Balm of Gilead (Cedronella canariensis)
Jeremiah 46:11 Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin,
daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.
Words & Music: African-American spiritual.
There is a balm in Gilead To make wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal sin sick soul.
Some times I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain, But then Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead To make wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal sin sick soul.
If you can’t preach like Peter, If you can’t pray like Paul, Just tell love of Jesus, And say He died for all.
There is a balm in Gilead To make wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal sin sick soul.
Although this herb originates from Canary Islands, as indicated by its species name, balm of Gilead is now established in may temperate regions of world. Many plants have been called balm of Gilead, common link is that they all have a musky, eucalyptus or camphorlike scent. balm of Gilead[gil´Eud] Pronunciation Key, name for several plants belonging to different taxonomic families. Balm of Gilead is a confusing name. It has been freely applied to trees of balsam family, trees of willow family, trees of poplar family and to at least one shrub found during research on this herb. Care should be taken when a formula or a recipe for treatment is given with an ingredient called "balm of Gilead" in ingredients. Perhaps they are all similar in biochemical makeup. Research further, that is what is recommended here if you have doubts as to which is being referred to in recipe.
For wrinkles: Take barley water, strain, add a few drops of oil of balm of Gilead. Place in a bottle and let stand for 10-12 hours, shaking bottle occasionally until balsam is entirely mixed with water. This mixture improves complexion and preserves appearance of youth. If used only once a day, it removes wrinkles and gives skin a surprising luster. Wash face before using this fluid.
Buds boiled to separate resin, then dissolved in alcohol, once used as preservative in ointments. Folk remedy (balm) used for sores; tincture for toothaches, rheumatism, diarrhea, wounds; tea used as a wash for inflammation, frostbite, sprains, and muscle strain. Internally, tea is used for cough, lung ailments, expectorant. Inner bark tea is used for scurvy, also as an eye wash, blood tonic. Root tea is used as a wash for headaches. Probably contains salicin, explaining its aspirin-like qualities.
Buds can also be made into an inhalant to relieve congestion in respiratory passages. Their salicin content make them useful for minor pains and aches that aspirin generally relieves.
The historic Old World balm of Gilead, or Mecca balsam, is a small evergreen tree (Commiphora gileadensis, also once called C. opobalsamum) of family Burseraceae (incense-tree family) native to Africa and Asia and source of commercial balm of Gilead; it is referred to in Bible in Jer. 8.22. The Ishmaelites from Gilead were bearing balm when they bought Joseph from his brothers.
History---Balm, Baulm or Bawm, contracted from Balsam, may be derived from Hebrew bot smin, 'chief of oils,' or bâsâm, 'balm,' and besem, 'a sweet smell.' Opobalsamum is used by Dioscorides to mean 'the juice flowing from balsam-tree.'
Pliny states that tree was first brought to Rome by generals of Vespasian, while Josephus relates that it was taken from Arabia to Judea by Queen of Sheba as a present to Solomon. There, being cultivated for its juice, particularly on Mount Gilead, it acquired its popular name. Later, it was called Opobalsamum, its dried twigs Xylobalsamum, and its dried fruit Carpobalsamum.
Its rarity, combined with magic of its name, have caused latter to be adopted for several other species.
Abd-Allatif, a Damascan physician of twelfth century, noted that it had two barks outer reddish and thin, inner green and thick, and a very aromatic odour.
The juice exudes spontaneously during heat of summer, in resinous drops, process being helped by incisions in bark. The more humid air, greater quantity collected. When oil is separated, it is prepared with great secrecy, and taken to stores of ruler, where it is carefully guarded. The quantity of oil obtained is roughly one-tenth amount of juice. It is probable that an inferior kind of oil is obtained after boiling leaves and wood with water.
The wood is found in small pieces, several kinds being known commercially, but it rapidly loses its odour.
