SECT. XIV.—ON LINIMENTS TO THE MOUTH AND THROAT.
As much as the coat which lines the mouth is finer and softer than the skin, such a difference must there be with regard to the applications made to the mouth. At the commencement, therefore, of inflammation, medicines for repelling the defluxion are required, such as the dry applications, namely, omphacium, the gall omphacitis, the juice of sumach and of hypocistis, and alum, the bark of pine and of the frankincense-tree, and the flowers of the wild pomegranate tree; and, in a word, all the astringents, with the exception of those which are unsavoury and deleterious; and the liquid applications, such as the juice of the blackberries, both of the brambles and those called mulberries: also the juice of the bark of green walnuts and of pomegranates, more especially such as are acid, and of quinces and Aminean must. Honey is mixed at the commencement solely for the preservation of the medicines. But when the humour lodges in the part, digestive and moderately-repellent articles are to be mixed, such as saffron, myrrh, and the juice of liquorice. And during the whole time that intervenes between the acme and decline, a compound of both kinds is to be used, I mean, the repellent and discutient; and at first the repellent are to be the prevailing ingredients, but afterwards the discutient. In the decline we must use discutients, which have no astringency, such as natron, aphronitrum, origany, hyssop, thyme, calamint, iris, besasa and the like. The liquid application then should be rob, that from boiled must, that from dried figs and palm-nuts, and the sweet must itself with honey. When but a little of the inflammation remains, we are to mix also some sulphur vivum. We must first boil the juice with honey, to the consistence of the more liquid honey, and then sprinkle the powders finely levigated, and afterwards boil moderately until the whole are properly united, and then it is to be laid up in vessels of glass.
The simple liniment to the mouth from mulberries. Of the juice of mulberries, sext. iij; boil until a third part be consumed, add of honey, sext. j, and boil to the consistence of honey.
The compound one from mulberries. Of the juice of mulberries, hemin. vj; boil to the consistence of the sordes in baths, then mix, well triturated, of saffron, dr. j; of myrrh, dr. ij; of the juice of unripe grape, dr. j; of fissile alum, three oboli; of honey, one hemina; and boil to a proper thickness.
Of the bramble-berries. The composition from bramble-berries is prepared in like manner, being more astringent.
The simple one from walnuts. Of the juice of the pounded bark of green walnuts, hemin. v; of honey, hemin. j; it is boiled like that from mulberries.
The compound one from walnuts. In the commencement, and at the acme of inflammations in the mouth, mix of saffron and of alum, of each, oz. j; of myrrh, dr. ij; and in the decline add, as a discutient, of natron, dr. j; of sulphur, dr. j, to the aforementioned proportions of the juice and of honey.
The preparation from the juice of pomegranates. Of the juice of sweet pomegranates, without their kernels, sext. iv; of the juice of acid pomegranates, sext. ij; of honey, sext. j; of the Minnæan myrrh, dr. viij; of crocomagma, of galls, of each, dr. viij; of fissile alum, dr. iv; of Illyrian iris and of omphacium, of each, dr. viij. Prepare like that from mulberries.
The same otherwise. Of the juice of sweet pomegranate bruised with their kernels, sext. vj; of fine honey, sext. j; of fissile alum, oz. j; of myrrh, oz. ss.
The preparation from must. Of must, sext. vj; of galls, of fissile alum, of each dr. ij; of saffron, of myrrh, of each, dr. j. If you mean it for a demulcent, let the must be sweet, but if as a repellent, austere. The middle state has intermediate properties.
The Egyptian stomachic. Of honey, lb. j; of oil, oz. viij; of turpentine, oz. ij; of saffron, dr. iv. They are melted in a double vessel.
The stomachic medicine, from besasa. Of anise seed, of parsley seed, of the schœnanth, of the seed of bishop’s weed, of fissile alum, of Illyrian iris, of besasa (which some call harmala, it is the wild rue), of cinnamon, of troglodytic myrrh, of saffron, of gall, of each, oz. j; of long birthwort, of cassia, of crocomagma, of dried roses, of each, oz. j; of costus, of the fresh ashes of pigeons, oz. iij; of Indian nard, of amomum, of each, oz. ss; of honey, q. s.
Commentary. Celsus thus sums up the general properties of these preparations: “Gargarizationes autem aut lævandi causa fiunt, aut reprimendi, aut evocandi. Lævant, lac, cremor vel ptisanæ, vel furfurum: reprimit aqua, in qua vel lenticula, vel rosa, vel rubus, vel cotoneum malum, vel palmulæ decoctæ sunt: evocant, sinapi, piper.” (v, 22.)
Galen treats of these compositions very systematically, and at great length, in the sixth book of his work, ‘De Comp. Med. sec. loc.’ The far greater number of our author’s prescriptions are copied from it. Myrepsus likewise gives a long list of such like compositions (§ ix.) See also Aëtius (viii.)