Saffron, Medicinal Plant, 1737
A Curious Herbal, Plate 144. Blackwell lists many medicinal applications for saffron: strengthening the heart, opening obstructions of the liver and spleen, as a treatment for fevers, smallpox, measles, jaundice, and diseases of the lungs, and easing menstruation and labor. Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, a genus in the family Iridaceae. Saffron is used for asthma, cough, whooping cough (pertussis), and to loosen phlegm (expectorant). It is also used for sleep problems (insomnia), cancer, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), intestinal gas (flatulence), depression, Alzheimer's disease, fright, shock, spitting up blood (hemoptysis), pain, heartburn, and dry skin. Women use saffron for menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Men use it to prevent early orgasm (premature ejaculation) and is also used for to increase interest in sex (as an aphrodisiac) and to induce sweating. Some people apply saffron directly to the scalp for baldness (alopecia). Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758) was a famed Scottish illustrator and author who was best known as both the artist and engraver for the plates of "A Curious Herbal" (1737).
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