Blue ships

From time immemorial the seas have enabled contact and trade between the various peoples of the World. Ever since his existence man has been looking for food and medicinal herbs and has tried to obtain these through trade by sea or by land. One learned how to use products from the plant and animal kingdom for controlling pain, wound care and curing the sick. Quite soon it was discovered that some of the medicines gathered showed a multifunctional behaviour. Indigo is an example of a vegetable dye for textile, but it was also a drug against skin diseases and epilepsy. The yellow turmeric served as a textile dye or a spice in curry powder, but at the same time it was a favourite remedy against disorders of the gall bladder and the liver. Spices and colorants were indispensable both in the kitchen and in medicine. They therefore occupy an important position among the multifunctional drugs discussed here. This book examines in some detail the sea trade, origin, properties and application of various multifunctional drugs.