Hermit Treutler's Jerusalem Balsam.

Abstract

This paper describes research about a historical bottle found in the Polish town of Skarszewy in 2004. Upon discovery, the find was labeled "In Nazareth Aechter Jerusalemer Balsam im goldnen Engel", sealed and ⅓ filled with liquid. The Jerusalem Balsam mentioned on the label was a popular medicament in Europe in the 18th century. From 1719 it was produced by Father Antonio Menzani da Cuna in the Franciscan Pharmacy at the convent of Saint Savior in Jerusalem. In the 19th century, the Balsam became extremely popular in Silesia thanks to the hermit Johannes Treutler from Mariańska Hill near Kłodzko. It's fame spread north to Prussia and south to Bohemia (Czechia). After the hermit's death, the license for production was obtained by the owner of the Mohren-Apotheke pharmacy, but he had to deal with unfair competition from other pharmacies counterfeiting the Balsam. An attempt was made to determine where the found bottle came from. In the course of the research, it was found that the medicine certainly does not come from authorized production sources, as evidenced by accurate label comparisons.