The hiera of Justus. Of dodder of thyme, dr. xij; of horehound, of cassidony, of germander, of black hellebore, of scammony, of agaric, of long pepper, of baked squills, of each dr. xvj; of euphorbium, of the medullary part of colocynth, of aloes, of saffron, of gentian, of stone-parsley, of ammoniac perfume, of sagapen, of each dr. viij; of opoponax, of poley, of cinnamon, of myrrh, of spikenard, of the flower of the rush, of pennyroyal, of each dr. iv; of long and of round birthwort, of each dr. ij; of honey, q. s. The dose is two, three, or four scr., with honeyed water and salts.
The hiera of Galen. Of germander, of long pepper, of white pepper, of cassidony, of black hellebore, of scammony, of spikenard, of baked squills (and some of dodder of thyme), of each dr. xvj; of myrrh, of saffron, of ammoniac perfume, of euphorbium, of each dr. viij. Mix with honey.
The hiera of Ruffus. Of sicyonia, or the medullary part of colocynth, dr. viij; of germander, dr. x; of sagapen, dr. viij; of stone-parsley, dr. v; of round birthwort, dr. v; of white pepper, dr. v; of cinnamon, dr. iv; or of cassia, dr. viij; of base horehound, of saffron, of poley, of myrrh, of each dr. iv; of honey, q. s.
The hiera of Archigenes. Of horehound, of agaric, of germander, of the medullary part of colocynth, of cassidony, of each dr. x; of opoponax, of sagapen, of stone-parsley, of round birthwort, of white pepper, of each dr. v; of cinnamon, of spikenard, of myrrh, of the cassia leaf (malabathrum), of saffron, of each dr. iv; pound the dry things together, and strain. The opoponax, sagapen, and myrrh, being bruised, are to be put into a mortar to macerate with honeyed water for one night; then triturate and add the dry things; then mixing them with the finest honey lay them up in a glass or leaden vessel. This is the common method with all the hieræ. The full dose of them is dr. iv. Add to it also of salts, dr. j; of honey, two cyathi; of water, q. s. If we wish to make those compositions of this class which have not scammony more purgative, we must add to each of them an obolus of it.
Commentary. The hieræ, for the most part, consist of drastic purgatives, combined with aromatics. There is a great variety of these compositions described in the works of the ancient winters on pharmacy. Galen makes mention of an aloetic hiera, which was much used by the celebrated Archigenes. The following is his prescription for it: “R. Aloes, dr. c; cinnamomi, nardi, xylobalsami, mastichæ chiæ, asari, croci, ā ā dr. vj.” Galen remarks, however, that the proportion of aloes is too great, and recommends us to substitute xc or lxxx dr. instead of the quantity directed. (De comp. Med. acc. loc.) Mesue describes the composition of 6 hieræ, Haly Abbas of 5, and Serapion of a much greater number. But for variety, Myrepsus surpasses all the other authorities. He describes the composition of 30 hieræ. The following is his receipt for the Hiera Picra Galeni: “℞. Aloes flavæ, dr. xivss.; cinnamomi, croci, costi, floris junci odorati, xylobalsami, cassiæ fistulæ puræ, mastiches, asari, rosarum, amomi, absinthii, ā ā dr. j; Tere subigendo cum mellis Attici q. s.” Moses Charras’s receipt for it is very little different. (Royal Pharm. i, 20.)
SECT. IX.—ON LINIMENTS TO BE APPLIED TO THE ANUS, AND PURGATIVE APPLICATIONS TO THE NAVEL.
A liniment to the anus for the discharge of flatulence. Rue is triturated with honey so as to form one juice, and the inner parts of the fundament rubbed with it. It becomes more efficacious if a small quantity of cumin and natron, or the juice of sowbread be added. It is daubed upon flocks of wool and introduced; or a suppository is formed with the addition of honey. For the flatus escapes freely, affording relief.
A liniment to the anus, evacuating the belly; called Chezananche. Alum being triturated with honey is to be boiled until it become yellowish, and the anus is to be rubbed with it. It forces a free evacuation of many things, but not without trouble.
An application to the navel as a laxative of the bowels. Of sowbread, dr. iv; of natron, dr. iij; of black and white hellebore, of each, dr. ij; of colocynth, dr. iij; of scammony, dr. ij; of the juice of elaterium, dr. iv; of granum Cnidium, dr. iv; of fatty dried figs, oz. ij; of the gall of bulls, oz. j. Another very excellent one: of elaterium, of lathyrides, of galbanum, of sowbread, of black hellebore, of each, dr. iv; of the medullary parts of colocynth, dr. viij; of fresh wild cucumber, of scammony, of granum Cnidium, of each, dr. ij; of spurge, dr. ij; of turpentine, dr. iij; mix these with the gall of bulls, and use as a liniment. Some, by mixing with them of wax, oz. vij, and of Sicyonian oil, q. s., make it of the form of a plaster.
Commentary. It is clear that the liniments applied to the anus were a sort of suppositories. The Chezananche is described in much the same terms as our author’s by Myrepsus. The rest of his compositions of this class are also very similar to our author’s. (xxvi, 2.) Actuarius gives a full account of them. (Meth. Med. v, 9.)