Σικύος,
Cucumis, the Cucumber; the esculent, when green, is cooling and diluent in the second degree; and the flesh of it soothes hot inflammations. The seed is detergent and incisive, promotes the discharge of urine, and clears the body. But when dried, both the seed and root prove desiccative in the first order, and more detergent. The juice of the fruit of the wild cucumber is called Elaterium. That of the root and leaves is like to elaterium, but weaker. The root is detergent, discutient, and emollient, but the juice is desiccative.
Commentary. We have already stated more than once that the Σ. of the Greeks or Cucumis of the Latins was applied to several species of the summer fruits. Our author, we presume, applies it here to the Cucumis sativus. His account of its medicinal qualities is abridged from Galen. Dioscorides calls the seed of the Cucumis sativus moderately diuretic, along with must answering well in ulcerations of the bladder, and says that its leaves, in a cataplasm with wine, are useful in the bites of dogs. The Arabians give the same account of it, but evidently mix it up with the characters of the gourd, as given by their Grecian masters; it is, therefore, almost impossible to discover when they are treating of the one and when of the other. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 89); Serapion (De Simpl. 143); Averrhoes (Collig. v, 42); Ebn Baithar (ii, 260.) The seeds of the cucumber long held a place in our modern Dispensatories, and were ranked as one of the greater cold seeds. See Quincy (107) and Lewis (Mat. Med. i, 380.) Elaterium, or the fruit of the wild cucumber, was much used by the ancient physicians from Hippocrates downwards. Theophrastus and Pliny affirm that it is the most durable of all medicines, and that it had actually been known to retain its virtues for two hundred years. It was given internally as a hydragogue, and applied externally in cases of lichen, scabies, impetigo, and the like. Of it, however, we have treated fully under [elaterium], as a medicine in this section, and as a poison in [Book V (64.)] Dioscorides gives an account of the virtues of its leaves and roots, the juice of which he recommends as an external application in leprosy and other cutaneous diseases, and as an hydragogue and cholagogue in dropsy. Galen treats of them in more general terms, like our author. Ruffus says its root is suitable to dropsical cases. It is the Cucumis sylvestris, seu asininus, of the Arabians, who treat of all parts of it at great length. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 177); Serapion (c. 204); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. 143); Averrhoes (Collig. v, 42); Haly Abbas (Pract. ii, 54, 567); Ebn Baithar (ii, 210.) One of Rhases’s authorities says, that in a pessary the wild cucumber kills the fœtus. Another of them says an external application of it to the head is of great use in headaches. Haly Abbas recommends it as a purge in paralysis and colic. One of Serapion’s authorities is an Arabian, named by him Habix, who gives a very interesting account of the wild cucumber, which he describes as being more sharp and bitter than the wild gourd.
Σίλλυβον,
Sillybum, is a thorny shrub, like the white chamæleon, but edible. The juice of the root of it, when drunk with honeyed water to the amount of a drachm, is emetic.
Commentary. Matthiolus admits that it was totally unknown to him. Is it not the Carduus Mariæ, or Common Milk-thistle? See Alston (Lectures) and Parkinson (Theatre of Plants, 976.) Sprengel joins Lobelius in acknowledging it as the Sillybum marianum, Gaertn. Harduin makes it to be the Cardo Marie of the Italians. (Ad Plin. xxxvi, 25.) Pliny says of it, that its concrete juice evacuates bile. (H. N. xxvi, 25.) Our author’s character of it is taken from Dioscorides (iv, 156.) None of the other authorities give any more distinct description either of the plant itself or of its virtues. Galen has omitted it altogether, and we have not been able to find it in the works of the Arabians, unless it be the plant treated of by Serapion. (c. 305.) Though this article (supposing it actually to be the Carduus Marianus) has long ceased to hold a place in our Dispensatory, it would appear that it is not wholly unknown to the shops of the apothecaries. See Gray (Suppl. to Pharmacop. 64.) An eminent authority of his day, Crantz, describes the Carduus Mariæ as being sudorific, diuretic, and deobstruent, and a remedy to ill-conditioned sores. (Mat. Med. ii, 157.) It must be admitted that this character does not well agree with that of the Sillybum as given by Dioscorides.
Σίλουρος,
Silurus, the Shad-fish, pickled and eaten, clears the trachea when in a humid state. In a cataplasm it extracts sharp weapons of wood.