REMARKS IN DISPRAISE OF THE PRACTICES OF MAGIC

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Super omnia adiuvere eum magicae vanitates in tantum evectae, ut abrogare herbis fidem cunctis possent: Aethiopide herba amnes ac stagna siccari; onothu- ridis tactu clausa omnia aperiri; Achaemenide coniecta in aciem hostium trepidare agmina ac terga verti; latacen dari solitam a Persarum rege legatis, ut, quocumque venissent, omnium rerum copia abundarent, ac multa similia. ubinam istae fuere, cum Cimbri Teutonique terribili Marte ulularent aut cum Lucullus tot reges Magorum paucis legionibus sterneret? curve Romani duces primam semper in bellis commerciorum habuere curam? cur Caesaris miles ad Pharsaliam famem sensit, si abundantia omnis contingere unius herbae felicitate poterat? non satius fuit Aemilianum Scipionem Carthaginis portas herba patefacere quam machinis claustra per tot annos quatere? siccentur hodie Meroide Pomptinae paludes tantumque agri suburbanae reddatur Italiae! nam quae apud eundem Democritum invenitur compositio medicamenti, quo pulchri bonique et fortunati gignantur liberi, cui umquam Persarum regi tales dedit? mirum esset profecto hucusque provectam credulitatem antiquorum saluberrimis ortam initiis, si in ulla re modum humana ingenia novissent atque non hanc ipsam medicinam ab Asclepiade repertam probaturi suo loco essemus evectam ultra Magos etiam. haec est omni in re animorum condicio, ut a necessariis orsa primo cuncta pervenerint ad nimium. igitur demonstratarum priore libro herbarum reliquos effectus reddemus, adicientes ut quasque ratio dictabit.

Sed in lichenis remediis atque tam foedo malo plura undique acervabimus, quamquam non paucis iam demonstratis. medetur ergo plantago trita, quinquefolium, radix albuci ex aceto, ficulni caules ex aceto decocti, hibisci radix cum glutino et aceto acri decocta ad quartas. defricant etiam pumice, ut rumicis radix trita ex aceto inlinatur. et flos visci cum calce subactus laudatur et tithymalli cum resina decoctum. lichen vero herba omnibus his praefertur, inde nomine invento. nascitur in saxis, folio uno ad radicem lato, caule uno parvo, longis foliis dependentibus. haec delet et stigmata. teritur cum melle. est aliud genus lichenis, petris totum adhaerens ut muscus, qui et ipse inlinitur. hic et sanguinem sistit volneribus instillatus et collectiones inlitus. morbum quoque regium cum melle sanat ore inlito et lingua. qui ita curentur, aqua salsa lavari iubentur, ungui oleo amygdalino, hortensiis abstinere. ad lichenas et thapsiae radice utuntur trita cum melle.

Anginae argemonia medetur sumpta ex vino, hysopumn cum fico decoctum et gargarizatum, peucedanum cum coagulo vituli marini aequis partibus, proserpinaca cum muria ex menis et oleo trita vel sub lingua habita, item sucus de quinquefolio potus cyathis III. hic et omnibus faucium vitiis medetur gargarizatus, verbascum privatim tonsillis in aqua potum,

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

But above all things, it was the follies of magic more particularly that contributed so essentially to his success—follies which had been carried to such a pitch as to destroy all confidence in the remedial virtues of plants. Thus, for instance, it was stoutly maintained that by the agency of the plant æthiopis rivers and standing waters could be dried up, and that by the very touch * * * * all bars and doors might be opened: that if the plant achæmenis were thrown into the ranks of the enemy it would be certain to create a panic and put them to flight: that latace was given by the Persian kings to their ambassadors, to ensure them an abundant supply of everything wherever they might happen to be: with numerous other reveries of a similar nature. Where, I should like to know, were all these plants, when the Cimbri and Teutones brought upon us the horrors of warfare with their terrific yells? or when Lucullus defeated, with a few legions, so many kings who ruled over the Magi? Why is it too that the Roman generals have always made it their first care in warfare to make provision for the victualling of their troops? And how was it that at Pharsalia the troops of Cæsar were suffering from famine, if an abundance of everything could have been ensured by the fortunate possession of a single plant? Would it not have been better too for Scipio Æmilianus to have opened the gates of Carthage by touching them with a herb, than to have taken so many years to batter down its bulwarks with his engines of war?

Turning to the present moment, let them, by the agency of the herb meroïs, dry up the Pomptine Marshes, if they can, and by these means restore so much territory to the regions of Italy in the neighbourhood of our city. In the works, too, of Democritus, already mentioned, we find a recipe for the composition of a medicament which will ensure the procreation of issue, both sure to be good and fortunate.—What king of Persia, pray, ever obtained that blessing? It really would be a marvellous fact that human credulity, taking its rise originally in the very soundest of notions, should have ultimately arrived at such a pitch as this, if the mind of man understood, under any circumstances, how to keep within the bounds of moderation; and if the very system of medicine thus introduced by Asclepiades, had not been carried to a greater pitch of extravagance than the follies of magic even, an assertion which I shall prove on a more appropriate occasion.

Such, however, is the natural constitution of the human mind, that, be the circumstances what they may, commencing with what is necessary it speedily arrives at the point of launching out in excess.

We will now resume our account of the medicinal properties of the plants mentioned in the preceding Book, adding to our description such others as the necessities of the case may seem to require.

As to the treatment of lichen, so noisome a disease as it is, we shall here give a number of additional remedies for it, gathered from all quarters, although those already described are by no means few in number. For the cure of lichen plantago is used, pounded, cinquefoil also, root of albucus in combination with vinegar, the young shoots of the fig-tree boiled in vinegar, or roots of marsh-mallow boiled down to one-fourth with glue and vinegar. The sores are rubbed also with pumice, and then fomented with root of rumex bruised in vinegar, or with scum of viscus kneaded up with lime. A decoction, too, of tithymalos with resin is highly esteemed for the same purpose.

But to all these remedies the plant known as “lichen,” from its efficacy as a cure, is held in preference. It is found growing among rocks, and has a single broad leaf near the root, and a single long stem, with small leaves hanging from it. This plant has the property also of effacing brand marks, being beaten up with honey for that purpose. There is another kind of lichen also, which adheres entirely to rocks, like moss, and which is equally used as a topical application. The juice of it, dropt into wounds, or applied to abscesses, has the property of arresting hæmorrhage: mixed with honey, it is curative of jaundice, the face and tongue being rubbed with it. Under this mode of treatment, the patient is recommended to wash in salt water, to anoint himself with oil of almonds, and to abstain from garden vegetables. For the cure of lichen, root of thapsia is also used, bruised in honey.

For the treatment of quinzy, we find argemonia recommended, in wine; a decoction of hyssop, boiled with figs, used as a gargle; peucedanum, with an equal proportion of sea-calf’s rennet; proserpinaca, beaten up in the pickle of the mæna and oil, or else placed beneath the tongue; as also juice of cinquefoil, taken in doses of three cyathi. Used as a gargle, juice of cinquefoil is good for the cure of all affections of the fauces: verbascum, too, taken in wine, is particularly useful for diseases of the tonsillary glands.