Suber, Cork, and particularly that from wine-vessels, when burnt has very desiccative ashes. This is mixed up especially with dysenteric remedies.
Commentary. Theophrastus gives an accurate description of the Quercus Suber. (H. P. iii, 16.) Cork, as Pliny states, is formed from its bark. He recommends its ashes or charcoal in hemorrhages. (H. N. xxiv, 8.) Q. Serenus recommends it in the same cases. (c. 22.) Dioscorides does not describe this article. Galen also omits it in his list of simples, but briefly notices it in a preliminary book (v), and recommends the burnt cork of a wine-cask as an astringent. (De Comp. med. sec. loc. v.) We have not been able to trace it in the works of the Arabians.
Φιλλυρέα,
Phillyrea, Mock Privet; the leaves of the tree are astringent like those of the wild olive. They relieve ulcers in the mouth when chewed, and when the mouth is rinsed with a decoction of them. When drunk they prove diuretic and emmenagogue.
Commentary. Stackhouse and Sprengel agree that it is the Phillyrea latifolia L. Our author copies its medicinal characters literally from Dioscorides. (i, 125.) None of the other Greek authorities on the Mat. Med. have described it. Neither can we find traces of it in the works of any of the Arabians, except Ebn Baithar, who gives nothing of any moment under this head but a translation of the chapter of Dioscorides referred to above. It certainly is not the Mahaleb of the Arabians, as we shall show in the [Appendix].
Φλόμος,
Verbascum, Petty Mullein; there are many species, among which is that called Thryalis. The leaves of all the kinds are possessed of desiccative and moderately detergent powers, and especially that with the golden flower. Being sour they suit with all sorts of fluxes. Some also rinse the teeth with them.
Commentary. It cannot be doubted that the genus is referable to the Verbascum, but the species cannot be well determined. See Sibthorp (Flora Græca), and Sprengel (ad Dioscor. iv, 102.) The white female Phlomos would appear to be the Verbascum Thapsus, and the black is indisputably the Verbascum nigrum. The Phlomis Lychnitis of Dioscorides is probably the V. Lychnitis. The other species cannot be determined with any degree of certainty. Our author abridges the medicinal characters given to them by Dioscorides. (l. c.) Galen also, as well as Aëtius and Oribasius, borrow freely from Dioscorides. The mullein occurs in the Hippocratic treatises (Morb. Mulier.), but we do not find it in the works of Celsus. Pliny describes the verbascum in nearly the same terms as Dioscorides. (H. N. xxv, 74.) See also Apuleius (De Herbis, 71.) The Arabians follow Dioscorides in delivering its medicinal properties. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 98); Ebn Baithar (i, 184.) The verbascum held a place in the Dispensatory as late as the time of Lewis. (ii, 417.) The V. Thapsus, nigrum, and Lychnitis, although now rejected from our Dispensatory, are still retained in the shops. See Gray (Suppl. to Pharmacop. 91.) It is said that the juice of their leaves, which is acrid and bitterish, is used to poison mice and fish. Lindley (Veg. King. 683.) In the modern Greek Pharmacopœia, both the Verbascum Thapsus and thapsiforme stand for the female phlomos. (166.)
Φοῖνιξ,
(Called by some Rhus), is a herb like the Darnel. It has astringent powers, and when drunk with austere wine stops all fluxes.