Notes
Myrrh
Used for its oil and, by some today, as a pain reliever, myrrh has a long history of being used in medical practices. Used both in oral contraception and as a suppository, myrrh was prescribed by the physicians Soranus and Dioscorides during antiquity.[2] Soranus prescribed myrrh in an oral contraceptive recipe that also included: myrtle, leukoion, white pepper, and wine.[1] Dioscorides also prescribed myrrh, paired almost always with pepper, to be taken orally with birthwort or silphium. These prescriptions were said to bring about menstruation and prevent pregnancy.[3]
Description: The Commiphora myrrha tree, Commiphora Erythraea tree, and Commiphora Molmol tree, which all produce myrrh as a resin from their sap.
Source: Igneous Products Inc. [5]
Today, myrrh is considered dangerous to use during pregnancy. Studies have shown that the resin from a myrrh tree is a uterine stimulant and an emmenagogue, which can cause an increase in menstrual blood flow and stimulate the uterus, raising the risk for a miscarriage.[4]
Beyond scientific belief, myrrh has a mythological history that, in antiquity, helped to explain why myrrh worked to prevent pregnancy. Greek myth tells the story of Myrrha, who has intercourse with her father, falls pregnant, gives birth to Adonis, and is turned into a myrrh tree.[3]
Description: The Birth of Adonis (1690) painting by Marcantonio Franceschini
Source: Originally painted by Marcantonio Franceschini. Accessed through Wikipedia Commons. [6]
The myth varies in details in different versions. In some versions, Myrrha pursues and tricks her father into sleeping with her, while in others, it is the opposite, where the father pursues Myrrha while under a curse from Aphrodite.[4] This myth appears in multiple texts, including the Metamorphoses of Ovid and the Bibliotheca.[3]
Sources:
[1] Riddle, John M. “Chapter 3 - Soranus on Antifertility Agents.” Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient
World to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 25-30,
hdl.handle.net/2027/heb01463.0001.001. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
[2] Riddle, John M. “Chapter 4 - Terminology in Dioscorides’ De materia medica.” Contraception and Abortion
from the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 31-44,
hdl.handle.net/2027/heb01463.0001.001. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
[3] Riddle, John M. “Chapter 6 - Ancient Society and Birth Control Agents.” Contraception and Abortion from the
Ancient World to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 57-65,
hdl.handle.net/2027/heb01463.0001.001. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
[4] Riddle, John M., and J. Worth Estes. “Oral Contraceptives in Ancient and Medieval Times.” American Scientist,
vol. 80, no. 3, 1992, pp. 226–33. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29774642. Accessed 1 May 2025.
Image Sources:
[5] Igneous Products Inc. “Unveiling the Origins of Myrrh: Exploring the Myrrh Plant and Harvesting Process.”
Igneous Products Inc., 22 Aug. 2023, igneous-products-inc.myshopify.com/blogs/myrrh-origin-a-complete-guide/exploring-the-myrrh-plant-and-its-harvesting-process. Accessed 4 May 2025.
[6] Wikipedia Contributors. “Myrrha.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2025,