REMEDIES FOR ALOPECY, CHANGE OF COLOUR IN THE HAIR, AND ULCERATIONS OF THE HEAD. THE SEA-MOUSE: TWO REMEDIES, THE SEA-SCORPION: TWELVE REMEDIES. THE LEECH: SEVEN REMEDIES. THE MUREX: THIRTEEN REMEDIES. THE CONCHYLIUM: FIVE REMEDIES

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Alopecias replet hippocampi cinis nitro et adipe suillo mixtus aut sincerus ex aceto, praeparat autem saepiarum crustae farina medicamentis cutem; replet et muris marini cinis cum oleo, item echini cum carnibus suis cremati, fel scorpionis marini, ranarum quoque III, si vivae in olla concrementur, cinis cum melle, melius cum pice liquida. capillum denigrant sanguisugae, quae in vino nigro diebus XXXX computuere. alii in aceti sextariis II sanguisugarum sextarium in vase plumber putrescere iubent totidem diebus, mox inlini in sole Sornatius tantam vim hanc tradit, ut, nisi oleum ore contineant qui tinguent, dentes quoque suco earum de nigrari dicat.—Capitis ulceribus muricum vel purpura rum testae cinis cum melle utiliter inlinitur, conchyliorum vel, si non uratur, farina ex aqua, doloribus castoreum cum peucedano et rosaceo.

Omnium piscium fluviatilium marinorumque adipes liquefacti sole admixto melle oculorum claritati plurimum conferunt, item castoreum cum melle. callionymi fel cicatrices sanat et carnes oculorum supervacuas consumit. nulli hoc piscium copiosius, ut existumavit Menander quoque in comoediis. idem piscis et uranoscopos vocatur ab oculo, quem in capite habet. et coracini fel excitat visum, et marini scorpionis rufi cum oleo vetere aut melle Attico incipientes suffusiones discutit; inungui ter oportet intermissis diebus. eadem ratio albugines oculorum tollit. mullorum cibo aciem oculorum hebetari tradunt. lepus marinus ipse quidem venenatus est, sed cinis eius in palpebris pilos inutiles evolsos cohibet. ad hunc usum utilissimi minimi, item pectunculi salsi triti cum cedria, ranae, quas diopetas et calamitas vocant; earum sanguis cum lacrima vitis evolso pilo palpebris inlinatur. tumorem oculorum ruboremque saepiae cortex cum lacte mulieris inlitus sedat et per se scabritias emendat; invertunt ita genas et medicamentum auferunt post paulum rosaceoque inungunt et pane inposito mitigant. eodem cortice et nyctalopes curantur, in farinam trito ex aceto inlito. extrahit et squamas eius cinis. cicatrices oculorum cum melle sanat, pterygia cum sale et cadmia singulis drachmis, emendat et albugines iumentorum. aiunt et ossiculo eius genas, si terantur, sanari. echini ex aceto epinyctidas tollunt. eundem comburi cum viperinis pellibus ranisque et cinerem aspergi potionibus iubent Magi, claritatem visus promittentes. ichthyocolla appellatur piscis, cui glutinosum est corium. idem nomen glutino eius; hoc epinyctidas tollit. quidam ex ventre, non e corio, fieri dicunt ichthyocollam, ut glutinum taurinum. laudatur Pontica, candida et carens venis squamisque et quae celerrime liquescit. madescere autem debet concisa in aqua aut aceto nocte ac die, mox tundi marinis lapidibus, ut facilius liquescat. utilem eam et capitis dolorbus adfirmant et tetanis. ranae dexter oculus dextri, sinister laevi, suspensi e collo nativi coloris panno lippatudines sanant; quod si per coitum lunae eruantur, albginem quoque, adalligati similiter in putamine ovi. rel - quae carnes inpositae suggillationem rapiunt. cancri etiam oculos adalligatos collo mederi lippitudini dicunt. est parva rana in harundinetis et herbis maxime vivens, muta ac sine voce, viridis, si forte hauriatur, ventres boum distendens. huius corporis umorem derasum specillis claritatem oculis inunctis narrant adferre. et ipsas carnes doloribus oculorum superponunt. ranas XV coiectas in fictile novum iuncis configunt quidam sucoque earum, qui ita effluxeris, admiscent vitis albae lacrimam atque ita palpebras emendant, inutilibus pilis exemptis acu instillantes hunc sucum in vestigia evolsorum. Meges psilotrum palpebrarum faciebat in aceto enecans putrescentes et ad hoc utebatus multis variisque per aquationes autumni nascentibus. idem praestare sanguisugarum cinis ex aceto inlitus putatur— comburi eas oportet in novo vaso—, idem thynni iocur siccatum pondere $X$ III cum oleo cedrino perunctis pilis VIII mensibus.

Auribus utilissimum batiae piscis fel recens, sed et inveteratumnitro, item bacchi, quem quidam mizyenem vocant, item callionymi cum rosaceo infusum vel castoreum cum papaveris suco. vocant et in mari peduculos eosque tritos instillari ex aceto auribus iubent. et per se et conchylio infecta lana magnopere prodest; quidam aceto et nitro madefaciunt. sunt qui praecipue contra omnia aurium vitia laudent gari excellentis cyathum, mellis dimidio amplius, aceti cyathum in calice novo leni pruna decoquere subinde spuma pinnis detersa et, postquam desierit spumare,, tepidum infundere. si tumeant aures, coriandri suco prius mitigandas iidem praecipiunt. ranarum adips instillatus statim dolores tollit. cancrorum fluviatilium sucus cum farina hordeacea aurium volneribus efficacissime prodest. parotides muricum testae cinere cum melle vel conchyliorum ex mulso curantur.

Dentium dolores sedantur ossibus draconis marini scariphatis gingivis, cerebro caniculae in oleo decocto alservatoque, ut ex eo dentes semel anno colluantur. pastinacae quoque radio scariphari gingivas in dolore utilissimum. contritus is et cum helleboro albo inlitus dentes sine vexatione extrahit. salsamentorum etiam in fictili vase combustorum cinis addita farina marmoris inter remedia est. et cybia vetera eluta in novo vase, dein tria prosunt doloribus. aeque prodesse dicuntur omnium salsamentorum spinae combustae tritaeque et inlitae. decocuntur et ranae singulae in aceti heminis, ut dentes ita colluantur contineaturque in ore sucus. si fastidium obstaret, suspendebat pedibus posterioribus eas Sallustius Dionysius, ut ex ore virus deflueret in acetum fervens, idque e pluribus ranis; fortioribus stomachis ex iure mandendas dabat. maxillaresque ita sanari praecipue dentes putant, mobiles vero supra dicto aceto stabilir.??? ad hoc quidam ranarum corpora binarum praecisis pedibus in vini hemina macerant et ita collui dentium labantes iubent. aliqui totas adalligant maxillis. alii denas in sextariis III aceti decoxere ad tertias partes, ut mobiles dentium stabilirent. nec non XLVI ranarum corda in olei veteris sextario sub aereo testo discoxere, ut infunderent per aurem dolentis maxillae. alii iocur ranae decoctum et tritum cum melle inposuere dentibus. omnia supra scripta ex marina efficaciora. si cariosi et faetidi sint, cetum in furno arefieri per noctem praecipiunt, postea tantundem salis addi atque ita fricari. enhydris vocatur Graecis colubra in aqua vivens. huius IIII dentibus superioribus in dolore superiorum gingivas scariphant, inferiorum inferioribus; aliqui canino tantum earum contenti sunt. utuntur et cancrorum cinere, nam muricum cinis dentifricium est.

Lichenas et lepras tollit adips vituli marini, menarum cinis cum mellis obolis ternis, iocur pastinacae in oleo coctum, hippocampi aut delphini cinis ex aqua inlitus. exulcerationem sequi debet curatio, quae perducit ad cicatricem. quidam delphini in fictili torrent, done pinguitudo similis oleo fluat; hac perungunt. muricum vel conchyliorum testae cinis maculas in facie mulierum purgat cum melle inlitus cutemque erugat et extendit septenis diebus inlitus ita, ut octavo candido ovorum foveantur. muricum generis sunt quae vocant Graeci coluthia, alii coryphia, turbinata aeque, sed minora, mulo efficaciora, etiam oris halitum custodientia. ichthyocola erugat cutem extenditque in aqua decocta horis IIII, dein contusa et subacta ad liquorem usque mellis. ita praeparata in vase novo conditur et in usu III drachmis eius binae sulpuris et anchusae totidem, VIII spumae argenteae adduntur aspersaque aqua teruntur una. sic inlina facies post IIII horas abluitur. medetur et lentigini ceterisque vitiis ex ossibus saepiarum cinis. idem et carnes excrescentes tollit et umida ulcera.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

Ashes of the hippocampus, mixed with nitre and hog’s lard, or else used solely with vinegar, are curative of alopecy; the skin being first prepared for the reception of the necessary medicaments by an application of powdered bone of sæpia. Alopecy is cured also with ashes of the sea-mouse, mixed with oil; ashes of the sea-urchin, burnt, flesh and all together; the gall of the sea-scorpion; or else ashes of three frogs burnt alive in an earthen pot, applied with honey, or what is still better, in combination with tar. Leeches left to putrefy for forty days in red wine stain the hair black. Others, again, recommend one sextarius of leeches to be left to putrefy the same number of days in a leaden vessel, with two sextarii of vinegar, the hair to be well rubbed with the mixture in the sun. According to Sornatius, this preparation is naturally so penetrating, that if females, when they apply it, do not take the precaution of keeping some oil in the mouth, the teeth even will become blackened thereby. Ashes of burnt shells of the murex or purple are used as a liniment, with honey, for ulcerations of the head; the shells, too, of other shell-fish, powdered merely, and not calcined, are very useful for the same purpose, applied with water. For the cure of head-ache, castoreum is employed, in combination with peucedanum and oil of roses.

The fat of all kinds of fish, both fresh-water as well as sea fish, melted in the sun and incorporated with honey, is an excellent improver of the eye-sight; the same, too, with castoreum, in combination with honey. The gall of the callionymus heals marks upon the eyes and cauterizes fleshy excrescences about those organs: indeed, there is no fish with a larger quantity of gall than this, an opinion expressed too by Menander in his Comedies. This fish is known also as the “uranoscopos,” from the eyes being situate in the upper part of the head. The gall, too, of the coracinus has the effect of sharpening the eyesight.

The gall of the red sea-scorpion, used with stale oil or Attic honey, disperses incipient cataract; for which purpose, the application should be made three times, on alternate days. A similar method is also employed for removing indurations of the membrane of the eyes. The surmullet, used as a diet, weakens the eyesight, it is said. The sea-hare is poisonous itself, but the ashes of it are useful as an application for preventing superfluous hairs on the eyelids from growing again, when they have been once pulled out by the roots. For this purpose, however, the smaller the fish is, the better. Small scallops, too, are salted and beaten up with cedar resin for a similar purpose, or else the frogs known as “diopetes” and “calamitæ,” are used; the blood of them being applied with vine gum to the eyelids, after the hairs have been removed.

Powdered shell of sæpia, applied with woman’s milk, allays swellings and inflammations of the eyes; employed by itself it removes eruptions of the eyelids. When this remedy is used, it is the practice to turn up the eyelids, and to leave the medicament there a few moments only; after which, the part is anointed with oil of roses, and the inflammation modified by the application of a bread-poultice. Powdered bone of sæpia is used also for the treatment of nyctalopy, being applied to the eyes with vinegar. Reduced to ashes, this substance removes scales upon the eyes: applied with honey, it effaces marks upon those organs: and used with salt and cadmia, one drachma of each, it disperses webs which impede the eyesight, as also albugo in the eyes of cattle. They say, too, that if the eyelids are rubbed with the small bone taken from this fish, a perfect cure will be experienced.

Sea-urchins, applied with vinegar, cause epinyctis to disappear. According to what the magicians say, they should be burnt with vipers’ skins and frogs, and the ashes sprinkled in the drink; a great improvement of the eyesight being guaranteed as the sure result.

“Ichthyocolla” is the name given to a fish with a glutinous skin; the glue made from which is also known by the same name, and is highly useful for the removal of epinyctis. Some persons, however, assert that it is from the belly of the fish, and not the skin—as in the case of bull glue—that the ichthyocolla is prepared. That of Pontus is highly esteemed: it is white, free from veins or scales, and dissolves with the greatest rapidity. The proper way of using it, is to cut it into small pieces, and then to leave it to soak in water or vinegar a night and a day, after which it should be pounded with sea-shore pebbles, to make it melt the more easily. It is generally asserted that this substance is good for pains in the head and for tetanus.

The right eye of a frog, suspended from the neck in a piece of cloth made from wool of the natural colour, is a cure for ophthalmia in the right eye; and the left eye of a frog, similarly suspended, for ophthalmia in the left. If the eyes, too, of a frog are taken out at the time of the moon’s conjunction, and similarly worn by the patient, enclosed in an eggshell, they will effectually remove indurations of the membrane of the eyes. The rest of the flesh applied topically, removes all marks resulting from blows. The eyes, too, of a crab, worn attached to the neck, by way of amulet, are a cure for ophthalmia, it is said. There is a small frog which lives in reed-beds and among grass more particularly, never croaks, being quite destitute of voice, is of a green colour, and is apt to cause tympanitis in cattle, if they should happen to swallow it. The slimy moisture on this reptile’s body, scraped off with a spatula and applied to the eyes, greatly improves the sight, they say: the flesh, too, is employed as a topical application for the removal of pains in the eyes.

Some persons take fifteen frogs, and after spitting them upon as many bulrushes, put them into a new earthen vessel: they then mix the juices which flow from them, with gum of the white vine, and use it as an application for the eye-lids; first pulling out such eye-lashes as are in the way, and then dropping the preparation with the point of a needle into the places from which the hairs have been removed. Meges used to prepare a depilatory for the eyelids, by killing frogs in vinegar, and leaving them to putrefy; for which purpose he employed the spotted frogs which make their appearance in vast numbers during the rains of autumn. Ashes of burnt leeches, it is thought, applied in vinegar, are productive of a similar effect; care must be taken, however, to burn them in a new earthen vessel. Dried liver, too, of the tunny, made up into an ointment, in the proportion of four denarii, with oil of cedar, and applied as a depilatory for nine months together, is considered to be highly effectual for this purpose.

For diseases of the ears, fresh gall of the fish called “batia” is remarkably good; the same, too, when it has been kept in wine. The gall, also, of the bacchus, by some known as the “myxon,” is equally good; as also that of the callionymus, injected into the ears with oil of roses, or else castoreum, used with poppy-juice. There are certain animals too, known as “sea-lice,” which are recommended as an injection for the ears, beaten up with vinegar. Wool, too, that has been dyed with the juice of the murex, employed by itself, is highly useful for this purpose; some persons, however moisten it with vinegar and nitre.

Others, again, more particularly recommend for all affections of the ears one cyathus of the best garum, with one cyathus and a half of honey, and one cyathus of vinegar, the whole gently boiled in a new pot over a slow fire, and skimmed with a feather every now and then: when it has become wholly free from scum, it is injected lukewarm into the ears. In cases where the ears are swollen, the same authorities recommend that the swellings should be first reduced with juice of coriander. The fat of frogs, injected into the ears, instantly removes all pains in these organs. The juice of river-crabs, kneaded up with barley-meal, is a most effectual remedy for wounds in the ears. Shells of the murex, reduced to ashes, and applied with honey, or the burnt shells of other shell-fish, used with honied wine, are curative of imposthumes of the parotid glands.

Tooth-ache is alleviated by scarifying the gums with bones of the sea-dragon, or by rubbing the teeth once a year with the brains of a dog-fish boiled in oil, and kept for the purpose. It is a very good plan too, for the cure of tooth-ache, to lance the gums with the sting of the pastinaca in some cases. This sting, too, is pounded, and applied to the teeth with white hellebore, having the effect of extracting them without the slightest difficulty. Another of these remedies is, ashes of salted fish calcined in an earthen vessel, mixed with powdered marble. Stale cybium, rinsed in a new earthen vessel, and then pounded, is very useful for the cure of tooth-ache. Equally good, it is said, are the back-bones of all kinds of salt fish, pounded and applied in a liniment. A decoction is made of a single frog boiled in one hemina of vinegar, and the teeth are rinsed with it, the decoction being retained in the mouth. In cases where a repugnance existed to making use of this remedy, Sallustius Dionysius used to suspend frogs over boiling vinegar by the hind legs, so as to make them discharge their humours into the vinegar by the mouth, using considerable numbers of frogs for the purpose: to those, however, who had a stronger stomach, he prescribed the frogs themselves, eaten with their broth. It is generally thought, too, that this recipe applies more particularly to the double teeth, and that the vinegar prepared as above-mentioned, is remarkably useful for strengthening them when loose.

For this last purpose, some persons cut off the legs of two frogs, and then macerate the bodies in two heminæ of wine, recommending this preparation as a collutory for strengthening loose teeth. Others attach the frogs, whole, to the exterior of the jaws: and with some it is the practice to boil ten frogs, in three sextarii of vinegar, down to one-third, and to use the decoction as a strengthener of loose teeth. By certain authorities, too, it has been recommended to boil the hearts of six-and-thirty frogs beneath a copper vessel, in one sextarius of old oil, and then to inject the decoction into the ear on the same side of the jaw as the part affected: while others again have used, as an application for the teeth, a frog’s liver, boiled, and beaten up with honey. All the preparations above described will be found still more efficacious if made from the sea-frog. In cases where the teeth are carious and emit an offensive smell, it is recommended to dry some whale’s flesh in an oven for a night, and then to add an equal quantity of salt, and use the mixture as a dentifrice. “Enhydris” is the name given by the Greeks to a snake that lives in the water. With the four upper teeth of this reptile, it is the practice, for the cure of aching in the upper teeth, to lance the upper gums, and with the four lower teeth, for aching in the lower. Some persons, however, content themselves with using an eyetooth only. Ashes, too, of burnt crabs are used for this purpose; and the murex, reduced to ashes, makes an excellent dentifrice.

Lichens and leprous spots are removed by applying the fat of the sea-calf, ashes of the mæna in combination with three oboli of honey, liver of the pastinaca boiled in oil, or ashes of the dolphin or hippocampus mixed with water. After the parts have been duly excoriated, a cicatrizing treatment ought to be pursued. Some persons bake dolphin’s liver in an earthen vessel, till a grease flows therefrom like oil in appearance: this they use by way of ointment for these diseases.

Burnt shells of the murex or purple, applied with honey, have a detergent effect upon spots on the face in females: used as an application for seven consecutive days, a fomentation made of white of eggs being substituted on the eighth, they efface wrinkles, and plump out the skin. To the genus “murex” belong the shell-fish known by the Greeks as “coluthia” or “coryphia,” equally turbinated, but considerably smaller: for all the above purposes they are still more efficacious, and the use of them tends to preserve the sweetness of the breath. Fish-glue effaces wrinkles and plumps out the skin; being boiled for the purpose in water some four hours, and then pounded and kneaded up till it attains a thin consistency, like that of honey. After being thus prepared, it is put by in a new vessel for keeping; and, when wanted for use, is mixed, in the proportion of four drachmæ, with two drachmæ of sulphur, two of alkanet, and eight of litharge; the whole being sprinkled with water and beaten up together. The preparation is then applied to the face, and is washed off at the end of four hours. For the cure of freckles and other affections of the face, calcined bones of cuttle-fish are also used; an application which is equally good for the removal of fleshy excrescences and the dispersion of running sores.