Press Releases

Onion juice - cures poor vision and good for the stomach; crushed cucumber seeds -  treats eye diseases and sties; garlic - beneficial for ailments caused by changes of water and location – or so the Romans believed!

The Roman Empire used herbal remedies extensively and to mark Herbal Medicine Awareness Week, the NationalRomanLegionMuseum will reveal forgotten secrets about their medical techniques from 18 – 25 May 2007.

The Romans were very suspicious of doctors, maybe because they had a reputation for causing more pain than they did for curing patients! Therefore most Roman medicines were made from herbs, vegetables and minerals as the Museum in Caerleon will explore over the next week.

“Some natural remedies used today have survived almost unchanged since Roman times, for example the ‘cupping’ Gwyneth Paltrow used after giving birth,” said Victoria Le Poidevin, Events Officer at the National Roman Legion Museum. “It involves placing heated cups over the skin to encourage blood flow and ease stress, aches and pains – a technique which has been practiced for thousands of years. Fennel is used today to treat stomach problems and flatulence - another method used by the Roman Empire.” 

Entry to all the museums is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales celebrates its centenary in 2007.  For more details go to the 07 pages on our website – www.museumwales.ac.uk.

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For further information, please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer, National Museum Wales on 029 2057 3486 or email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.