History of Arquebusade Water
Origin
Historical Usage
Why is the origin of Arquebusade Water tied to the St-Antoine monastery?
Today, there are two theories about the origin of Arquebusade water but only one story is related to the original Arquebusade Water recipe written down in the early 1630s! According to the related story King Francis I in the beginning of the 1500s instructed the monks to prepare an effective herbal extract for the gunshot wounds of his soldiers caused by the Arquebuse rifle (heavy rifle, musket) – which was used starting in the end of the Middle-Ages – and other physical injuries caused by ruthless fights and the treatment of skin conditions that developed as a result of mental suffering.
Certainly the first Arquebusade Water was made by the monks of the monastery of St-Antoine in the Vercors in France! The monks named their herbal elixir after the soldering / healing of the wounds caused by the Arquebuse rifle shot (coup d’Arquebuse = Arquebusade)! This is how the name of the herbal extract became Eau d'Arquebusade!
Original name in French: Eau Vulnéraire d'Arquebusade. In English: Arquebusade Water. The meaning of Eau d'Arquebusade: water for the healing/soldering of the wounds caused by the Arquebuse rifle shot!
This recipe was written down in the beginning of 1630s! According to archive documents, this recipe may have been used by two pharmacists from Lausanne Fabre & Bouet for the production of their Arquebusade Water! The Arquebusade Water of Fabre & Bouet became famous and recognized across Europe. Numerous archive documents, correspondences and old goose feather written invoices support the genuineity of this story!
The other story is connected to a Monastic Order founded on the 28th of June 1095, which is probably mistaken!
In the Monastic Order Gaston, the lord of Dauphiné was given the mission to prevent and cure Mal des ardants, which was also called St Anthony's fire. During the painful and often fatal disease acute erysipelas appeared on the patient’s body and limbs. It involved burning pain, in many cases the feet and hands blackened and atrophied. The pain often incurred epileptic seizures.
The cause of the disease was only discovered centuries later, it originated from a contagious cereal parasite. From the 1500s the monks already removed the parasite and did not bake it into the bread! The mystery of the disease, so the correlation between the illnesses and the contagious cereal parasite was discovered for sure during the great epidemic of 1770–1771.
In 1256 a hospital was founded with the permission of Pope Alexandre IV, expressly for those suffering from the skin disease “Mal des ardants” or St Anthony's fire.
So, the monks of the order presumably prepared an elixir in 1095 or a bit later for the treatment of this serious skin disease. This story appears to be true so far and it becomes hard to understand from this point. How can this story be connected to the recipe of Arquebusade? According to our knowledge regarding the ingredients and the name of this early elixir (which was supposedly used for the treatment of Mal des Ardants), no written document has been found to this day.
According to our research, from this age and the centuries that followed (from 1095 till the end of the 1500s) no authentic Arquebusade Water recipe has survived with defined herb ingredients, in which this was called by the name Arquebusade. The name Arquebusade is specifically connected to the Arquebuse rifle! This rifle started being produced from the middle of the 1400s, but it really became broadly known in the beginning of the new age, meaning from the 1500s. (Earlier the Arquebuse rifle was not manufactured and was not known).
It does not appear likely that a herbal extract would be named after a rifle shot in 1095 which did not even exist yet! We cannot accept this theory among other things, because no written and genuine document is known to this day which would prove that a preparation produced in 1095 was named Arquebusade Water!
But beside this, there are two important things to know!
One of them is that the two stories are about two completely different diseases! The supposed herbal extract produced in 1095 was made for St Anthony's fire (which originated from a contagious cereal parasite)! While Arquebusade Water was specifically made for soldiers for their physical injuries, rifle shot wounds, bruises, infections in the mouth, etc. it does not appear to be likely that a preparation produced for a contagious cereal parasite would be identical with a herbal extract for physical injuries of soldiers!
The other, possibly the most important argument
In the recipe written down in the beginning of 1630, which according to our research is the only surviving original Arquebusade Water recipe, there is no reference to the Order of Anthony, Gaston, or the date 1095, or Mal des Ardants!
Based on the above we consider the first story genuine, and we regard the Fabre & Bouet trading house the first official manufacturer of Arquebusade Water in history! The story on our website is about this Arquebusade Water!
Read one of the numerous archive documents related to the Fabre & Bouet house:
An XVIII. century exportation article.
This article was sent by Fabre & Bouet from Lausanne to England at the beginning of the 1790s.
Arquebusade Water was called the elixir of life during war times, as it healed the wounds of soldiers many times!
The beneficial effects of the Arquebusade Water quickly reached the civilian populations. From the middle of 1500s people started using it for their skin infections and other body pains. They kept it in their cabinets as a treasure, which was at hand when needed. The same applies for today, because the Arquebusade Water has not disappeared and has not been forgotten over the centuries!
There is a simple reason for this. The Elixir helped people through their troubles 500 years ago already! Therefore, they continued to produce the Arquebusade Water for the following centuries because its beneficial effects were needed!
Arquebusade Water was also used by the apothecary of King Louis XIV!
In the royal court, the ladies of the court also loved to care for their skin and body with the 100% natural herbal Elixir! Arquebusade Water has been so effective and acknowledged that it has also been accepted as a means of payment over the centuries. The Arquebusade Water cosmetic today is made by using the only remaining original recipe known to date, written in the early 1630s.