Saffron

An extremely costly yellow spice derived from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus).

Saffron has long been used in cooking and was once a treatment for a long list of diseases.

It was used in medicine at least 3,500 years ago, as evidenced by frescoes found on the Aegean island of Thera, depicting a goddess presumably overseeing the milling of spice or perfume.

The pediatric cardiologist and medical historian Gordon Bendersky together with Susan C.

Ferrence concluded that the scene showed a drug being made from the saffron flower