Commentary. Gluten or Paste. Dioscorides mentions that the best kind is prepared from the hides of bulls in Rhodes. Galen makes mention of another kind prepared from flour, and used in binding books. (De Simpl. vii.) See further, Pliny (H. N. xiii, 26.) The Arabians, in treating of it, derive most of their information from the Greeks. See Serapion (c. 138); Avicenna (ii, 2, 202); and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 336.) They treat of the ichthyocolla under this head.
Κολοκύνθη,
Cucurbita, the Gourd, is of a humid and cold temperament in the second degree. Hence, when applied entire in a cataplasm, it cools hot inflammations.
Commentary. We have stated the difficulty of determining this article in [the chapter of the First Book on the summer fruits]. It would appear to be sometimes put for the Cucumis sativus or Cucumber, and sometimes for the Cucurbita or Gourd. About the species, however, there is some doubt. On its medicinal properties, besides the medical authorities, see Geopon. (xii, 19.) Dioscorides recommends it raw, as a cooling application for various swellings and apostemes; also for the siriasis of infancy (See [Book I, 13]), for inflammations of the eyes, and those of gout in like manner. He also speaks of it as being useful in earache and heat of the stomach. He states that it is laxative of the bowels; and for this purpose directs a raw gourd to be hollowed out, and wine having been poured into it, it is to be exposed for a time to the heat of the sun, when it will become gently laxative. (ii, 161.) Galen, Aëtius, and others give it much the same characters as our author. The Arabians, as usual, borrow freely from the Greeks without making any addition of much consequence. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 175); Serapion (c. 248); and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. 1, 344.) One of Serapion’s authorities, called Masarugie, says of the gourd, that when it is surrounded with paste and roasted, the water thus squeezed out of it is beneficial in acute diseases and cough, that it quenches thirst, and when taken with sugar gently opens the bowels. Another of them, Habix, gives nearly the same account of it. Another of them says of its seed, that it is diuretic, and softens the belly. In modern times the seeds of gourd were formerly held as one of the four greater cold seeds. See Charras (Roy. Pharm. 66) and Quincy (p. 197.)
Κολοκινθίς,
Cucurbita sylvestris, Colocynth, is possessed of a strong purgative power. If the juice of it, while in a green state, be rubbed into the part, it relieves ischiatic disease.
Commentary. There can be no doubt that it is the Cucumis Colocynthis, Coloquintida, or Bitter Gourd. It was used in medicine from the earliest times, being the κολοκύνθη ἀγρία of Hippocrates (De Mulieb. 621, ed. Föes), as Galen has explained. It does not occur, however, in the works of Celsus. Dioscorides gives an excellent account of it, recommending it as a powerful phlegmagogue and cholagogue, both when given by the mouth and in clysters; and as a gargle in toothache. He says it kills the fœtus in utero when applied on a pessary. (iv, 175.) Our author’s account of it is copied from Galen. The Arabians treat of it more fully. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 127); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 222); Serapion (c. 272); Mesue (De Simpl. 4); Averrhoes (Collig. v, 421); and Ebn Baithar (i, 331.) Avicenna is very precise in giving directions for the preparation of the medicine. His statement of its medicinal properties is so long that we cannot find room for it. He says it evacuates phlegm, bile, and perhaps blood from the intestines; that it is useful in dropsy, and that it is alexipharmic, in proof of which he refers to the report of a case of a person who had been stung by scorpions, and was immediately cured by it. But of all the authorities, Mesue is, perhaps, the one who treats of it most elaborately: he recommends it as purging phlegm and yellow bile, in cephalæa, hemicrania, epilepsy, apoplexy, vertigo, defluxion in the eyes, cold gout, and other affections of the joints; asthma, chronic cough, dyspnœa, &c. But, he adds, it is more especially useful in pituitous and flatulent colic, and in dropsy. For this purpose it may be administered by the mouth, in clysters and in suppositories. Applied per vaginam it kills the fœtus. He directs its bad effects to be corrected by means of mastich, tragacanth, &c. He forbids it to be administered either in great heat or cold. Averrhoes ranks it with the strongest phlegmagogues, and recommends that its activity should be abated by almonds, tragacanth, fistics, &c. Ebn Baithar treats of it at very great length. Serapion says that, being a drastic purgative, it ought not to be given during the heat of summer, or cold of winter; for that, at these seasons, Hippocrates had forbid to administer purgatives. Pliny recommends it in injections for diseases of the intestines, kidneys, and loins. He says that an embrocation of it with oil cures pains of the spine and hip-joint, and is useful in jaundice when followed by oxymel. (H. N. xx, 7, 8.) Marcellus, the Empiric, says of it that it purges phlegm, yellow and black bile, when given with oxymel. (c. 30.) Ruffus Ephesius says of colocynth, that it purges phlegm and pure bile: in a word, he adds, it is useful in asthma, pleurisy, chronic headache, vertigo, and dimness of vision. (De Med. Purg.)
Κόμαρος,
Arbutus, the Arbute Tree, is of a sour quality, both the tree and its fruit, which is called memycœlon. It is hurtful to the stomach, and occasions headache.