Absinthe and Art

There are many albums with art collection, presented through various artists, during the 19 and beginning of the 20 century and later also. There are represented also compositors, writers, and many other intellectuals, who were Absinthe drinkers

Link 1: Poster- Art: Pro & Con, posters, placards
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168896259831370.42881.168464683207861
Link 2: Picasso and his Blue Absinthe Period
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168479626539700.42724.168464683207861
Link 3: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168489273205402.42727.168464683207861
Link 4: Jean Béraud
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168551426532520.42760.168464683207861
Link 5: Various Artists
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168543613199968.42751.168464683207861
Link 6: Historical Absinthe Photos and Postcards
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168942316493431.42893.168464683207861
Link7: Historical Absinthe Labels (étiquette)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168926983161631.42891.168464683207861

Link to The Psychedelic Fairy Absinthe culture page for many notes and other contributions
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Psychedelic-Fairy-Absinthe-Culture-Page/168464683207861

Absinthe and Art

There are many albums with art collection, presented through various artists, during the 19 and beginning of the 20 century and later also. There are represented also compositors, writers, and many other intellectuals, who were Absinthe drinkers

Link 1: Poster- Art: Pro & Con, posters, placards
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168896259831370.42881.168464683207861
Link 2: Picasso and his Blue Absinthe Period
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168479626539700.42724.168464683207861
Link 3: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168489273205402.42727.168464683207861
Link 4: Jean Béraud
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168551426532520.42760.168464683207861
Link 5: Various Artists
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168543613199968.42751.168464683207861
Link 6: Historical Absinthe Photos and Postcards
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168942316493431.42893.168464683207861
Link7: Historical Absinthe Labels (étiquette)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168926983161631.42891.168464683207861

Link to The Psychedelic Fairy Absinthe culture page for many notes and other contributions
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Psychedelic-Fairy-Absinthe-Culture-Page/168464683207861

Ernest Dowson

Absinthia Taetra by Ernest Dowson 1897

Green changed to white, emerald to

opal: nothing was changed.

The man let the water trickle gently

into his glass, and as the green clouded,

a mist fell from his mind.

Then he drank opaline.

Memories and terrors beset him. The

past tore after him like a panther and

through the blackness of the present he

saw the luminous tiger eyes of the things

to be.

But he drank opaline.

And that obscure night of the soul,

and the valley of humiliation, through

which he stumbled, were forgotten. He

saw blue vistas of undiscovered countries,

high prospects and a quiet, caressing

sea. The past shed its perfume over

him to-day held his hand as if it were a

little child, and to-morrow shone like a

white star: nothing was changed.

He drank opaline.

The man had known the obscure

night of the soul, and lay even now in

the valley of humiliation; and the tiger

menace of the things to be was red in

the skies. But for a little while he had

forgotten.

Green changed to white, emerald to

opal: nothing was changed.

Link to his picture: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-psychedelic-fairy-absinthe-culture-page/absinthia-taetra-by-ernest-dowson/170051503049179

Lautrec Hollow Cane

Lautrec Hollow Cane filled with Absinthe.Lautrec was a serious inebriate. According to biographer Julia Frey, his daily routine centered on drinking. Having woken up with a hangover, he would start his day in a neighboring bistro with ‘substantial quantity of wine’ . Then after his work in the studio, he would go for an aperitif in a bar before dinner, and linger in his favorite taverns and cabarets in Montmartre until dawn. He also had two café tables in his studio, where he concocted his own versions of ‘American cocktails’ to share with visitors. Rumor even had it that he carried a hollow cane filled with absinthe, in case he wanted a sip between bistros and he was occasionally accompanied by a pet cormorant that he had trained to drink it. He liked to experiment by adding ingredients. One concoction was the Maiden Blush, a composition of absinthe, bitters, red wine and champagne. Another, created for the legendary dancer Yvette Guilbert, was the tremblement de terre, made from absinthe and cognac. His lifestyle inevitably influenced his work. The symbolist painter Gustave Moreau commented that Lautrec’s paintings ”are entirely painted in absinthe”. Even the colour of the drink may have had an effect on Lautrec, who commented that he felt haunted by colours: ”To me, in the colour green, there is something like the temptation of the devil.”

Link to picture: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-psychedelic-fairy-absinthe-culture-page/lautrec-hollow-cane/171037776283885

Medicinal Properties of Ingredients in Absinthe

Wormwood (Thujone):

Medical – Although it was originally believed to be similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that has since been disproven. Most likely thujone antagonizes inhibition in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor system. Drugs that act as agonists of GABA receptors (known as GABA analogues or GABAergics) or increase the available amount of GABA typically have relaxing, anti-anxiety and anti-convulsive effects.

In mice the median lethal dose, or LD50, is around 45 mg/kg, 0% mortality rate at 30 mg/kg and 100% at 60 mg/kg. Those exposed to the higher dose had convulsions that led to death in 1 minute. From 30 to 45 mg/kg the mice would experience muscle spasms in the legs which progressed to general convulsions until death or recovery. Pretreatment of diazepam, phenobarbital or 1 g/kg of ethanol protected against a lethal 100 mg/kg dose.

There are few studies on humans and the LD50 isn’t known. One study in the Journal of Studies of Alcohol administered 0.28 mg/kg thujone in alcohol, 0.028 mg/kg in alcohol and just alcohol to subjects. The high dose had a negative effect on attention performance. The lower dose showed no noticeable effect. There is no evidence that any dose will cause hallucinations.

Legal – In the EU, alcoholic beverages above 50 proof are limited to 10 mg/kg thujone. In the United States, the sale of beverages containing thujone is prohibitted (but conumption and possession of thujone-containing beverages is not punishable by law.)

Hyssop:

Medical – Hyssop has medicinal properties which are listed as including expectorant, carminative, relaxes peripheral blood vessels, promotes sweating, anti-inflammatory, anti-catarrhal, antispasmodic. Its active constituents are volatile oil, flavonoids, tannins and bitter substance (marrubin). A strong tea made from the leaves and flowering tops is used in lung, nose and throat congestion and catarrhal complaints, and externally it can be applied to bruises to reduce the swelling and discolouration. An old English country remedy for cuts and wounds suffered working in the fields was to apply a poultice of bruised hyssop leaves and sugar in order to reduce the risk of tetanus infection. An essential oil made from hyssop increases alertness and is a gently relaxing nerve tonic suitable for treating nervous exhaustion, overwork, anxiety and depression. The Herb Society’s ”Complete Medicinal Herbal” cautions however that ”the essential oil contains the ketone pino-camphone which in high doses can cause convulsions. Do not take more than the recommended dose.”.

Calamus:

Medical – Calamus has been an item of trade in many cultures for thousands of years. Calamus has been used medicinally for a wide variety of ailments. In antiquity in the Orient and Egypt, the rhizome was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Dried calamus rhizome (root) can be used to treat stomach cramps, gas, gastric ulcers, and lack of appetite. In Europe Acorus calamus was often added to wine, and the root is also one of the possible ingredients of absinthe. Among the northern Native Americans, it is used both
medicinally and as a stimulant; in addition, the root is thought to have been used as an entheogen among the northern Native Americans. In high doses, it is hallucinogenic. Legal – Calamus and products derived from calamus (such as its oil) were banned in 1968 as food additives and medicines by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Fennel:

Flavour – Fennel is widely cultivated both in its native range and elsewhere of for its edible, strongly flavoured leaves and seeds. The flavour is similar to that of anise and star anise, though usually not so strong.

Medical – Essential oil of Fennel is included in some pharmacopoeias. It is traditionally used in drugs to treat chills and stomach problems. In medieval times fennel was used in conjunction with St John’s wort to keep away witchcraft and other evil things. This might have originated because fennel can be used as an insect repellent.

Cloves:

Flavour – Cloves can be used in cooking either whole or in a ground form, but as they are extremely strong they are used sparingly.
Medical – The compound responsible for the cloves’ aroma is eugenol. It is the main component in the essential oil extracted from cloves, comprising 72-90%. Eugenol has pronounced antiseptic and anaesthetic properties.

Coriander:

Flavour – The dry fruit are known as coriander seeds or simply as coriander. They have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.

Medical – Researchers have found that coriander can assist with clearing the body of lead, aluminium and mercury. Cilantro has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic. Cilantro essential oil has been demonstrated to exhibit antibacterial action against E. Coli.

Anise:

Flavour – The fruit consists of two united carpels, called a cremocarp, and has a strong licorice-like taste and a powerful odor. However, the anise plant is not related to the European plant whose roots are the source of true licorice.

Medical – By distillation the fruit yields the volatile oil of anise, which is useful in the treatment of flatulence and colic in children. It may be given as Aqua Anisi, in doses of one or more ounces, or as the Spiritus Anisi, in doses of 5–20 minims. It has also been used to treat canker sores.

Star Anise:
Flavor – Star anise, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. Star anise contains anethole, the same ingredient which gives the unrelated anise its flavour.

Medical – Star anise has been used in a tea as a remedy for colic and rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion. Although it is produced in most autotrophic organisms, star anise is the industrial source of shikimic acid, a primary ingredient used to create the anti-flu drug Tamiflu. Tamiflu is regarded as the most promising drug to mitigate the severity of bird flu (H5N1); however, reports indicate that some forms of the virus have already adapted to Tamiflu.

Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is highly toxic.

SOURCE: http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/pf-absinthe.html#med

All this herbs and ingredients can be seen in the album:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.168977749823221.42901.168464683207861&closeTheater=1