The acopon from the fir, of Galen. Of the ripe seed of the fir tree, j Italian modius, i. e. sext. xvj; of oil, lb. xv; of wax, lb. iv; of rosin, of pine-nut, or of turpentine, of each, oz. iv. Having bruised the seed of the fir, add it to the oil, and allowing it to remain forty days, filtrate and throw away; and having mixed the other things, use for spontaneous lassitude, paralysis, and coldness of the joints. But if the necessity for using it be urgent, we must boil the seed of the fir with the oil, mixing with them, sext. iv of water, to prevent them from being burnt. They are used in podagric and arthritic affections.
The same otherwise. Of oil, hemin. xxv, i. e. sext. xiiss; of the fruit of the fir, mod. j, i. e. sext. xvj; of the rosin of ash, lb. iij; of the rosin of pine-nut or of turpentine, lb. iij; of wax, lb. j.
The acopon from the black poplar, for the same affections. Instead of the fruit of the fir, adding an equal quantity of the fruit of the black poplar, prepare the other things in like manner.
The liniment of Zosimus, celebrated for tremblings. Of pine rosin, oz. xvj; of wax, oz. iv; of old oil, lb. j; of opoponax, oz. ij; of adarce, oz. j; of euphorbium, oz. j; of natron, oz. iv; of tender aphronitrum, oz. iv. Triturate the natron, euphorbium, and adarce with wine, then add the opoponax, and triturate together. Melt the soluble substances separately with alkanet, that they may acquire colour, and having cooled, mix.
The dropax, or calefacient plaster Gallus. Of Oribasius. Of the Colophonian rosin which is redolent of frankincense, of pine rosin, and of that which is called the woody, being found only in Italy, of the pitch of ships, of dried pitch, of each, lb. iv; of wax. lb. iv; of roasted rosin, oz. xv; of Brutian pitch, lb. ij; of natron, lb. j; of bitumen, of galbanum, of adarce, of pellitory, of each, oz. vj; of opoponax, of euphorbium, of white hellebore, of pepper, of each, oz. iv; of sulphur vivum, oz. iij; of castor, of ammoniac, of the wild grape dried, of each, oz. ij; of Sicyonian oil, lb. j; of opobalsam, oz. vj.
Otherwise, a simple dropax. Of wax, lb. j; of dried pitch, lb. iss; of Brutian pitch, lb. j; of pine pitch, lb. iss; of roasted rosin, lb. j, oz. iij. Having first prepared the part with natron, apply.
The preparation of a sinapism. On the preceding day, dried figs are to be macerated in tepid water, and next day they are to be properly filtrated and strongly pounded. Then some acrid mustard, such as the Syriac and Egyptian, is to be triturated separately, pouring on it a little of the infusion, and mixing and forming into a mass; if we wish to form a strong sinapism, joining two parts of mustard to one of dried figs, but if weak, in the inverse proportion; and if a moderate one, mixing equal parts. If the mustard before it is triturated, be allowed to macerate in vinegar, as some do, it becomes weaker. After the mustard has been cleared away, and the bath used, if the pain continue violent, or if redness and blisters supervene, we are to wet a cloth in the juice of mallows, or of fenugreek, with oil of roses, and apply. Then we may use the rose cerate with ceruse. But in cases of paralysis, when the sensibility is impaired, care must be taken, and the part frequently uncovered and examined, for often they are burnt immoderately without being sensible of it. And goat’s dung, applied with vinegar, is more efficacious than mustard, especially in diseases of the hip-joint.
The liniment from writing-ink acting as a rubefacient, especially in cases of hemicrania. From the works of Alexander. Of euphorbium, of writing-ink, of each, dr. iv; of troglodytic myrrh, of crocomagma, of white pepper, of each, oz. iij; of saffron, dr. ij; of vinegar, q. s., so that these things may be properly triturated, and become of the consistence of the sordes in baths; and then anoint with it, beginning from the middle of the eyebrow to the whole temple, especially if it be bare of hairs; and after it cools, anoint again, and when the remedy acts properly, let the man be put into a bath.
Commentary. Le Clerc says of the Acopa: “On les appelloit acopa comme qui diroit, Unguens qui ôtent les douleurs, ou la lassitude, parcequ’on s’en servoit principalement pour le délasser, ou pour apaiser les douleurs qu’on sent après le travail et la fatigue.” (Hist. de la Méd.) Galen explains that although this class of ointments derived their name from their being originally used as soothing applications to parts which were pained from severe exertion, they came afterwards to be applied for various other purposes, as for removing all deep-seated pains, indurations, contractions, and the like. Their consistence, he says, is nearly the same as that of the liquid cerates or the ointments made from wax and oil. According to their qualities, he adds, they have the epithets of emollient, calefacient, anodyne, relaxant, or alterative, applied to them. He describes, in prose and verse, the composition of an almost countless variety of these preparations. (De med. sec. gen. vii.) Celsus says of the acopa: “Acopa quoque utilia nervis sunt.” He gives formulæ only for two acopa, which consist of aromatic and stimulant medicines mixed with oil or some fragrant ointment. (v, 25.) Oribasius divides them into three kinds, the emollient, the calefacient, and the scarifacient; the last being a near approach to sinapisms. On the acopa see further Scribonius and Actuarius.
The liniments of the ancients seem to have been very much the same as those of the moderns. Celsus says of them: “Ἔγχριστα autem Græci vocant liquida qui illinuntur.” (v, 243.) In consistence and qualities they nearly resembled the acopa, being composed of a large proportion of oil with a small quantity of wax or honey. Myrepsus gives prescriptions for a considerable number of them.