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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Garlic in the Trenches!


Guest Ian Bowbrick

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

In last night's London Evening Standard there was an article about this giant variety of garlic that will or maybe is now on sale in the UK. The bulb size easily covers a mans palm. In a box by the article called 'Things you never knoew about garlic' it said that garlic was 'used by Doctors, didn't say which nationality, in the trenches to treat wounds'. Now forgetting the inaccuracy of the use of the expression 'in the trenches', is this statement actually true or is it another factoid or even an urban myth?

Ian

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Funny that, was discussing Garlic last night (not its being in the trenches, but seems to apply). Seems to be a natural 'cleansing agent' for the want of a better phrase; one of natures little gems.

Creatures such as fleas, lice etc dont like it as it comes out of the pores of the skin, which makes it a good deterrent on both Humans & pets. Good for blood and various other bodily parts & functions too, so wouldnt surprise me if this turned out to be 'provable' in text somewhere Ian.

And I suppose vampires were pretty rife in the trenches too, so ... ;)

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Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antiviral product (if only because people will keep so far away from a committed garlic addict that they never catch a cold or flu); it cleanses the liver and thins the blood (as does a good single malt, so much so that people undergoing surgery are on occasion advised to cut down on the consumption of both prior to surgery in case it provokes excessive bleeding); the smell of garlic coming through the pores does indeed repel midges, etc; and, I've heard tell, it contains aphrodisiac properties.

As with the anti-oxidant properties of colourful fruit (tomato, peppers etc.) it is believed to be most effective when crushed or chopped.

However, given its relatively recent introduction into the British diet, I cannot imagine many WW1 British troops being happy to knowingly eat it, what with all its associations with the French.

Interestingly (or not) an awful lot of garlic is grown on the Isle of Wight.

Richard

B.U.L.B

British Garlic Advisory and Health Board.

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Ian

There is no reason to suppose that garlic wasn't used to treat the troops (or keep vampires away). Garlic has long been used for herbal remedies and is well known to have antibacterial properties. It is also quoted as having antiviral and antifungal properties. So it is quite possible that doctors used it to treat infections. After all most of the medications used back then were derived from herbal medicines.

The vampires were alive and well and living in the Balkans is my belief.

Garth

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I wonder in what form it was used – as crushed garlic flesh or as an essential oil?

It’s been in use for four thousand years. It’s certainly a powerful antiseptic, but also is a decongestant, a detoxifying agent, a treatment for intestinal problems, a bronchitis treatment and it seems to improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure when eaten.

As an essential oil, it’s highly volatile (releases its properties quickly into the air) and very easily absorbed through the skin and through the nose. (If garlic oil is rubbed on the feet it is detectable in breath within ten minutes.) Thus even proximity to a cut surface of garlic means that the properties may be absorbed so that the person may avoid minor ailments such as coughs, colds, stomach disorders; and some people liked to have a clove of garlic in their shoes for this reason.

I can see a use for garlic in treating catarrh, sinusitis and more serious bronchial illnesses. I can also imagine it would be a useful agent to fight gastro infections and internal parasites, perhaps in conditions where bacteria would proliferate. It is known to increase infection resistance. As an antibiotic garlic (oil) would have its many uses and it’s been known for many years that it’s effective on urinary, bladder and kidney infections; it was even used as a suppository for some conditions. This is supposed to be highly effective.

Essential oils were used during the last war by Dr Jean Valnet, army surgeon, to treat severe burns and battlefield injuries. As garlic is so versatile, I suppose that he included it in his repertoire of medicines. He developed his interest after the War and went on to develop ways of using oils in psychiatry. I don’t know what experience, if any, Rene Gattefossé (the chemist who worked initially on antiseptic properties of essential oils) had in the Great War; I could look it up in my aromatherapy textbooks.

Gwyn

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Natural remedies have been used for a long time such as honey on wounds used by the Egyptians. The ancients knew a lot more than they are given credit for. The Medieval Hospital excavated south of Edinburgh has the remains of all sorts of herb gardens growing some very strange plants. An interesting post Glynn

but

".................it was even used as a suppository for some conditions. This is supposed to be highly effective."

Garlic paste or cloves!!! :blink:

..

No, don't go there.

Aye

Malcolm

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The French are still far more keen to administer (and receive?) suppositories than most in Anglo-Saxon nations, and will often issue a suppository instead of an oral pill since they often consider it a far more efficacious way to give medicine - I suppose because it avoids the sudden digestion in the stomach for slow-release drugs.

So, if you feel unwell whilst in France and go to the doctor, be sure to read the directions before you use them after a night on the wine: I suppose otherwise you might get gentle hints that you are talking out of your derriere.

Malcolm

It's neither; it's the whole bulb, skin and all; and for the really ill it's three bulbs, still in their netting and WITH the hard plastic supermarket price label.

Richard

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I don't know about eating garlic/rubbing it on the skin but I've seen references to troops at Verdun putting the cloves up their noses to keep out the stench of the battlefield.

Garlic grew wild in large quantities in my part of NE Cheshire but despite that I never knew it as a feature of the local cooking. Can't see the British troops wanting to eat it much but perhaps it was denatured before being used in medicinal form.

Christina

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".................it was even used as a suppository for some conditions. This is supposed to be highly effective."

Garlic paste or cloves!!! :blink:

I don't know.

I did a course to learn aromatherapy but happily we stayed at skin level.

Gwyn

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French army surgeons in the Great War used oils of lemon, lavender, thyme and clove to accelerate wound healing and as antiseptics.

Australians used tea tree oil as a disinfectant.

Some British doctors used calendula to treat gangrene.

Complementary medicines were certainly among the repertoire available to medical professionals and, I imagine, they might have been welcomed as alternatives when conventional medicines were scarce. Some of these plants or herbs would have been fairly easily accessible and can be prepared for use without complex chemical procedures: steaming or making into a tea are options which come to mind.

Haven’t got time to pursue this any further atm, sorry, but will look up later.

Gwyn

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