and Regress: J. B. Van Helmont to Claude Bernard. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1977.
Daily Mail (UK), Diana’s Confidante Talks about the “People’s Princess,” August 17, 2005. Available at www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/webchats/webchat.html?in_page_id=1868&in_article_id=146641
Daily Telegraph (UK), Jack Temple (obituary), February 20, 2004.
Dunsford, H. The Practical Advantages of Homoeopathy, Illustrated by Numerous Cases. Dedicated, by permission, to Her Majesty, Queen Adelaide. Philadelphia: John Pennington. 1842.
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Everest, Rev. T. R. A Popular View of Homeopathy. New York: William Radde, 1842.
Ewers, F. W. Bewahrte Heilmethod der Lausesucht u des Grindes, … (Translation: Tried and True Therapies for Eliminating Lice and Impetigo/mange/scabies). Ilmenau, 1826.
Forbes, Sir J. Homoeopathy, Allopathy and ‘Young Physic.’ New York: William Radde, 1846.
Granier, M. Conferences Upon Homoeopathy: The Spread of Homeopathy. London: Leath and Ross, 1859.
Haehl, R. Samuel Hahnemann: His Life and Work (2 vols.). London: Homeopathic Publishing Co., 1922. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
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Hunt, W. F. The Condition of Homeopathy in Europe, Transactions of the New York State Homeopathic Medical Society, 1863, 118–123. (The author of this article graduated from Indiana Medical College, a conventional medical college, and later became a homeopath and professor of material medica, medical jurisprudence, and medical botany at the New York Homeopathic Medical College during 1859–1869. He also took an active role in creating asylums for the blind, the deaf, and the dumb, including the State Asylum for the Insane. He wrote the law that made care at these facilities free. Hunt’s father was General George Hunt, a pioneer in the Indiana territory, and his great-grandfather was Jonathan Hunt of New Jersey, a colonel in the Continental Army (Wershub, 1967, 34).)
Jütte, R. The Hidden Roots: A History of Homeopathy in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Stuttgart: Institute for the History of Medicine, 2006.
Kotok, A. The History of Homeopathy in the Russian Empire until World War I, as compared with other European countries and the USA: Similarities and Discrepancies. PhD thesis submitted to the Senate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, November 1999. Available at http://homeoint.org/books4/kotok/index.htm
Kotok, A. The Alexander II Homeopathic Hospital in St Petersburg, The Homeopath, Autumn 2000, 79:8–11.
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L’ Union Medicale, 1850. Quoted in Progress of Homoeopathy in Spain, Monthly Journal of Homeopathy, 1850, issue 12.
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Morrell, P. British Homeopathy During Two Centuries. Available at http://homeoint.org/morrell/british/index.htm (A research thesis submitted to Staffordshire University for the degree of Master of Philosophy, June 1999.)
Mueller, M. L. History and Statistics of the Homoeopathic Hospitals of Austria, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1876, vol II.
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Poulet, J. Approche de l’Homoeopathie, l’Homoeopathie Francaise, 1973, pp. 452–454.
Poulet, J. Archives du Chateau de Montgobert, Les Bonaparte et l’homeopathie. Montgobert: Le Club de Retz, no date.
Prince Charles. “Open-Minded” Healthcare. BBC Online. May 28, 1998. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/102246.stm
Rayner, G., and Paveley, R. Cherie health guru who believes MMR jab is unnecessary, Daily Mail (London), December 26, 2001.
Schmidt, P. Historical Sketch of Homeopathy in Switzerland, Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, February 1926, 19(2):164–170.
Smith, D. D. Notable Psychiatrists in Hawaii Over the Past 150 Years, Archives of the Hawaii Medical Library, July, 2002. Available at www.hawaiipsychiatric.org/HawaiiPsychiatric.data/Library/History/Hawaii%20Psychiatrists%20Hx.pdf
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The Week, February 9, 1997. Available at www.soukya.com/theweek.html
Tyler, M. Homoeopathic Drug Pictures. London: Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1942. (Reprinted New Delhi: B. Jain, no date.)
Wells, P. P. What Is Homoeopathy, and What Are the Possibilities and Duties of Its Practice? The Organon, July 1879, issue 3.
Wershub, L. P. One Hundred Years of Medical Progress: A History of the New York Medical Colllege, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, 1967.
Young, N. Napoleon in Exile: St. Helena (1815–1821). London: Stanley Paul, 1915.

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DANA ULLMAN, MPH, CCH, is one of America's leading advocates for homeopathy. He has authored 10 books, including The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, Homeopathy A-Z, Homeopathic Medicines for Children and Infants, Discovering Homeopathy, and (the best-selling) Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines (with Stephen Cummings, MD). Dana also authored an ebook that is a continually growing resource to 200+ clinical studies published in peer-review medical journals testing homeopathic medicines. This ebook combines the descriptions of these studies with practical clinical information on how to use homeopathic medicines for 100+ common ailments. This ebook is entitled Evidence Based Homeopathic Family Medicine, and it is an invaluable resource. Dana has been certified in classical homeopathy by the leading organization in the U.S. for professional homeopaths.
He is the founder of Homeopathic Educational Services, America's leading resource center for homeopathic books, tapes, medicines, software, and correspondence courses. Homeopathic Educational Services has co-published over 35 books on homeopathy with North Atlantic Books.
Dana writes a regular column for the wildly popular website, www.huffingtonpost.com (to access these articles, click HERE!)

King Edward II and the Knights Templar

by Helena Schrader

 The Effigy of Edward II on his Tomb in Gloucester Cathedral

Edward II has not gone down in history as one of Britain’s greater monarchs.  He lacked the military effectiveness of his brutal father, and suffered the humiliating defeat at Bannockburn. He was openly homosexual in an age when this was widely despised, illegal and a cardinal sin. He indulged his favorites and lavished favors on them – to the outrage of the magnates of the realm, who expected to be the recipients of royal favor. And, of course, he ended his reign ignominiously, abandoned by the bulk of his vassals and subjects, and forced to flee before the invading forces of his estranged queen, her lover and his fourteen year old son.  But, for all his weaknesses and errors of judgment, he was not entirely unscrupulous or heartless, and he should be remembered with respect for his stance concerning the Knights Templar.

On the night of Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France’s men broke into the commandaries of the Knights Templar throughout France and arrested everyone they found, knights, sergeants and lay-brothers.  The Templars were accused of a catalogue of heinous crimes from idolatry to sodomy. They were alleged to have cremated the bodies of their comrades (a sin in the medieval church) and then consumed their ashes. They were said to have roasted infants alive and eaten them as well.  Compared to these charges, the accusations of devil worship, blasphemy, corruption and deflowering virgins were almost child’s play.

Modern historians agree that the charges were trumped up and motivated by Philip IV’s empty coffers. Philip IV used similar charges to justify confiscation of the property of the Jews and to remove Pope Benedict the XI.  Further evidence that he did not believe the vile charges against the Templars was Philip IV’s close association with them prior to their arrest.  Indeed, the day before the mass arrests, the Grand Marshal of the Templars was given a place of honor as pall bearer to the deceased wife of Charles of Valois, the king’s brother -- hardly the place for a man sincerely suspected of devil worship, cannibalism and sodomy, but Philip IV was nothing if not cold-blooded.

All those arrested, including the very men King Philip had treated as friends and advisors only months, days and even hours before, were subjected to brutal torture until they confessed to the catalog of crimes the French King had concocted. The tortures employed included tearing out men’s teeth, burning the soles off their feet (crippling many), suspending men by their wrists after tying their hands behind their backs, tearing off fingernails etc. etc. Between torture sessions, the arrested monks were held in dungeons with little (if any) light or air, given poor rations, and no access to sanitary facilities, so that many became ill, weakening their ability to withstand the torture further. The treatment was so brutal that no less than 36 Templars died under torture in the first week after the arrests. Most of those that did not die, however, eventually confessed to one or more of the charges against them. Only a few held out, while fifty-four Templars, who had the courage to retract the confessions torn from them under torture, were burned at the stake as “relapsed heretics.”

While this was all going on in France, the rest of Christendom was dumbstruck and amazed. Since the Templars were an international organization owing allegiance only to the pope, it was important for Philip IV to gain papal support for his actions, and to convince his fellow monarchs to follow his lead. Tragically, the Pope at the time lived in terror of King Philip IV, who had deposed his predecessor with accusations almost identical to those leveled against the Templars. He preferred to sacrifice the Templars rather than risk confrontation with King Philip. (The pope resided in Avignon at this time and was widely viewed as a prisoner or puppet of the French king.)

Enter Edward II of England, the son-in-law of Philip IV. A month after the arrests in France, Edward’s “dear” father-in-law sent a special envoy to him laden with documents that purported to prove the guilt of the Templars.  Edward’s reaction was to write to the Kings of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, and Sicily, denouncing the King of France. Edward rejected the charges against the Templars as monstrous lies, and reminded his fellow monarchs of the Templars service in the Holy Land and their “becoming devotion to God.” He urged the recipients of his letter to turn a deaf ear “to the slanders of ill-natured men.”

One of the crusader castles similar to the castles the Templars used to defend the Holy Land



Edward also wrote to the pope urging him to open an independent inquiry, but the pope responded by ordering the arrest of the Templars.  Edward II received these papal instructions on December 15, 1307, but he delayed arresting the Templars until January 7.  This three week delay enabled many English Templars to “disappear,” – and possibly some of their portable wealth with them. But most “wealth” in medieval England was, of course, land and Edward II now made a virtue out of necessity and seized all Templar properties for the crown. One can hardly blame him.

What I find remarkable and noteworthy is that even now he did not entirely abandon the Templars. When the pope insisted that the arrested Templars (those like the Master of England William de la More, who was determined to defend his Order, or those too old and feeble too escape) be tortured to force confessions, Edward of England blandly replied that torture was not part of English jurisprudence, adding that he didn’t have anyone in the kingdom experienced in such skills. (The English crown had resolutely refused to allow the Dominicans to introduce the Inquisition into England.)

For three years (!), Edward continued to resist demands that the Templars be tortured until the pope threatened him with excommunication – and sent ten of his best torturers to help the backward English crown. (Today we call it "capacity building.")  Edward caved in, but in a last gesture of loyalty he told the torture team they were not to mutilate their victims, leave permanent injuries or cause violent effusions of blood.

Edward of England enriched himself from the Templars, but, to the extent that he was able, he spared them from cruel and inhuman treatment. It is perhaps only a footnote in an otherwise sad and unlucky reign, but I think Edward still deserves to be honored for his stance on this issue.

 The last Grand Master and Marshal of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay and Geoffrey de Charney respectively, were burned at the stake for retracting their confessions, in the presence of King Philip, on March 18, 1314.

In 2007 the Vatican officially declared the Templars’ innocent based on the evidence still in the Papal archives.

Sources:

John J. Robinson, The Knights Templar in the Crusades, London, 1991.

Malcolm Barber, The New Knighthood, Cambridge, 1994.
Stephen Howarth, The Knights Templar, New York, 1984.
Frank Sanello, The Knights Templar: God’s Warriors, The Devil’s Bankers, New York, 2003.

Helena P. Schrader is the author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction from Ancient Sparta to the Berlin Airlift. You can find out more about her books on her website: http://helenapschrader.com.

She is currently working on her “Tales of Chivalry” series, ten novels set in the Age of Chivalry, three of which feature Knights Templar prominently. The English Templar, the story of an English knight caught up in the arrests in France is available on amazon.com.  Visit Helena’s website: http://talesofchivalry.com or view the video teaser by clicking Tales of Chivalry Video.

Knocking Down the Walls - Catapulting Devices and the Trebuchet

 by Scott Higginbotham

There is a great crashing sound, preceded by a series of thuds, all sharp and bone-jarring.  Dust and loose mortar rain down on your exposed head, and you cough, hoping to clear your lungs.  Grit fills your eyes, and just when you gain your bearings and stumble to your feet the same sharp pounding repeats. 

Walls shift and glass shatters as the only world you know is bathed in a terrible hail of stones.  This couldn’t be happening.  It shouldn’t be happening.  Heavy blocks are loosened and fall onto tables and chests, and doors splinter as though the foundations of the earth are in peril.  The battlements are a storm of chaos and dust, but there is an unearthly moan just beyond bowshot.

Like a waking nightmare, giants groan in the morning haze.  Their long arms sweep and swivel on an axis, clawing huge stones from the earth to pummel your walls.  They never rest, and they never sleep.  They are immune to sword and arrow. Armored knights on their proud destriers have small chance at striking fear in the hearts of these wooden beasts.

The trebuchet was a medieval siege engine that could force a breach in a castle wall.  Fitted stone, no matter how stout doesn’t stand a chance under a determined assault.  If a siege tower or scaling ladder failed to give an army access to the battlements, and there were a host of factors that could affect that – terrain, weather, expendable soldiers – then a projectile-throwing device with a long range could make that a possibility.  A handful of engineers, a steady supply of stones, and patience are the main ingredients needed to topple a castle wall.

Trebuchet details - Public Domain from Wikimedia Commons

Other devices were used in siege warfare.  The ballista was similar to a giant crossbow and could fire a long, iron-tipped arrow over a long distance.  The sharp end could be wound with tow, soaked in pitch, and set ablaze to add to its destructive power.  However, it would be ineffective against a stone wall; rather, firing buildings within the walls would do the most damage.

A mangonel is a type of catapult fitted with a bowl-shaped cup on the end of a stout beam.  This beam would have been winched tight against rope having a certain amount of elasticity or by physically bending the beam.  This type of catapult had its energy stored in either the rope and/or the bend of the wood. As a result, the range was limited along with its lifespan.

By contrast, the trebuchet was different, owing to the fact that its range was longer and its energy was not stored in the curvature of the beam or the relative elasticity of the rope.  Rather, the potential is chiefly stored in the counterweight; the heavier the counterweight, the greater the force, velocity, and distance of the projectile.

A simplified description would depict a team of engineers winching the counterweight into the air and locking it into place while the payload would be deposited in the sling.  The projectile could range from heavy stones meant to punch through a wall or gatehouse, diseased animal carcasses or excrement for spreading disease or striking fear, or flaming pots of pitch for firing the bailey, thus causing a mass exodus and an opening of the gates.

The basics of this type of catapulting device are summarized as follows [1]
•    The machine is powered exclusively by gravity; most often directly by means of a counterweight, though sometimes indirectly (such as in a traction trebuchet).
•    Such force rotates a throwing arm, usually four to six times the length of the counterweight arm, to multiply the speed of the arm and, eventually, the projectile.
•    The machine utilizes a sling affixed to the end of the throwing arm, acting as a secondary fulcrum, to further multiply the speed of the projectile.

An intimate knowledge of a trebuchet’s inner workings and physics won’t necessarily help defeat a team of them that get wheeled or constructed outside of your walls.  In fact, knowing its raw power should cause you to shudder and perhaps sue for terms. Scott Higginbotham writes under the name Scott Howard and is the author of A Soul’s Ransom, a novel set in the fourteenth century where William de Courtenay’s mettle is tested, weighed, and refined, and For a Thousand Generations where Edward Leaver navigates a world where his purpose is defined with an eye to the future.  His new release, A Matter of Honor, is a direct sequel to For a Thousand Generations.  It is within Edward Leaver's well-worn boots that Scott travels the muddy tracks of medieval England.

A History Lover's Treasure Hunt

by Tim Carrington

Years ago I used to organise the occasional Armchair Treasure Hunt for BBC Radio Shropshire. I would provide the clues and their presenter, and I would take calls from people who thought they knew the answers, and so we would ‘virtually’ travel the county during an hour long programme. En route we would chat to locals and find out a little bit more than what my cryptic clues or my own knowledge of the area provided. 

Of course, that was in the days before internet, Google Earth and Wikipedia. So this is an invite to spend an hour or so in ‘Virtual’ England, and perhaps you will learn even more history – or should that be trivia – than you already know. I hope you use both internet searches and Google Earth to help you. The nice thing about the latter is that the sun is always shining.

1.       We start at what local legend tells was Gwenhyfar’s (Guinevere’s) birthplace which was recently the subject of local and on-line protests. One point for the place name IN WELSH. One point for the protest topic. (2 points available)

2.       Now we travel east to the White Tower which now ends in a large weight. Close by there is a wood which may or may not have a connection with the children’s story ‘Babes In The Wood’. One point for naming the family who had to hide in those woods when the nasty Welsh took the castle. One point for knowing the reason so many places end in ‘ton. (2 points available)

3.       Now south to a ‘monarch’s cranium’.  One point for naming that place and another for naming the monarch. (2 points available)

4.       And south again past another heavy weight which does NOT lie to the east. At the cross roads head for the brothel. Yes, there is such a place (by implication) if you look hard enough. Nearby is a castle. But who is the guy who built it? And IS there a brothel there today? One point for the village name, one for the name of the man who built the castle, and one for the brothel connection. (3 points available)

5.       Now we go east to the only place in the WORLD that has Roman numerals in its name. Eleven points for giving me the 11 reasons for its name. (11 points available)

6.       And then south to a highwayman’s hideout. He was a bit of a local hero who robbed the rich to feed the poor – probably to keep them quiet as there was a price on his head. One point for his full name and another for telling me where his family home was. (2 points available)

7.       Now south east to the birthplace of Charles Darwin. One point for giving me his connection with pottery. One point for his father’s occupation. (2 points available)

8.       And while we are here. Did you know that it is in this town where the FIRST English parliament sat where both lords and commoners were represented? One point for naming the king at that time. And three points for telling me the full  name of the unfortunate Welshman who was hung, drawn and quartered as a result of that parliament. (4 points available)

9.       And while we are in this historic town, can you find out who the would-be king was and where he stayed in this town. Two points for that. (2 points available)

10. Finally, a bonus ten points if you can tell me in your own words what happened when the would-be king arrived at the Welsh bridge and asked for passage through the town. (10 points available)

Unfortunately, US law does not allow us to have you "work" for a prize, so we cannot award anything for your efforts. It is all just for fun. Please send your answers to tim@book2read.eu

Have fun!

Tim Carrington

www.tim-carrington.co.uk