Vine Drops

Vitis vinifera

Historical tradition – not medical advice, and no health or healing claims. more

Historical botanical drawing: Vine — Vine

Tradition (Hildegard's writings)

In Hildegard's tradition, vine drops were associated with the eyes and the ears.

Ingredients

Only the sap that seeps in spring from the cut ends of the vine is used, and it is collected during the morning hours. Essential oil is among the constituents named.

Note

The oily preparation is intended solely for rubbing in around the ear and is not dripped into the ear canal.

Botanical background

Vine drops are not a plant part in the ordinary sense but the bleeding sap of the grapevine. The grower cuts the vine back in winter; when the sap begins to rise again in spring, liquid seeps from these cut ends and is collected drop by drop. The literature credits it with the task of guarding the vine against bacteria and fungi at those open wounds, and an essential oil is named among its constituents. Harvesting is therefore tied to a very narrow window: the spring, and the morning hours of the day.

Sources & references

Strehlow, Wighard: Der Hildegard-Kompass. Die wichtigsten Heilmittel und Anwendungen. Knaur Verlag 2014.

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More preparations using Vine

Vine Drops, oily Vine Drops, simple

Historical tradition. The above describes how this preparation was recorded and used in the tradition of Hildegard of Bingen. This is cultural-historical information, not medical advice and not a health or healing claim, and it is no substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. If you have health complaints, please consult your doctor or pharmacy.

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