Μανδραγόρας,
Mandragora, Mandrake, belongs to the third order of cold medicines. But its apples have a certain share of heat and humidity, and hence they are possessed of a soporific power. The bark of the root of it being stronger is not only cooling, but also desiccant; but the inner part of it is weak.
Commentary. Waiving disputed points regarding the ancient Mandragora, we shall merely mention in this place that we believe the M. Mas of Dioscorides to have been Mandragoras vernalis, Bertolin, and the M. Femina M. autumnalis. The ancient authors make frequent mention of its narcotic and soporific powers. Celsus directs its apples to be placed below the patient’s pillow in cases of obstinate insomnolency. (iii, 18.) Dioscorides, in like manner, says, its apples are narcotic when smelled to, and also their juice; that if persisted in, they will deprive the person of his speech. He mentions mandrake as an ingredient in anodyne collyria and pessaries, and says that in an enema it induces sleep. He recommends the wine of mandragora to be given to patients before they are subjected to the operation of cutting or burning. He gives minute directions for making the various preparations of mandragora. He concludes his chapter on it by giving from information an account of another species of mandragora, called morion, which he represents as being powerfully narcotic; and hence as being administered by medical men when about to operate by cutting or burning. This plant we agree with Dodonæus and Cordus in thinking must have been the M. of Theophrastus, namely, the Atropa Belladonna. Considering the diligence of the ancient herbalists, it is not likely that they should have wholly overlooked so prominent and important an article as the Belladonna. The objections stated to this opinion by Parkinson (Theatre of Plants, 344) do not appear to us of much force. The account of mandragora given by Pliny is mostly taken from Dioscorides. (H. N. xxv, 94.) Our author and Aëtius borrow almost word for word from Galen. Isidorus says of it, “Cujus cortex vino mixtus ad bibendum iis datur quorum corpus propter curam secandum est, ut soporati dolorem non sentiant.” Serapion in like manner describes it as a powerful narcotic, and says that it was administered before the performance of amputation to diminish sensibility. (c. 333.) Avicenna particularly commends the narcotic and soporific powers of this medicine. He says that it exerts its action in a suppository. The milky juice of it, he adds, evacuates phlegm and yellow bile. He states that if a young person, by mistake, partake of its berries, they bring on vomiting, purging, and perhaps death. The seed mixed with sulphur vivum, is said by him to stop menorrhagia. Like Dioscorides, he says, that mandrake evacuates the stomach and bowels like hellebore. (ii, 2, 357.) Averrhoes briefly says of its apples, that they are soporific, and that its bark is desiccative, but its root weaker. (v. 42.) See also Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 446.) Servitor describes both a concrete and an expressed juice of mandragora. The former, which he calls lachryma, he says could not be procured everywhere. Even the non-professional writers allude to its soporific powers. Thus Lucian speaks of ὕπο μαδραγόρας καθεύδειν. (Timon.) Pollux says that it produces heaviness of the head, that is to say, stupor. Our old herbalists, Turner, Gerard, Parkinson, and Culpeper, mention the soporific powers of the mandrake, but in such a way as implies that they had not much practical acquaintance with it. By the days of Boerhaave and Quincy, its internal use had been abandoned, both in this country and on the continent. Although it has now disappeared from our Dispensatories, we see no good reason why its well-regulated use might not be revived. That the ancients have described its operation on the animal economy correctly, is admitted by our latest writers on Toxicology and the Materia Medica. See the works of Orfila, Christison, and Pereira. In conclusion it may be proper to state, that the modern Arabians and Persians still use the mandragora as a narcotic and antispasmodic. See Ainslie (Mat. Ind. i, 1, 116.) It is not contained in the Greek Pharmacopœia of the present day.
Μάννα λιβάνου,
Manna Thuris, has similar powers to frankincense, but enfeebled and gently astringent.
Commentary. Gesner says of it, “Manna thuris est fragmina minora corticis ramentis permista.” (Lexicon Rusticum.) Dr. Hill calls it the fragments of the cluster frankincense broke off in the carriage. It is singular that the Greek and Roman writers make no mention of the manna now in use, namely, the concrete juice of the Fraxinus Ornus. Actuarius had, no doubt, learned the use of it from the Arabians. (Meth. M. v, 8.) We will treat of the true manna more properly in the [Appendix] to this section, among the medicinal substances introduced by the Arabians.
Μάραθρον,
Fœniculum, Fennel, is heating in the third degree, but desiccative in the first; it therefore forms milk and relieves suffusions of the eye.
Commentary. Dioscorides gives a fuller exposition of the medicinal properties of this substance (Anethum Fœniculum) than any of the other authorities on the Mat. Med., representing it as being possessed of powers to promote the secretion of milk; as being useful in complaints of the kidneys and bladder as a diuretic, and in those of the uterus as an emmenagogue; as being alexipharmic, and as a suitable application to the bites of mad dogs; and an excellent ingredient in collyria, and more especially the gum of it, which is produced on the plant in Spain. (iii, 74.) Galen, in the main, gives it the same characters, holding it to be diuretic, emmenagogue, and a suitable ingredient in collyria. Aëtius and our author follow Galen. It occurs frequently in the Hippocratic treatises. (551, &c. ed. Foës.) Celsus ranks it among his diuretics (ii, 31), and among the articles which at the same time repress and mollify (ii, 33.) The Arabians treat fully of the fennel in nearly the same terms as the Greeks. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 274); Serapion (c. 324); Averrhoes (Collig. v, 42); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 293.) They all represent it as being diuretic, emmenagogue, alexipharmic, and an excellent application in diseases of the eyes. They quote Democritus (?) as stating that vipers and other venomous creatures rub their eyes upon fennel to improve their sight. This species of fennel, namely, the Fœniculum vulgare, is not now employed as a medicine in this country. The other species, Fœniculum dulce, or Sweet Fennel, although Matthiolus takes it for the ancient Marathron, would seem to have been unknown to the ancients. The former species, however, held a place in our Dispensatory down to a recent period. See Quincy (77.) It still holds a place in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia (68.)