The areas surrounding Fes are incredibly fertile and varied, with the Rif mountains to the north, the Atlas to the East and South and the coast to the west. Many locations are well-known for particular herbs, and the abundance of the land of the region was one of the driving forces behind the flourishing of the herbal medicine tradition in the city. Whilst a few plants were carried all the way from India and China, the vast majority of the plants used today in Fessi medicine are from its own surrounding hills.
Lalla Shafia, in English, 'Our Lady the Healer' is a Moroccan saint whose tomb lies at the top of a hill opposite the small bath town of Moulay Yaqoub, just outside of Fes. There are many stories as to her life and death, but many hold that she was the daughter of Moulay Yaqoub (Saint Jacob) who is the name-sake of the town. The thermal baths in Moulay Yaqoub are frequented by many with illnesses, particularly skin complaints, and this visit is often accompanied by a trip up the hill to the tomb.
General Information
One of our great trees, it comes in many varieties, it is sometimes called ‘al-Arez’ and this refers to both the masculine and feminine of these trees, all of which have a frilled leaf, some of which bare fruit and others don’t. Amongst those that bare fruit, there are big fruit and smaller ones, and amongst those with bigger fruit there are those like the ceder. And in this variety can be made a black paste because of its fatty nature, which is suitable to use in a lamp to bring soft light to the beginning of the day, just like beeswax or oil. It has many names, including ‘Baqam al-Quraysh’ and in Shaam, ‘Qantuandas’, and of this variety there is also the ‘Regina’. The cypress tree is also related to the pine.
Its Nature
Hot and damp in the second degree, its bark is dry.
Uses and Characteristics
Its seeds are useful for long-term coughing, its leaves in an infusion help the liver, and its inner bark remedies painful ulcers, and is generally very healing. Its inner bark can be used on wounds as a poultice, and a decoction of the bark can be used on water burns. Its leaf can be used on open wounds and the bark can be used after violence and shock as an decoction. A gargle made from the bark can remedy excess phlegm, and can be used as a mouthwash with vinegar for teeth. Its smoke is good for the health of the eyes, and useful for the lungs and chest when cold.
Alternative
Al-Arez
Photo: Botanicum
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
A type of shrub that propagates itself a lot and extends branches from all sides, and it has white blossom like that of the dog rose or quince, and it has thorns like blackberry.
Mostly found in the white dust of mountainous areas and between rocks, and grows alongside meadows and thicket. Known amongst some doctors as mountain rhubarb, and is called Asaf, Lasaf, ‘The Turbid’ and ‘Black Mercy’, all alternative words for Caper, and it is also a famous spice for cooking.
Its Nature
Hot and dry in the second degree.
Uses and Characteristics
Relieves headache, purifies the brain, does general good, clears and evacuates, its root generally purifies and heals, its fruit is an enriching food especially with salt and vinegar. Its root clears scrofulous and callouses, and its bark is a remedy for pain in the hip, hemiplegia, and numbness, tearing at the top or middle of a muscle, and if chewed it heals dampness in the head and calms coldness in it, and its juice if put in the ear gets rid of pus. And if one bites upon the bark of the root with the teeth it reduces any pain. It is one of the best remedies for splenitis, callouses and heavy periods, killing worms and infestation of the gut. Increases general wellbeing, remedies haemorrhoids and an antidote to some poisons.
Alternative
Half its weight in rhapontic rhubarb
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
Divided into a number of different species, of which there are wild and cultivated varieties. We will turn our attention to the cultivated varieties. They come in many types: big, small, round, long, white and red, and they are well known so we will not spend long describing them.
Its Nature
Hot and dry in the fourth degree.
Uses and Characteristics
Softens and clears, increases blood flow, reddens the skin and and is resourceful for hair loss, with salt it removes warts. Also if it is snuffed with its juices it is good for the head and cleanses it. Put it in the ear for a heavy head and ringing in the ear, as well as excessive ear wax. Use for those whose head is harmed during childbirth and have a bad temperament, it also increases saliva. Helpful against dog bites, and its shoots are useful for pus from the eyes, clears the vision, stops pus from the eyes, and all onions increase goodness and health.
Alternative
Either leek or other types of onions
Photo: Botanicum
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
It comes in many types, related to the cotton plant, but generally any plant which has long woody branches extending into a bush. It has short sharp crooked thorns resembling the beaks of birds. Its leaf resembles that of the rose. It has a delicate blossom that appears in the first part of spring. This is followed by fruit resembling warts in the size of olives, arranged like seeds attached to one another like blackcurrants. It’s colour is initially red. When ripe, it is black and sweet.
Its Nature
Cold and dry in the first degree.
Uses and Characteristics
Helpful as a remedy for pus-filled wounds, diarrhoea and a weak stomach, against raised haemorrhoids. Treats kidney stones, the coughing of blood, skin wounds. Treats thrush, and relaxes the gums. If the leaf is used as a bandage it treats itch. It is good for treating fever, head wounds and eye bulging. Eases the stomach, stops the flow of humidity to the womb.
Alternative
Qim’, which is a type of hawthorn
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
Amongst the varieties of great trees with pointed leaves, with many types: sweet and bitter. Of the sweet variety there is one with a longer fruit and one with a shorter, some being very dark-bodied and thick, and others red, others very yellow, and they are known to people of all regions, and some of its varieties fall when crimson. Amongst them is the ‘Shaahibloot’ which is also ‘al-qastal’, all of which came to us as imports from Andalusia into the Andalusian quarter of Fes.
Its Nature
Cold and dry in the first degree, whilst Shaahibloot is slightly hot because of its sweetness.
Uses and Characteristics
Prevents pus from fungal infections and ulcers when burnt and used, helpful against dampness in the stomach and blood clots. If the oak leaf is crushed and spread onto wounds it heals them, it is also useful for the stomach, against poisoning and the pus of wounds. The inside of the acorn is good to heal poisoning. The sap of the acorn, between its skin and centre, is useful for settling the stomach, more so than its centre, whilst its centre is used to remedy an excess of urine.
Alternative
Sumac
Photo: Botanicum
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
A tree of the region of North Africa, known to come in female and male varieties, (the male variety can be found in this book under the name ‘al-Julnar’) and the female comes in many varieties, amongst which there is a sweet variety, acidic and bitter, watery and juicy, and it has many names amongst the people of Fes, depending on its many varieties, amongst them: the ‘sultan’, which is the highest quality of them, then the ‘safri’, then ‘kalkhi’ and ‘maimuna’, whose fruit is the best, then the ‘aDhmi’ which is the rarest and most sought after.
The pomegranates in Marrakesh are very good, none of them are bad, and they are all of one type, the safri, well-loved like the maimuna variety in Fes.
Its Nature
The sweet variety is cold and damp in the first degree, and the acidic variety is cold and dry in the second degree.
Uses and Characteristics
The sweet variety heats the stomach, helpful against angry tempers, makes righteous characters, helpful for the chest, and is generally cleansing.
And the acidic variety
Alternative
For the sweet variety: hyssop infusion
For the acidic variety: common grape
For the skin: a third of its weight in holly-oak
Photo: Miriam Hicklin
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
A great long-living tree, coming in two types, wild and cultivated. The cultivated tree is much bigger, and its fruit is bigger than the wild fruit but they are both well known. The wild tree is known as ‘zabuj’ and the oil that is made from it is said to be the greatest of all oils and herbs, and for whoever presses its oil, it should bring good fortune.
Its Nature
The fruit is hot and dry in the first degree and it said that it is slightly damp. Its wood and leaves are dry and cold.
Uses and Characteristics
The oil is good for the stomach, and it is the best oil for the health generally, wild olive oil is like rose oil in many ways and protects hair loss if used every day, it is also useful for preserving. All types of olive oil detox the bodily functions, and its leaf is useful against thrush, whitlow and excessive perspiration. The leftovers of the oil can be used to cure hot, pus-filled swelling and and the old oil can be used to cure poor eyesight. Wild olive oil dries the flow of earwax, cures bloody gums and wobbly teeth.
Alternative
The ruby olive, when it is on the way to becoming ripe.
Photo: Miriam Hicklin
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.
General Information
Wild and cultivated coming in many varieties, the cultivated is artichoke, and under the wild variety there is the cardoon, which is well-known cooked with meat and both the stems and the heads of the plant are eaten. There is also the ‘badhward’ thistle (which can be found under ‘B’ in this book) and also ‘afzan’, which grows prolifically in tlmaght, near the town of Sale and tafaghit, known by the people of Fes as tafgha. There is also ‘ilk al-shuk' but the most well known by the Moroccan people is kharshuf, mentioned first, which is used in cooking.
Its Nature
Cold and damp, some say temperate.
Uses and Characteristics
Clears swelling that can lead to putrified stomachs, helps urinary flow, calms the stomach, gets rid of phlegm. It’s water helps itching, hair loss and kills lice.
Alternative
Galingale
Photo: Miriam Hicklin, from Chelsea Physic Garden
From Hadiqat al-Azhar (The Garden of Blossoms) by al-Wazeer al-Ghassani, a 16th Century pharmacopoeia. Translated by Miriam Hicklin.