SECT. XXI.—ON ŒNANTHARIA.
It is not because they contain the wild vine (œnanthe) that they are called œnantharia, for some of them have no wild vine at all; but it is from the wine and flower of the lilies that they have obtained this appellation. The œnantharia are used by some solely for their fragrance, and for luxury alone; these persons having them poured over their bodies after coming out of the bath, and having their tables wiped with sponges dipped in them. But to those who use them properly, they prove remedies in cases of paralysis and syncope, if mixed with the tonic cataplasms, for the stomach; and to convalescents more especially from febrile diseases. They are to be poured upon the bodies of such persons, and applied to their noses if they can still inhale. For they are drawn in deeply, and strengthen the mental and vital spirits. They are useful, likewise, as preservatives from pestilential diseases, when the state of the atmosphere appears to be of this nature. The following is the œnantharium of Posidonius, which he calls Mesopotamenum.
The preparation of the œnantharium. Of cassia, of myrrh, of frankincense, of Indian leaf, of amomum, of mastich, of costus, of carpobalsam, of opobalsam, of each, oz. iij; of fatty storax, oz. iv; of fragrant Aminæan wine, x Italian sext. Having pounded and filtrated all the things, divide the storax into small pieces, put into a vessel with a broad mouth along with the leaves of lilies, dried the preceding day and stripped of their nails, placing them alternately; let the lilies be ccc in number; then put in the wine and the opobalsam, which have been mixed and stirred together before their addition, and having covered up the mouth of the vessel, expose to the sun for forty days. Use after the bath, as a restorative from disease, sprinkling the house and vessels with it, or dipping sponges in it and applying to the face.
Another, of our own invention. Of costus, oz. iij; of spikenard, of arnabo, of cloves, of each, oz. j; of amomum, oz. iij; of cassia, of wild vine, of calamus, of each, oz. ix; of storax, of opobalsam, of each, oz. iv; lilies, ccc; of Falernian wine, sext. x. Prepare after the same manner.
Commentary. See also Aëtius (xii, 116) and Myrepsus (§ 37.) The Œnantharia were fragrant preparations, made with wine and aromatics. The prescriptions given by Aëtius and Myrepsus are so similar to our author’s that we need not repeat them. We are not aware of the Arabian authors having treated of them anywhere; at all events, they have not done so by this name.