Βάτος,
Rubus, the Bramble; its shrubby part is moderately astringent and desiccant, and therefore agglutinates wounds and stops defluxions. The root, in addition to its astringency, is attenuate in no small degree. It therefore breaks down renal calculi. Its ripe fruit is hotter, and has a moderate astringency. It is therefore edible; but the unripe is sour and powerfully desiccant, more especially if dried. In like manner also the flower.
Commentary. The first species of bramble described by Dioscorides is probably that well-known one the Rubus fruticosus, the other is the Rubus Idæus, or raspberry bush. The Β. Ἰδᾶιος of Dioscorides was supposed by Ruellius and others to be the Fragaria or Strawberry, but with this supposition we cannot agree. Strawberries are not noticed by any Greek writer, but are first mentioned by Ovid (Met. i, 104); and then by Pliny (H. N. xxv, 62.) The μόρον βατῶδες, of which mention is occasionally made by our author, was the fruit of the bramble, being so called, according to Eustathius, from its resemblance to mulberries. (Ad Iliad. xiii, 121.) Our author abridges Galen, who is at great pains in defining the powers of the batos, which he makes out to be moderately astringent and desiccative; and hence he pronounces it to be useful in dysentery, fluxes of the bowels, atony, hæmoptysis, and in calculus as a lithrontriptic. Dioscorides indulges in a still more lengthened exposition of its virtues, recommending the decoction of it as an astringent in looseness of the bowels, and in fluor albus, as an antidote to the sting of the serpent Prester; its leaves when chewed, to strengthen the gums and cure the aphthæ of children, and externally, for the cure of herpes, achor, procidentia oculi, and many other diseases (iii, 36.) It is briefly alluded to by Celsus in treating of lientery (iv, 16.) The Arabians, as usual, copy from Dioscorides and Galen. See Serapion (De Simpl. 124); Avicenna (ii, 2, 572.) The rubi held their place and ancient characters in our Dispensatories down to a late date. See Quincy (p. 94.) Even yet several of the rubi are still kept in the shops for medicinal purposes. See Gray (Suppl. to Pharmacop. p. 89.)
Βατράχιον,
Ranunculus, Crowsfoot, consists of four varieties, all of which are possessed of powerfully heating and desiccant powers, and also of acrid and caustic, so as to occasion ulceration with pain; but when moderately used, it proves only detergent of the skin. The dried root is a sternutatory.
Commentary. According to Sprengel, the first species is the Ranunculus Asiaticus; the second, the R. lanuginosus; the third, the R. muricatus; and the fourth, the R. aquatilis. Galen recommends it as a powerful escharotic, and our author evidently copies from him. Dioscorides gives a similar account of the ranunculi, recommending them for the removal of leprous nails, psora, stigmata, and other tumours, as a fomentation to chilblains, and as an application to remove toothache. The Arabians treat of the ranunculi in the same terms as the Greeks, copying their medicinal characters from Dioscorides and Galen. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 368), and Ebn Baithar (ii, 343.) Neither of them gives anything original of his own, nor from any Arabian authority. The ranunculi, we need scarcely mention, have now been discarded by the regular practitioner; but yet several of them are still kept in the shops, and have the reputation of being excellent vesicants. Gray (Suppl. to Pharmacop. p. 122.) In like manner old Culpeper affirms that the crowsfoot is an effectual and a much safer blister than cantharides (p. 59.) The modern Greek Pharmacopœia does not contain it.
Βάτραχοι,
Ranæ, Frogs; they are eaten when made into a soup for the bites of venomous animals; when burnt, their ashes become very desiccant; and stop hemorrhages, and cure alopecia, along with liquid pitch.
Commentary. Dioscorides, Galen, and Serapion recommend them in the cases mentioned by our author. The species with which they must have been most familiar is the green frog. We have stated in another place that the Greeks and Romans did not use the frog as an article of food. ([Vol. I, 166.])