Μυελὸς,
Medulla, Marrow; it is possessed of the property of softening indurated and scirrhous bodies. The best is that of stags, next to it, that of calves. That of bulls and of buck-goats is more acrid and desiccative. That from the limbs is more fatty and emollient; but that from the spine is harder and drier.
Commentary. According to Aristotle, the Marrow is a superfluity concocted from the nutritive blood of the bones. He states that the spinal marrow is considerably different from that of the other bones. (De Partibus Animalium, ii, 7.) Pliny, copying from Dioscorides, thus delivers the general characters of marrows: “Omnes molliunt, explent, siccant, calefaciunt.” (H. N. xxviii, 39.) Dioscorides, Galen, and Serapion concur in giving the preference to the marrow of stags. Dioscorides gives minute directions for preparing it to keep. (ii, 95.) He says that smearing the body with stag’s marrow drives away venomous reptiles. (Ibid.) The Arabians recommend a suppository from marrows as a remedy for scirrhus of the uterus. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 485), Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 460.)
Μύκητες,
Fungi, Mushrooms, are of a decidedly cold and humid temperament. Some of them prove fatal when eaten, more particularly those which have a putrid quality mixed with their nature.
Commentary. We have already treated of mushrooms as articles of food ([i, 77]), and as poisons ([v, 54]); and shall, therefore, be excused saying anything more of them in this place. In fact, we cannot see with what propriety the ancient authorities assigned them a place in the Materia Medica, since, as far as we can recollect, they never prescribe them medicinally.
Μυοσώτη,
Is described under [Alsine].
Μύξα,
Myxa, the Sebesten-plum; the fruit of this tree is smaller than the bullace-plum, but of similar powers.