This treatise on the use of Mandrake was written by the German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, and polymath Hildegard van Bingen (1098 – 17 September 1179). Also known for her botanical, and medicinal texts, Bingen text upon mandrake describe the herb as being either in male and female form, each form being available for ailments of either female or male origin. Medieval pharmacology stipulated that nature had hidden clues to medically effective drugs in their resemblance to the human body. For example Bingen notes that the throat of the mandrake would be used for relieving ailments or pain in the throat. Later medieval herbal thought would warn of its shrieking power to make a person go mad when attempting to dig it up, therefore prescribing using a hungry dog tied to the plant wherein the dog is tempted by a piece of meat out of reach. The image warns against the shrieking and is hand colored using historical recreations of color pigments.