The species was cultivated from the Middle Ages to the early part of the 20th century. Its flowers are tiny, greenish-yellow and globular, and its indented leaves have a silvery-gray sheen. Wormwood (in French, absinthe in German, Wermut) is an herb with a perennial root system from which arise branched, firm, leafy stems that are almost woody at the base and reach a height of two to three feet. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica) were the main sources of the thujone in absinthe. It is also characteristic of most species of Artemisia, a genus within the Compositae, or daisy, family. Thujone occurs in a variety of plants, including tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and sage (Salvia officinalis), as well as in all trees of the arborvitae group, of which the thuja ( Thuja occidentalis), or white cedar, is one. Even after the liqueur’s fall from grace, investigations of the chemistry and the physiological effects of its constituents, as well as those of related chemicals, contributed to medical practices and to the development of effective drugs. Some of the plants that gave absinthe its distinctive taste were stock remedies from herbal lore they had been exploited for thousands of years with results that were often meritorious, sometimes innocuous and rarely sinister. There may have been a subtler reason for the reluctance to abandon this favorite spirit. Absinthe was not banned until the 20th century. But manufacturers, governments and the public, enamored of profits, tax revenues and titillation, respectively, were slow to heed the warning signs. Other culpable chemicals came from the leaves and flowers used in the drink’s preparation. The symptoms and extent of the damage from excessive consumption of absinthe could not be attributed to alcohol alone. The disease known as absinthism was recognized in the 1850’s its victims evinced a dazed condition) and intellectual enfeeblement and experienced terrifying hallucinations. It could also wrack the drinkers’ brains. Absinthe was said to evoke new views, different experiences and unique feelings. Absinthe’s popularity with the soldiers spread among their compatriots from all walks of life some of the most creative people of the time were its devotees. French soldiers fighting in the Algerian conflicts of the 1840’s had spiked their wine with wormwood extract (ostensibly to ward off fevers), and on their return to France their acquired taste was satisfied by absinthe, which contained a variety of essential oils including that of wormwood. The drink was enormously popular in the late 19th century, particularly in France. In his fondness for absinthe van Gogh was by no means alone. There is good evidence to indicate that van Gogh was addicted to absinthe, that his psychosis was exacerbated by thujone and that his fits with hallucinations contributed to his suicide. The thuja tree is a classical source of the chemical thujone, a constituent and indeed the toxic principle of the alcoholic drink known as absinthe. Gachet’s choice of a grave ornament was unwittingly pathetic. The gesture was probably inspired by van Gogh’s admiration of thuja trees and his inclusion of their flamelike images in some of his Auvers paintings. Gachet, the doctor who attended van Gogh during the last two months of his life, planted a thuja tree on the artist’s grave. Mod posts Serious posts Megathread Breaking news Unfilter Please use spoiler tags to hide spoilers.Vincent van Gogh shot himself on the afternoon of July 27, 1890, in Auvers-sur-Oise, France he died in the early morning two days later. Tags to use: Use a post tag to designate your post as a serious, on-topic-only thread. If you think your post has disappeared, see spam or an inappropriate post, please do not hesitate to contact the mods, we're happy to help. Spam, machine-generated content, and karma farming are not permitted. more >ĭo not post harmful misinformation. more >Ĭomment replies consisting solely of images will be removed. ![]() Mods reserve the right to remove content or restrict users' posting privileges as necessary if it is deemed detrimental to the subreddit or to the experience of others. Soliciting money, goods, services, or favours is not allowed. tagged posts are off-limits to jokes or irrelevant replies. more >Īskreddit is not your soapbox, personal army, or advertising platform. Posting, or seeking, any identifying personal information, real or fake, will result in a ban without a prior warning. more >Īskreddit is for open-ended discussion questions. more >Īny post asking for advice should be generic and not specific to your situation alone. ![]() Your thoughts/responses to the question can go in the comments section. The title may contain two, short, necessary context sentences. You must post a clear and direct question in the title.
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