Dr. Christina Lee, Associate Professor in Viking Studies at the University of Nottingham, has received national media attention for a medical breakthrough of a 10th century medicine that kills the superbug MRSA in lab conditions.
Anglo-Saxon expert Dr. Lee teamed up with a group of microbiologists on ‘The AncientBiotics Project’ to establish whether this thousand-year-old concoction of garlic, wine and bile from a cow’s stomach would work on modern-medical infections.
To the astonishment of the microbiologists, the medicine not only proved to cure the infection it was intended for, but was also effective in combating the superbug MRSA.
“Dr Christina Lee, as ever, is proving that ancient manuscripts can potentially hold the key to modern life”
“For me this is a fantastic opportunity,” Dr. Lee said in the project’s YouTube video, going on to highlight how the term ‘medieval’ can be used pejoratively in contemporary society. This project has allowed the researchers to counter this use of the term ‘medieval’ by looking at science from a medieval context and proving the effectiveness of this Anglo-Saxon medicine.
Isla McLachlan, a first-year English student, said: “Dr Christina Lee, as ever, is proving that ancient manuscripts can potentially hold the key to modern life.”
The recipe was constructed ‘faithfully’, adhering to the instructions of the recipe, and appears to be more effective than conventional anti-biotic treatment. In four batches of tests, the remedy reduced billions of cells of MRSA to as little as a few thousand.
“The potential for these texts to contribute to addressing the challenges cannot be understood without the combined expertise of the arts and sciences”
The recipe was found in Bald’s Leechbook, an Old English manuscript held in the British Library, along with a variety of remedies the Anglo-Saxons recorded for treating bacterial infections, sores and skin conditions.
Dr. Lee emphasised the need for interdisciplinary research, which allowed for this breakthrough to be made. She said: “The potential for these texts to contribute to addressing the challenges cannot be understood without the combined expertise of the arts and sciences.”
Beth Rowland, a second-year English and History student, said: “Christina Lee is a fantastic lecturer and this is an amazing discovery. It’s astonishing that a 10th century manuscript could form the basis of today’s understanding of medicine. Sometimes people say history cannot teach us anything new, but this is proof that that idea is not true!”
“The potential of this to take onto the next stage to say ‘does it really work as an antibiotic?’ is beyond my wildest dreams”
Researchers in the sciences at UoN have stated that the ‘astonishing’ antibacterial effect this remedy has is down to the unique combination of ingredients and the brewing methods involved.
Dr Freya Harrison, of the School of Life Sciences, said: “You can never say for utter certainty that because this works in the lab it will work as an antibiotic. But the potential of this to take onto the next stage to say ‘does it really work as an antibiotic?’ is beyond my wildest dreams.”
The project is now hoping to acquire funding in order to further their research and take the remedy to the next stage of testing.
For more, visit https://youtu.be/mo4K51bQVs0.
Jonathan McAllister
Image: British Library
I am curious: What kind of wine was used? Is there a particular type of onion? Do you have an actual modern version of the recipe you use? If you do, I’d love to read it and I’d love to learn more!! Take care and have a great day, John O’Grady.
John,
Thanks for the query.
The recipe is as follows:
Equal amounts of garlic and another allium (onion or leek), finely chopped and crushed in a mortar for two minutes.
25ml (0.87 fl oz) of English wine – taken from a historic vineyard near Glastonbury.
Dissolve bovine salts in distilled water, add and then keep chilled for nine days at 4C.
Dr. Lee is an amazing lecturer. So proud of the Professor for this finding!
Why does the wine have to be English wine? Is the grape somehow different than other grapes due to climate and soil conditions? Did you use red whit…?