Commentary. Our author abridges his account of the Ononis antiquorum from Galen. All in fact borrow from Dioscorides, who further mentions of it, that it was sometimes used as a pickle. (iii, 18.) It would appear to be the Onobes of Rhases (Cont. i, 520), who gives the characters of it from Galen. Serapion and Avicenna have omitted it. Modern authorities enumerate it among the five aperient roots. It is only of late years that it has been expelled from our Pharmacopœias. Even yet it is not wholly unknown to our apothecaries. See Gray (Suppl. to Pharmacop. p. 94.) Two species of the Anonis, the antiquorum and spinosa, occur in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia (p. 119.)
Ἀπαρίνη,
Lappa, Cleavers (which some call philanthropon, others omphalocarpon), is moderately detergent and desiccative; it also consists of subtile particles.
Commentary. All the herbalists and best commentators agree that it is the Galium aparine. (See Gerarde, Sprengel, and others.) According to Dioscorides a decoction of its leaves is useful to persons bitten by phalangia and vipers, when drunk with wine; an injection of the same into the ears cures earache; and when mixed up with axunge it discusses scrofulous tumours. Galen and the subsequent authorities seem to attach less importance to it. (iii, 94.) We cannot find it in Serapion, Rhases, Avicenna, nor Haly Abbas; but it is treated of by all our older herbalists, and has found a place in many modern pharmacopœias. It is not contained, however, in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia.
Ἄπιον,
Pyrum, the Pear, is unequal as to temperament, consisting partly of terrene and partly of watery matter. When eaten, therefore, it is stomachic, and quenches thirst. When applied as a cataplasm it dries and cools moderately.
Commentary. Our author copies the characters of the Pyrus communis from Galen and Aëtius. We have treated of it as an article of food in the [First Book]. Both Dioscorides and Pliny make mention of perry. Dioscorides says, that pears prove prejudicial to hungry persons when eaten. (i, 167.)
Ἀπόκυνον or Κυνοκράμβη,
Brassica canina, Dog’s-bane; it is also called cynomoron, because it proves quickly fatal to dogs. But it is also deleterious to men, being very fetid and hot, without being desiccant. Hence, when applied externally as a cataplasm it is discutient.
Commentary. Our author borrows his account of this article very closely from Galen. It is clearly a poison rather than a medicine. In fact, it is classed by Schulze among the ancient poisons. (Toxicol. veterum.) Orfila also treats of it among the acrid poisons (p. 82, Eng. ed.) It seems doubtful whether it be the Periploca Græca, as we formerly stated it to be (II, 242); the Cynanchus erectus, as Sprengel supposes; or one of the species of Apocynum. Having no practical acquaintance with these herbs, we cannot pretend to give any decided opinion on the subject.