Mandragora

Abstract

Initial attempts at surgical anesthesia began many centuries ago, with the plants of antiquity. The mandragora, or mandrake, was used as a sedative and to induce pain relief for surgical procedures. It has been depicted in tablets and friezes since the 16th century before the common era (BCE) and used for its sedative effects by Hannibal (second century BCE) against his enemies. The Romans used the mandrake for surgery. The Arabs translated the scientific work of the Ancients and expanded on their knowledge. They developed the Spongia Somnifera, which contained the juice of the mandrake plant. After the fall of the Islamic cities of Europe to the Christians, scientific work was translated into Latin and the Spongia Somnifera was used in Europe until the discovery of the use of ether for surgical anesthesia.

Ethnopharmacology of Love

“…The fruits of the mandrake were called ‘apples of love’ and the plant associated with both, Aphrodite, the Greek love goddess as well as Circe, the sorceress ( Lee, 2006 ; Kennedy, 2014 , p. 132). The fruit of ‘dudaim’ (book Genesis), which Lea handed over to her sister Rahel upon request, and brought temporarily Jakob as well as pregnancy back to Lea, is generally identified as a mandrake ‘apple’ ( Hanuš et al, 2005 ; Lee, 2006 ; Chidiac et al, 2012 ) but an unambiguous identification is probably impossible ( Preuss, 1971 , p. 539–540). The mandrake root was used as an anesthetic, as an aphrodisiac and fertility drug, for amatory attraction and magic until the 17th century ( Lee, 2006 ; Chidiac et al, 2012 ).…”

Immunomodulatory effects of preparations from Anthroposophical Medicine for parenteral use

“…Indications for Mandragora use in AM are mainly painful, degenerative and inflammatory disorders of joints and ligaments. It has been used in folk medicine as a narcotic, an anesthetic and for the treatment of various diseases [ 11 , 12 ] and contains alkaloids with anticholinergic properties.…”

Anesthetic Agents of Plant Origin: A Review of Phytochemicals with Anesthetic Activity

“…Because medicinal plants and herbs have been used since ancient times for relieving pain caused by disease, injury and surgery, some of them contributed to the development of modern anesthesia [ 3 ]. Cocaine, the first local anesthetic, originates from a specific plant alkaloid and the widely used intravenous anesthetic propofol shares the partial structure and pharmacological mechanism with certain plant terpenoids.…”