• Saint Hildegarde (1098-1179) refers to lavender for use in eyewashes.
  
• In 1478, King René purchased lavender essence in Provence as a gift for his lady.
• During the vast epidemics of plague in Provence in various forms such as sachets, or masks with long nosepieces filled with flowers, or sponges soaked with "vinaigre des Quatre voleurs" (or Four Thieves' vinegar*) and kept to the nose.

* During a devastating bubonic plague in Marseille in 1726, four thieves who had safely ransacked empty plague-ridden houses were caught by policemen and brought before the French judges. The judges wondered aloud how these thieves had resisted the plague, especially since they were in and out of plague-infested homes. "We drink and wash with this vinegar preparation every few hours," they answered. In return for giving the recipe, the thieves were given their freedom.