AFFECTIONS OF THE SIDE, CHEST, AND STOMACH

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Stomachum conroborat scordotis suco, centaurium, Gentiana ex aqua pota, plantago aut per se in cibo sumpta aut cum lente alicaeve sorbitione. Vettonica alias gravis stomacho, vitia tamen sanat pota vel foliis conmanducata, item aristolochia pota, agaricum manducatum siccum, ut ex intervallo merum sorbeatur, nymphaea Heraclia inlita, peucedani sucus. psyllion ardoribus inponitur, vel cotyledon trita cum polenta vel aizoum.

Molon scapo est striato, foliis mollibus, parvis radice IIII digitorum, in qua extrema alii caput est. vocatur a quibusdam syron. ex vino stomacho.... dyspnoeae medetur centaurium maius ecligmate, plantago suco vel cibo, Vettonicae tusae pondo libra, mellis Attici semuncia ex aqua calida cotidie bibentibus, aristolochia vel agaricum obolis ternis ex aqua calida aut lacte asini potum. cissanthemos ad orthopnoeas bibitur, item hysopum et asthmaticis, peucedani sucus in iocineris doloribus et pectoris laterisque, si febres non sint. sanguinem quoque expuentibus subvenit agaricum victoriati pondere tritum et in mulsi v cyathis datum. idem et amomon facit. iocineri privatim Teucria bibitur recens drachmis IIII in poscae hemina, Vettonicae drachma I in aquae calidae cyathis III ad cordis vitia in frigidae cyathis II. quinquefolii sucus iocineris et pulmonis vitiis sanguinemque reicientibus et cuicumque vitio sanguinis intus occurrit. iocineri anagallides mire prosunt. capnon herbam qui edere, bilem per urinam reddunt. acoron iocineri medetur, thoraci et praecordiis daucum.

Ephedra, ab aliis anabasis vocata, nascitur ventoso fere tractu scandens arborem et ex ramis propendens, folio nullo cirris numerosa, qui sint iunci geniculati, radice pallida. datur ex vino nigro austere trita ad tussim, suspiria, tormina et sorbitione facta, in quam vinum addi convenit. item Gentiana madefacta pridie contrita denarii pondere in vini cyathis III.

Gaeum radiculas tenues habet nigras, bene olentes. medetur non modo pectoris doloribus aut lateris, sed et cruditates discutit iucundo sapore. verbenaca vero omnibus visceribus medetur, lateribus, pulmonibus, iocineribus, thoraci; peculiariter autem pulmonibus et quos ab iis phthisis temptet radix herbae consiliginis, quam nuper inventam diximus. suum quidem et pecoris omnis remedium praesens est pulmonum vitio vel traiecta tantum in auricula. bibi debet ex aqua haberique in ore adsidue sub lingua. superficies eius herbae an sit in aliquo usu, adhuc incertum est. renibus prodest plantaginis cibus, Vettonicae potus, agaricum potum ut in tussi.

Tripolion in maritimis nascitur saxis, ubi adludit unda, neque in mari neque in sicco, folio isatis crassiore, caule palmum alto, in mucrone diviso, radice alba, odorata, crassa, calidi gustus. datur hepaticis in farre cocta. haec herba eadem videtur quibusdam quae polium, de qua suo loco diximus.

Gromphaena, alternis viridibus roseisque per caulem foliis, in posca sanguinem reicientibus medetur. iocineri autem herba malundrum, nascens in segete ac pratis, flore albo, odorata. eius cauliculus conteritur ex vino vetere. item herba calcetum e vinaceis contrita inponitur. faciles praestat vomitiones radix Vettonicae, hellebori modo IIII drachmis in passo aut mulso, hysopum tritum cum melle, utilius praesumpto nasturcio aut irione, molemonium denarii pondere. et sillybi lacteus sucus, qui densatur in cummim, sumitur cum melle supra dicto pondere praecipueque bilem trahit. rursus sistunt vomitionem cuminum silvestre, Vettonicae farina; sumuntur ex aqua. abstergent fastidia cruditatesque digerunt daucum, Vettonicae farina ex aqua mulsa, plantago decocta caulium modo.—Singultus hemionium sedat, item aristolochia, suspiria clymenus.—Pleuriticis et peripneumonicis centaurium mains, item hysopum bibitur, pleuriticis peucedani sucus. alus autem, quam Galli sic vocant, Veneti cotoneam, medetur lateri, item renibus convolsisque et ruptis. similis est cunilae bubulae, cacuminibus thymo, dulcis et sitim sedans, radicis alibi albae, alibi nigrae. eosdem effects in lateris doloribus habet chamaerops myrteis circa caules geminos foliis, capitibus Graeculae rosae, ex vino pota.—Ischiadicos dolores et spinae levat agaricum potum ut in tussi, item stoechadis aut Vettonicae farina ex aqua mulsa.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

For the cure of pains in the side and chest, verbascum is used in water, with rue; powdered betony is also taken in warm water. Juice of scordotis is used as a stomachic, centaury also, gentian taken in water, and plantago, either eaten with the food, or mixed with lentils or a pottage of alica. Betony, which is in general prejudicial to the stomach, is remedial for some stomachic affections, taken in drink or chewed, the leaves being used for the purpose. In a similar manner too, aristolochia is taken in drink, or dried agaric is chewed, a draught of undiluted wine being taken every now and then. Nymphæa heraclia is also applied topically in these cases, and juice of peucedanum. For burning pains in the stomach psyllion is applied, or else cotyledon beaten up with polenta, or aizoüm.

Molon is a plant with a striated stem, a soft diminutive leaf, and a root four fingers in length, at the extremity of which there is a head like that of garlic; by some persons it is known as “syron.” Taken in wine, it is curative of affections of the stomach, and of hardness of breathing. For similar purposes the greater centaury is used, in an electuary; juice also of plantago, or else the plant itself, eaten with the food; pounded betony, in the proportion of one pound to half an ounce of Attic honey, taken daily in warm water; and aristolochia or agaric, taken in doses of three oboli, in warm water or asses’ milk.

For hardness of breathing an infusion of cissanthemos is taken in drink, and for the same complaint, as also for asthma, hyssop. For pains in the liver, chest, and side, if unattended with fever, juice of peucedanum is used. For spitting of blood agaric is employed, in doses of one victoriatus, bruised and administered in five cyathi of honied wine: amomum, too, is equally useful for that purpose. For liver diseases in particular, teucria is taken fresh, in doses of four drachmæ to one hemina of oxycrate; or else betony, in the proportion of one drachma to three cyathi of warm water. For diseases of the heart, betony is recommended, in doses of one drachma to two cyathi of cold water. Juice of cinquefoil is remedial for diseases of the liver and lungs, and for spitting of blood as well as all internal affections of the blood. The two varieties of anagallis are wonderfully efficacious for liver complaints. Patients who eat the plant called “capnos” discharge the bile by urine. Acoron is also remedial for diseases of the liver, and daucus is useful for the thorax and the pectoral organs.

The ephedra, by some persons called “anabasis,” mostly grows in localities exposed to the wind. It climbs the trunks of trees, and hangs down from the branches, is destitute of leaves, but has numerous suckers, jointed like a bulrush; the root is of a pale colour. This plant is given, pounded, in astringent red wine, for cough, asthma, and gripings in the bowels. It is administered also in the form of a pottage, to which some wine should be added. For these complaints, gentian is also used, being steeped in water the day before, and then pounded and given in doses of one denarius, in three cyathi of wine.

Geum is a plant with thin, diminutive roots, black, and aromatic. It is curative not only of pains in the chest and sides, but is useful also for dispelling crudities, owing to its agreeable flavour. Vervain, too, is good for all affections of the viscera, and for diseases of the sides, lungs, liver, and thorax. But one invaluable remedy for diseases of the lungs, and for cases of incipient phthisis, is the root of consiligo, a plant only very recently discovered, as already mentioned. It is a most efficient remedy also for pulmonary diseases in swine and cattle, even though only passed through the ear of the animal. When used, it should be taken in water, and kept for a considerable time in the mouth, beneath the tongue. Whether the part of this plant which grows above ground is useful or not for any purpose, is at present unknown. Plantago, eaten with the food, betony taken in drink, and agaric taken in the way prescribed for cough, are useful, all of them, for diseases of the kidneys.

Tripolium is a plant found growing upon cliffs on the sea-shore against which the waves break, springing up, so to say, neither upon dry land nor in the sea. The leaves are like those of isatis, only thicker; the stem is a palm in height and divided at the extremity, and the root white, thick, and odoriferous, with a warm flavour; it is recommended for diseases of the liver, boiled with spelt. This plant is thought by some to be identical with polium, of which we have already spoken in the appropriate place.

Gromphæna is the name of a plant, the stem of which is covered with leaves of a green and rose colour, arranged alternately. The leaves of it are administered in oxycrate, in cases of spitting of blood.

For diseases of the liver the malundrum is prescribed, a plant which grows in meadows and corn-fields, with a white odoriferous flower. The stem is diminutive, and is beaten up in old wine.

Chalcetum also is the name of a plant, which is pounded with grape husks and applied topically, for the cure of liver complaints. Root of betony acts as a gentle emetic, taken in the same way as hellebore, in doses of four drachmæ in raisin wine or honied wine. Hyssop, too, is beaten up with honey for similar purposes; but it is more efficacious if nasturtium or irio is taken first.

Molemonium is used as an emetic, being taken in doses of one denarius; the same, too, with sillybum. Both of these plants have a milky juice, which thickens like gum, and is taken with honey in the proportions above-mentioned, being particularly good for carrying off bile. On the other hand, vomiting is arrested by the use of wild cummin or powdered betony, taken in water. Crudities and distaste for food are dispelled, and the digestion promoted by employing daucus, powdered betony taken in hydromel, or else plantago boiled like greens. Hiccup is arrested by taking hemionium or aristolochia, and asthma by the use of clymenus. For pleurisy and peripneumony, the greater centaury is used, or else hyssop, taken in drink. Juice of peucedanum is also good for pleurisy.

The plant halus, by the people of Gaul called “sil,” and by the Veneti “cotonea,” is curative of pains in the side, affections of the kidneys, ruptures, and convulsions. It resembles cunila bubula in appearance, and the tops of it are like those of thyme. It is of a sweet flavour, and allays thirst; the roots of it are sometimes white, sometimes black.

The chamærops, also, is similarly efficacious for pains in the side. It is a plant with leaves like those of myrtle, arranged in pairs around the stem, the heads of it resembling those of the Greek rose: it is taken in wine. Agaric, administered in drink, in the same manner as for cough, assuages sciatica and pains in the vertebræ: the same, too, with powdered stœchas or betony, taken in hydromel.