Revalenta arabica

Revalenta arabica was the name of a strengthening agent was spread mainly mid-19th century in Europe and the Anglo-Saxon world. You wrote him extraordinary healing powers and high value as diet food.

Original

Arabica In the real Revalenta it was the "roots" of Glossostemon bruguieri, a perennial herbaceous plant of the mallow family, which still can be found today in the mountainous region east of Baghdad near the Iranian border. The roots were traded in Arabia under the name Arabgossi, in Egypt under the name Moghat. The origin plant for the product was long unknown, only the German explorer and botanist Georg Schweinfurth certain Glossostemon bruguieri as its basis.

Man preparing it to an easily digestible food for the frail and medically challenged people. Plant and use are already in Firdous al - Hikmah ( "Paradise of Wisdom" ) of Ali al -Tabari, a medical encyclopedia from the 9th century, is mentioned. A therapeutic benefit of Glossostemon bruguieri could not yet be proven.

Forgery

However, the advertised as a panacea preparations did not contain these exotic ingredient, but it was mainly lentil flour, mixed with changing other components such as bean, vetch or wheat flour. One of the best known manufacturers of Revalenta preparation was the London-based firm Barry, You, whose product has even dedicated a Revalenta Polka Barry & Co..

As the simple components of the miracle cure were known Revalenta arabica was mainly in Europe in the 19th century as the typical representative of a marketed bordering on cheating business acumen quack generic product subject of satire and humorous observation.

In this way, the product found its way into the world literature, namely in Gottfried Keller's Green Henry. When Henry Lee tried to find a professional career as a landscape painter, and is thereby cheated by a business-minded colleagues for his picture idea, he directed morally at the thought back on that even dizziness and trickery - operated on a large scale - ultimately many good people food and livelihood procure:

The agent was until recent time users.

Today's equivalent of Revalenta arabica as dizziness product par excellence is the snake oil ( snake oil ).