Aqueous extractions - a general reading

[cvetkakocj@rogers.com]

My research into the history of Slovenians led me to the ancient Slovenian speaking territory of not only medieval Carniola, but Southern Tyrol, Austrian Carinthia and northern Italy, particularly Veneto and Friuli regions, including Raetia. I am also familiar with their folk lore. Like you, I believe that the knowledge was being transferred from East to West, since Herman of Carinthia was one of the greatest conduits of Arabic astronomy, medicine, magic, mathematic, etc. to Europe in 13th century. The religious interpretation of the Bible and the gnostic and apocryphal books were also brought to Europe in Northern Italy, Rhineland and France by the religious sect of Paulicians who spread the symbolic interpretation of the Bible to Europe. In the 10th century, the Slavic 'heresy' bogomilism has spread in Northern Italy. Adherents, known as Patareni had spread further to Switzerland and France, where they were known as the Cathars.
In the 15th century, the Patriarchate of Aquileia, a religious state, was divided between the Republic of Venice and Austria. The adherents of these movement used their national languages  and a common symbolic language to perpetuate their ideas that found their ways even among the philosophers and theologians and are regarded as precursors of Protestantism, such as the Valdensians in Switzerland. Among other things, they used floral symbolism. 
This is how flowers became to be used in alchemical manuscripts for more than just the folklore from the distant past. Of course, the symbolism and the allegorical use of the flowers depended on the knowledge of the healing and harmful properties of the plants, as well as on the colour, shape, mythological uses, etc.
This means that the people who used such symbolism were well aquainted with the medieval herbs. The Republic of Venice was one of the greatest producers and exporters of popular medieval herbal remedies theriac, for which up to 60 different plants and resins were used. The Venetic Republic at the time included also parts of Istria and Adriatic coast.
The proof that Sciavones (the Italian name for Slovenians  and coastal Croatians) were important in the Venetian herb gathering tradition is in the use of Slovenian/Illyrian names of plants in the codex Liber de Simplicibus Benedicti Rini. Out of 458 names of the plants written in Arabic, Latin, and Greek, there are also 370 Slovenian names and only 65 German. There is also quite a similarity of some plants with other North Italian herbals.
The production of Theriac was not alcohol based; it's process was based on fermentation and took more than a year to extract the potency of plants. It was considered a cure-all remedy.
According to Bosnian/Illyrian tradition, such medication was buried in the ground for at least a year in order to age and be able to use as the medicine. 
There was also a method of extraction based on oil. From 40 to 70 different plants were used for the production of Armenian holy oil (Holy Muron). The Orthodox churches used about 40 different ingredients, and besides oil also the vine.
This could explain the use of the plants for medicine and for religious purpose.