I finally got a chance to mess around with Tessa Storey's fantastic book of secrets database tool and the recipes it contains for various treatments drawn from a dozen different 16th-18th century Italian texts collecting "secrets" and recipes. Remedies against bee stings and dog bites, venereal disease and the plague, quinsy and kidney pain, how to make your hair blonde, how to make gray hair dark again, how to have lovely hair, how to curl hair, how to grow a beard or discourage the growth of underarm hair... okay, I admit I was seeking this out for the cosmetic/personal appearance related recipes, but I'm really wowed by the sheer depth and breadth of possible ailments. Check it out if you're the least bit curious about these texts or if you want to know how to beautify your hands, heal the mad, remove stains from cloth-of-gold, prepare muscatel pear comfits, or "how to make a wonderful water which will destroy the gosi che vien contra natura a li huomini e donne".

(It goes without saying you should probably not try any of the remedies in these texts unless you really know what you're doing. Many of them are useless, dangerous, or both. I wouldn't even risk making the pear comfits without a thorough consultation.)

EDIT: I also had another fun occasion going through these when I remarked on one of the recipes included in it for four thieves' vinegar and a friend remarked that she still has friends who swear by it! "This vinegar was used with complete safety by four thieves during the famous plague of Marseilles, who were able to walk amongst the rotting corpses of the plague dead and gather a huge booty. They bathed their nostrils, pulses and washed the mouth with it three times a day. It is praised by professors of medicine also when taken by mouth. 2 drams, and up to 6 drams, can be taken every morning. It is considered very useful for all epidemics, used in the manner described, not only to heal from such cruel ailments but to protect oneself from them." The same friend linked me to a modern variation described by the folks at Lucky Mojo and I promptly fell down the hoodoo oil rabbit hole.

I was messing around with GIMP yesterday afternoon and made these maps showing the geographic distribution of state-based divisions in the U.S. Army immediately prior to U.S. entry into World War II.

Geographic Distribution of National Guard Infantry Divisions:

Geographic Distribution of Organized Reserve Infantry Divisions:

Do historians Play Europa IV? What is your opinion on it, what do they get right and eyescratchingly wrong? Does your knowledge of history make you a better player?

If anyone is in London or going to London before August and interested in the history of cosmetics check out The ‘Cosmetics Unwrapped’ exhibition on display at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society until August for free..

Check out our new website for transcribing the records of African American Civil War soldiers: www.usct.cc

Looking through old answers on the Northern Crusades, I noticed a few answers mentioning William Urban. I can't say I like some of the more opinionated aspects of his style. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything about the rest of his work. How is he otherwise thought of academically these days?