Some thoughts on retsina. There are probably healthy properties in the pine resin. Taxol which is currently being used to treat cancer comes from pine. Arbor Vitae is a needle shrub which our ancestors used to use medicinally. A supplement called pycnogenol is a member of the Vitamin C family and comes from French maritime pines. A friend introduced me to that when it was new on the market and he was selling it. I tried a tablet and 15 minutes later my sinuses opened up fantastically (I’m allergic). I bought a bottle and started taking 1 a day. I had hurt my shoulder over 2 years earlier helping a friend move a garden statue. With my arms held out straight to the side (crucifix position) I could not raise the bad arm any higher. After a week I noticed I could raise it slightly more. After a month I could reach up and over to touch the opposite side of my head. Now I can reach as far as the other arm. I remember reading that when Cabot(?) ascended the St. Lawrence river his crew was suffering severely from scurvy. I believe that his crew was given a tea made from spruce needles and healed very quickly.
Very interesting, thanks for the ping. Does the medication have a name?