we had food for the journey , and many of the women had brought me bits of their household simples ; i had small jars of lavender , rosemary , comfrey , and mustard seed , two precious steel needles , a small skein of silk thread to use for sutures and dental floss ( though i did n't mention that last use to the ladies , who would have been deeply affronted by the notion ) , and a very small stock of bandages and gauze for dressings .