ABSTRACT
Honey has long been touted as an all-purpose panacea, able to soothe sore throats, nourish convalescents, prevent infections, and give instant energy. In the days before widespread refrigeration, honey’s antibacterial properties made it indispensable, both as a preservative and an infection fighter. In the ancient world, a general killed in battle far from home would be submerged in a coffin filled with honey. Sealed, the coffin could then be transported back for burial without fear of putrefaction along the way.
