SECT. XVIII.—ON EMOLLIENT PLASTERS AND EPITHEMES.
Of those applications called emollient plasters, or malagmata, some are applied to the middle parts of the body when in a state of chronic inflammation, or indurated, or in a hot or cold state, or affected with defluxions; and some to the extremities when infarcted, or to the nerves when affected with cold; or they are serviceable to the other parts when scirrhous. These have been treated of in the section on Plasters, and will be treated of in that on Acopa. Of those which agree with the middle parts of the body (which are properly called epithemes), those applied for the stomach and liver, of whatever kind they are, must require a strengthening power from astringents; for without these there will be danger to the life, the functional operations of these parts being extensive; and, therefore, they are principally composed of aromatics. When the stomach then is affected with dyspepsia, atony, or inflation, those from seeds, and from melilots, aloes, and wormwood, from sampsuchum (marjoram), nard, and mastich are to be applied. To the liver, those from nutben, ammoniac, fats, and chamomile ointment; and to the spleen, those from quicklime, arsenic, capers, willows, cardamom, verdigris, ammoniac, and vinegar are to be applied. For defluxions about the belly, those from wild vine, alum, apple ointment, and other astringents are to be used. And these by a misnomer are called by the general name of malagmata or emollient plasters, although their power be the reverse of softening. When the viscera are in a hot state, as in ardent fevers, those from saffron, oil of roses, the juice of linseed, endive, knot-grass, hog’s lard, or litharge are to be applied; but when in a cold state those from opobalsam, Indian leaf, sowbread (cassamum), and pepper. In expectorations of blood, astringent and desiccative applications, composed from alum, willow, and bitumen, are to be applied to the breast; and in consumptions, those from bay berries, horehound, cardamom, and lye.
The malagma from melilots. Of saffron, of Celtic nard, of cyperus, of cardamom, of iris, of myrrh, of each, oz. ij; of melilots, lb. j; of ammoniac perfume, lb. j; of wax, lb. iij; of turpentine, lb. j; of oil of privet, lb. iij; of gleucinum, lb. ij; of bdellium, oz. vj. Some add also of cyphi, oz. ij; of wine, q. s.
The malagma Polyarchium, from Galen’s work, ‘according to the parts.’ Of wax, of turpentine, of bdellium, of ammoniac perfume, of cardamom, of cyperus, of each, one mina; of melilot, of amomum, of Indian nard, of saffron, of myrrh, of frankincense, of the wood of cinnamon, of each, dr. xxv; of oil of privet, hemina j; of Italian wine, q. s. Prepare and use sometimes unmixed and sometimes diluted with the cerate of privet.
The Polyarchium, otherwise. Of xylobalsam, of costus, of iris, of cyperus, of myrrh, of the schœnanth, of cardamom, of frankincense, of spikenard, of mastich, of storax, of bdellium, of amomum, of Indian leaf, of saffron, of cassia, of pellitory, of long birthwort, of each, oz. j; of ammoniac perfume, oz. iss; of roasted rosin, oz. iij; of turpentine, lb. j; of stag’s marrow, oz. ij; of wax, lb. ij; of opobalsam, oz. vj; of wine, oz. viij.
The malagma Philagrianum. Of saffron, oz. iss; of aloes, of ammoniac perfume, of bdellium, of storax, of each, oz. j; of the fat of geese, oz. ij; of the medicine œsypum, oz. iv; of palm-nuts, oz. ij; of wax, lb. j; of nard, oz. vj; of the ointment of apples, oz. vj; of wine, what will be sufficient for triturating the dry things.
The fragrant malagma. Of saffron, of aloes, of mastich, of wormwood, of storax, of wild vine, of sowbread, of cloves, of each, oz. iij; of nard, lb. j; of wax, lb. j; of oil of apples, oz. vj; palm-nuts, xij; of wine, q. s.
The malagma Baion. Of cardamom, of cassia, of Celtic wild vine, of the flowers of the wild pomegranate, of virgin wax, of each, scr. viij; of savin, of sowbread, of amomum, of each, scr. vj; of the schœnanth, scr. xviij; of iris, scr. iv; of cloves, scr. iss; of the lily perfume, oz. ij; of frankincense, of myrrh, of each, oz. j; of ladanum, oz. vj; of bdellium, of mastich, of aloes, of nard, of the oil of lentisk, of each, oz. ss; of maple rosin, of pine rosin, of turpentine, of each, oz. iij; of opobalsam, oz. j; of ammoniac perfume, scr. vj; of wax, oz. vj. The bruised juicy and dried things are to be pounded with oil of wild vine. In another prescription, some add, of pepper, scr. xviij, and of musk, scr. j.
The Galenian malagma. Of saffron, oz. ss; of aloes, oz. j; of mastich, oz. iij; of the fruit of wormwood, scr. viij; of wild vine, scr. viij; three large dates; of wax, oz. iij; of oil of apples, oz. vj.
The malagma Brythrion. Of storax, oz. v; of quinces, oz. xx; of masucha or masuaphium, of saffron, of each, dr. x; of crumbs of bread, of cyphi, of each, dr. v; of wild vine, oz. iiss; of sowbread, of wormwood, of each, dr. x; of cloves, scr. xv; of ammoniac perfume, scr. x; of opobalsam, scr. viss; of nard, oz. v; of Colophonian rosin, of gleucinum, of oil of apples, of each, oz. x; of oil of roses, dr. x; of bee-glue, oz. v; of turpentine, oz. x; of honey, coch. x; of Indian leaf, dr. x; of spikenard, dr. x; of wax, oz. viiss. Triturate with Falernian and Aminæan wine.
The splenic malagma of Nilus, for all other cases of induration. Of wax, lb. j; of ammoniac perfume, lb. j; of oil of privet, lb. j; of saffron, oz. ss (some make it, oz. j); of vinegar, q. s.
The malagma citrinum. Of wax, of Colophonian rosin, of each, lb. j; of ammoniac perfume, of arsenic, of lime, of alum, of vinegar, of each, cyath. viij. Triturate the dry things with the vinegar.
The barber’s malagma. Of dried pitch, lb. j; of wax, of pine rosin, of ammoniac perfume, of natron, of dry bay-berries, of the fat of bulls, of each, lb. ij; of the flour of fenugreek, sext. j; of pollen, sext. j; of the dried root of the black chamæleon, lb. j.
The malagma, from goat’s dung, of Oribasius, for splenic affections, dropsies, and scirrhous liver. Of oil of privet or very old oil, lb. iij; of wax, lb. iiss; of the dung of goats, of bay-berries stripped of their bark, of Illyrian iris, of each, sext. j; of turpentine, lb. j; of mustard, of natron, of cyperus, of the seed of radish, of the bark of the root of capers, oz. iij; of the medullary part of colocynth, oz. ij; of fenugreek, oz. j. Sometimes the dry things are added to the soluble and sometimes they are mixed with vinegar. But if there is a flux of the bowels, the colocynth must not be added.
The malagma spongiola, from goat’s dung, for dropsies. Of Brutian pitch, lb. iiss; of natron, lb. j; of the medullary part of colocynth, of pellitory, of opoponax, of granum cnidium, of each, oz. iij; of bark of the root of capers, of frankincense, of iris, of the fat of bulls, of elaterium, of squama æris, of parsley-seed, of the seeds of spurge (lathyrides), of each, oz. vj; of bay-berries, sext. ss; of the flour of fenugreek, oz. ss; of bull’s gall, oz. ij; of oil of privet, sext. ss; of wax, lb. j; of roasted rosin, lb. iij; of mountain goat’s dung, of the seed of rosemary, of cyperus, of cardamom, of each, oz. vj.
The malagma from bay-berries. Of wax, of rosin, of pitch, of bay-berries, of bull’s fat, of each, lb. j; of natron, of ammoniac perfume, of each, oz. vj; of vinegar, q. s.
The malagma from seeds. Of cardamom, of cyperus, of savin, of natron, of bay-berries, of cassia, of melilot, of fenugreek, of Celtic nard, of parsley-seed, of sampsuchum, of anise, of the root of panacea, of frankincense, of ammoniac perfume, of turpentine, of each, oz. iij; of honey, of wax, of nard, of each, lb. j; of the fat of bulls, lb. j.
The fetid malagma for pleurisy. Of pine rosin, lb. j; of wax, of green rue, of oil of privet, of each, oz. vj; of sulphur vivum, of opoponax, of sagapen, of each, dr. iv. Some add also of galbanum, dr. iv.
The malagma from sampsuchum. Of wax, lb. j; of turpentine, lb. ij; of sampsuchum (marjoram?), of bay-berries, of fenugreek, of each, sext. j; of nard, q. s.
The malagma of Apollophanes for hepatic diseases. Of wax, dr. lxxx; of turpentine, of manna, of each, dr. xl. Pound with the lees of iris-oil and anoint the mortar.
The malagma copton, for hardness of the stomach and liver. Of bee-glue, oz. vj; of storax, oz. ij; of mastich, oz. j; of turpentine, oz. ss; of the lees of nard, q. s.
The malagma from wild vine. Of wild vine, of aloes, of saffron, of acacia, of fissile alum, of dried roses, of the juice of wormwood, of galls, of the oil of unripe olives, of Syrian sumach, of manna, of each, dr. j; of myrtle-oil, of wax, of each, lb. j; five large palm-nuts; of Aminæan wine, q. s.
The Antyllian malagma. Of fissile alum, oz. ss; of aloes, oz. j; of mastich, scr. vj; of wild vine, scr. viij; of the oil of unripe olives, scr. viij; of dried roses, scr. viij; of Syriac sumach, scr. x; of the Egyptian thorn, scr. x; of the flowers of the wild pomegranate, scr. xx; of galls, scr. xv; of wax, oz. v; of oil of apples, q. s.
The malagma from grape stones. Of saffron, of sandyx, of wild vine, of each, oz. j; of dried alum, oz. iv; of the flowers of the wild pomegranate, of oil of unripe olives, of the flower of roses, of dried myrtles, of each, oz. ij; of white wax, lb. j; of oil of apples, lb. ij; of quinces, oz. iv; ten Nicolan palm nuts; of Aminæan wine, q. s.; of dried grape stones, oz. viij. In using, take of the medicine, oz. iij; of wax, oz. j.
The malagma from dill. Of green dill, oz. vj; of melilot, oz. ij; of chamomile, oz. ij; ten green heads of poppy. Having boiled, mix of the decoction, lb. iij; and as much of oil; and when the decoction is consumed, add of fresh hog’s lard, lb. ij; and separately triturate of the inner part of baked squill, oz. ij; and of stag’s marrow, oz. ij. Mix all together.
The malagma ambrosia, for stopping fevers. Of litharge, lb. j; of fresh hog’s lard, oz. vj; of the juice of linseed, oz. vj; of white wax, oz. ix; of oil of roses, lb. j; of honey, oz. iij; of saffron, oz. j. Some add also the raw yelks of ten eggs.
Commentary. Le Clerc thus describes these preparations: “Ce qu’on appelloit malagma ne différoit fort de l’emplâtre. Galien déclare (Pharmac. gén. vii, 5) qu’il est indifférent qu’on se serve du terme de malagme, ou de celui d’emplâtre.” He adds, “Ce qu’on appelloit epithème étoit aussi à peu près le même chose.” (Hist. de la Méd.) According to Galen, the malagmata derived their name from being used as emollient applications to parts in an indurated state, and were all moderately calefacient, being in general neither desiccative nor humectative. He describes the composition of these preparations with his usual accuracy and minuteness.
Celsus gives a full account of the malagmata. He says plasters, malagmata, and pastils differ, inasmuch as malagmata consist principally of aromatics, whereas, the other two are rather formed from metallic substances. In general, he says, they are rather calefacient than refrigerant; some, however, are refrigerant, and are used as applications to the joints in gout. A few are not only calefacient but also epispastic. He gives prescriptions for 35 malagmata. He makes no mention of epithemes. (v, 17, 2.) Scribonius Largus, likewise, treats fully of the malagmata (§ cclv-cclxvii).
Oribasius states that there are three varieties of malagmata: the first consisting of dry things, namely, roots and herbs; the second kind, of metallic substances, or a certain proportion thereof; and the third, of juices, suet, and tears. (Med. Collect. x, 28.)
A full account of them is given by Actuarius (Meth. Med. vi, 9) and Myrepsus (§ xi, xxxiv.) The following epitheme is said to be powerfully purgative: “Of scammony, of elaterium, of spurge, of each, dr. viij; of white and of black hellebore, of bull’s gall, of each, dr. iij; of the root of the wild cucumber, of the leaves of wormwood, of each dr. x; of Tuscan wax, dr. viij; of turpentine rosin, dr. iv; of Attic honey, oz. viij; of red nitre, oz. j.” (Myrepsus, l. c.)
The following is a malagma for luxated joints and contusions: “Of galbanum, oz. j; of saffron, dr. ij; of ammoniac perfume, of pure wax, of each, oz. iss; of dried pitch, lb. iss; of very acrid vinegar, coch. iss.” (Ibid.)