SECT. XLVII.—ON EMMENAGOGUES.
All diuretics promote also the flow of the menses, such as the decoction of the root of the cabbage, the root of the peach, rue, marigold, dittany, and the seed of rocket. The same effect may be produced by certain substances when applied to the mouth of the womb, as suppositories, such as rue rubbed with honey, or the juice of leeks, or finely-powdered germander, or myrrh, triturated in wine, or the rennet of a hare.
Commentary. This Section is taken from Oribasius. (Synops. i, 22.) A fuller list of the medicinal articles which were supposed by the ancients to promote the menstrual discharge is given by Aëtius. (iii, 153-4.) It contains cassia, myrrh, thyme, centaury, wormwood, nettle, elaterium, black hellebore, turpentine-rosin, cumin, sage, and the like. All these were used in injections and suppositories. The following were given by the mouth, and were held to be likewise diuretic: hedge-mustard, rue, marjoram, southernwood, sagapene, galbanum, spikenard, the herb mercury, savin, iris, birthwort, &c. See Albengnefit (Libellus.)
Dioscorides is censured by Dr. Cullen as being too credulous in assigning emmenagogue properties to a variety of articles in the Materia Medica. Perhaps, however, there is some foundation for the doctrine of the ancients, that all hot diuretic medicines are in so far emmenagogue. Prosper Alpinus maintains this opinion, but remarks that the action of the emmenagogues is more uncertain than that of the diuretics, and must be assisted by warm baths, pessaries, and fomentations. We shall have occasion to treat more fully of these medicines in the [Third Book].