The Role of Amber in Medicine

When someone says “Amber” your immediate association is likely to be amber jewelry—a beautiful clear brownish-reddish stone set in an impressive amber ring, amber brooch, or set of attractive amber earrings. However, amber has historically had many other applications besides a respected place in both historic and contemporary jewelry.

Hippocrates, whom we may consider the first doctor or physician, maintained elaborate records about the applications of amber in the treatment of a variety of minor and major ailments, from his own time until the late Middle Ages. Because of the chemical and olfactory properties of amber—namely, the rich piney smell emitted by raw amber—crude amulets made of amber and amber pendants were worn by women and men alike to simulate the effects of menthol, clearing congestion of the throat and the chest.

The role of amber in medicine did not disappear after this early use and is seen in other important eras that are known for exploring the field of medicine. For example, during the Roman Empire, amber was ground into a powder form and was mixed with honey and drunk by someone to cure eye, nose, and throat discomfort. Similarly, around the same time in history, the use of amber in medicine was present in Chinese culture. The Chinese mixed finely powdered amber with opium, which produced a tranquilizing effect within the user.

Because of amber’s succinic acid content, various cultures have believed in amber’s power to ward off all sorts of physical and psychological maladies. Amber was even used as recently as World War I, when amber pieces were mixed with vodka and applied to the skin of men who were suffering from impotence. Although the use of amber in medicine today is far less pronounced, some cultures still believe in these ancient properties of amber to prevent and to cure illness. There has been little documented modern experimentation with the healing or medicinal properties of amber, but one thing that is certainly true is that anyone who wears amber jewelry is look better!