SECT. LII.—HOW TO MAKE THE CHIN AND PUBES CONTINUE LONG FREE OF HAIRS; ON THE PRESERVATION OF THE GENITAL ORGANS; AND, AMONG OTHER THINGS, OF DEPILATORIES.
Mix equal parts of Cimolian earth and ceruse with the juice of henbane, so as to have the thickness of the bath-sordes; then add of oil of lentisk, q. s.; pound and use.—Another: Pound together the juices of hemlock, of deadly nightshade, of henbane, and of the most tender leaves of lupine, and an equal portion of fleawort, and use, having first scrubbed the part and washed. But for some days previously the patient must drink water.
A depilatory for removing the hairs. Of the slaters which live about houses and roll themselves into balls, dr. ij; of sandarach, dr. iv; of quicklime, dr. viij; of old vinegar, one cyathus; of the lixivial ashes of figs, one cyathus; boil in a pot, and use in the bath.—Another, simple and devoid of smell: Of quicklime, one sextarius; of sandarach, oz. j; boil as aforesaid, and use. But the subject of depilatories is treated of along with the Diseases of the Eye.
Commentary. Depilatories have always been made of similar ingredients to those which enter into our author’s prescriptions, that is to say, arsenic and quicklime have generally entered into the composition of them. The following is one from Baptista Porta: “Constat vivæ calcis partibus quatuor, redactis in pulveris modum, auripigmenti singulari, et decoque.” (Mag. Nat. ix, 4.)
It appears from many passages in the Roman Satirists that the practice of applying depilatories to the obscene parts was common in ancient times. Persius says:
“Tu cum maxillis balanatum gausape pectis,
Inguinibus quarè detonsus gurgulio extet?”
(Sat. iv, 37.)
See the learned note of Casaubon; also, Juvenal (Sat. viii, 114), and the note of the Dauphin editor. The Fathers inveigh against this immodest practice. See Tertullianus (de Pallio), and Clemens Alexandrinus (Pædagog. ii, 3.) According to Athenæus, the Tuscans were anciently much given to the use of depilatories. (Deipnos. xii, 14.) See also Apuleius (Metamorph.)
As this subject possesses little interest now, we need not enlarge upon it.