Electuary Explained

An electuary is a medicine consisting of a powder or other ingredient mixed with something sweet such as honey to make it more palatable.^[1]

In German and Swiss cultures, electuary (German: [[:wikt:Latwerge|Latwerge]] or German: [[:wikt:Latwerg|Latwerg]]) is also more generally a thickened juice and honey preparation with a thick, viscous consistency that is used in for culinary purposes, such as a (bread) spread or as a sauce ingredient.^{[2] [3]}

In the Indian Ayurveda tradition, electuaries are called Lēhya (लेह्य)^[4] (literally, "lickable").

Types

There are many different types of electuary: laxative electuary, joyful electuary etc.The fermentation of mixed herbs in honey and their effects on each other, increases medical properties already present and creates new ones.^[5]

Famous electuary in medicine

• Chyawanprash
• Diasenna
• Mithridate
• Faroug
• Figra
• Sootira^[6]

References

1. Avicenna (1999). The Canon of Medicine (al-Qānūn fī'l-ṭibb), vol. 5. translate by Abdurrahman Sharafkandi.

Notes and References

1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24633817 "The Doctor and the Buccaneer: Sir Hans Sloane's Case History of Sir Henry Morgan, Jamaica, 1688"
2. https://www.eberle.ch/shop/latwergekocherei/?p=2 Latwerge kocherei
3. Web site: wiktionary.org. Latwerge. 7 February 2022.
4. Web site: Lehyam: Herbal Elixirs from Ayurveda | Kerala Ayurveda India .
5. The Canon of Medicine/vol.5
6. The Canon of Medicine in Arabic/vol.4.page.434