Commentary. What the Scoriæ argenti are will be readily understood from the following description of the process of extracting silver from the ores of it: “These ores are extremely hard, and also mixed with bituminous, sulphureous, arsenical, or vitriolic substances, which carry off with them a considerable part of the silver, or burn it to scoriæ along with themselves.” Geoffroy, &c. (p. 272, Engl. ed.) Our author copies almost verbatim from Dioscorides, and the other Greek authorities supply nothing additional under this head. Aëtius treats of the scoriæ in general terms, as we shall see in the proper place, and merely says of the Scoriæ argenti that they are possessed of desiccative powers. Of the Arabians, Avicenna, in treating of this article, borrows every word from the Greeks. (ii, 2, 693.) Serapion quotes an Arabian authority, Adamasti, to the effect that the scoria argenti is of use in cardiac disease (c. 415.) Rhases, after quoting from Galen, Dioscorides, and Paulus, gives the opinions of two Arabian authorities, Damas (?) and Chuz, the former to the effect that it is useful in palpitation of the heart and fetor of the mouth, and the other, that it cures scabies and pruritus. (Cont. l. ult. i, 74.)
Ἐλλέβορος,
Helleborus, Hellebore; both kinds are calefacient and desiccative in the third degree. It (the white) is also acrid and detergent; and hence it agrees with leprous affections of the skin. The black, when introduced into fistulæ, makes the callus cast off in three days.
Commentary. Those who wish to see the general literature of this interesting article may find our opinions briefly stated under the proper head in the Appendix to Dunbar’s ‘Lexicon.’ In this place it will be sufficient to mention that we have come to the conclusion that the Helleborus albus of the ancients was identical with our Veratrum album. Hippocrates makes mention of both species; when he simply uses the term helleborus, he means the white, as in Aphor. v, 1, and iv, 15, 16. He also recommends the niger as well as the albus in melancholy and quartans (Epist. 1288, ed. Foës.) Aretæus, at the conclusion of his work, as it has come down to us, pronounces a strong eulogy on hellebore, which he calls the great remedy in cases of elephantiasis. Dioscorides recommends it as an emetic, emmenagogue, and sternutatory. (iv, 148-9.) Mesue and Serapion mention it as an emetic, but concur with Hippocrates in stating that it sometimes induces convulsions if administered unguardedly. Haly Abbas gives exactly the same account of it. Averrhoes mentions that in his time the Lapis lazuli was used as a purgative in place of hellebore. (v, 42.) Rhases concurs with the Greek authorities in praising its effects for the cure of epilepsy, melancholy, arthritis, and mania. Macer Floridus praises it in the cure of epilepsy, mania, quartans, &c. We would now beg to be allowed to depart from our general rule, and to quote some modern opinions in illustration of the ancient on this important subject,—the more important from hellebore forming, as is supposed, one of the ingredients in the celebrated patent medicine eau médicinale. Conrad Gesner, an upright and learned physician, as Bergius calls him, had great confidence in the white hellebore, which he took himself, and administered freely to his patients with great success. He says of it, “recreat et roborat, et hilariorem facit, et acuit ingenium, quod in me et aliis sæpissime expertus scribo. Ego, si vixero, in ellebori historiâ multa proferam quæ medici admirentur.” The following is his formula for preparing it: ℞ Hell. alb. dr. ij, vini cretici oz. vj, stent in maceratione, per mensem, additis, si placet, aromatibus. Of this preparation, from 6 to 9 scr. were given according to circumstances. Baglivi calls hellebore the “Hercules remediorum, pluriumque domitor incurabilium morborum.” Platearius, treating of hellebore, says that the ancients used it as a purge, in like manner as scammony is now used, for that men’s bodies, in former times, were stronger than now; such a medicine would require to be given with great caution. He says of it, that it purges phlegm and black bile. The white, he adds, is a more violent medicine than the black. (De Simplici Medicina.) For a great many years past, with the exception of the partial administration of the eau médicinale in cases of gout, the internal use of the veratrum may be said to have been quite lost in the practice of medicine, and that, not only in this country, but also in the land of Hippocrates and Dioscorides. In the modern Greek Pharmacopœia it is directed to be kept as a poison. (p. 76.) Mesue, Serapion, and many of the authorities recommend the black hellebore in melancholy. That it was either the Helleborus niger, or the species orientalis, Tournefort, and not the Veratrum album which was commonly administered in Anticyra, in cases of mania and melancholy, is clearly proved from Dioscorides (iv, 149.) He further states of it that, applied per vaginam, it procures menstruation, and kills the fœtus; he recommends it for the cure of scabies, alphos, lichen, and leprosy; he also speaks favorably of it as an external application to fistulæ, dropsies, toothache, and diseases of the ears. Galen recommends both species equally in nearly the same class of complaints. Notwithstanding the high authority of Pereira, who maintains the contrary, we do not see the least reason to doubt that the black hellebore of the ancients was our Helleborus niger, or Christmas rose. See Gerard (Paradisus, p. 386) and Parkinson (p. 211.) Without doubt it was introduced into this country by the Romans for their H. niger. The H. officinalis, Salisb., which Dr. Sibthorp brings forward in its place, is a distinct species. See Alston’s Lectures (42); also the Greek Pharmacopœia, Athens, 1837, (p. 77.)
Ἐλίχρυσον,
Elichrysum, Shrubby Everlasting or Eternal Flower (called also Chrysanthemon and Amarantum), is a plant used for garlands, having capillary leaves of a golden appearance. When drunk with wine it is suitable for dysuria, the bites of reptiles, ischiatic disease, and fractures. It also promotes menstruation, and dissolves coagula when drunk with wine and honey, and relieves catarrhs.
Commentary. Linnæus makes the ancient Helichrysum identical with his Gnaphalium. (Gener. Plant. 946.) Accordingly Sprengel, in his R. H. H., refers it, with Cordus and Sibthorp, to the Gnaphalium Stæchas. But in his edition of Dioscorides he rather inclines to the Tanacetum annuum. Dr. Hill says of the tansy: “It has been greatly celebrated as an uterine, a vulnerary, and a diuretic. It is recommended in suppressions of the menses, and in cases of the gravel, and other nephritic complaints.” This agrees so well with the characters of the elechrysus as given by Dioscorides and Paulus, that we are inclined to identify this article with the Tanacetum annuum. It is proper to admit, however, that the virtues which Dioscorides ascribes to the elechrysus are ascribed by old Gerard to the cudweed. It is one of those articles in the ancient Materia Medica which can never be satisfactorily determined. See further, Parkinson (p. 695) and Lewis’s Dispensatory (i, 411.)
Ἑλξίνη,
Helxine, or Parietaria, Pellitory of the Wall (called also Perdicium, Parthenium, Sideritis, and Heraclea); its powers are detergent and slightly astringent, with a coldish humidity. The Helxine, called also Cissampelos, is possessed of discutient powers.
Commentary. This is evidently the second species of Dioscorides (iv, 86), who represents the leaves as being cooling and astringent, and consequently proving a suitable cataplasm in cases of erysipelas, burning, and other inflammations, and as proving useful in chronic coughs, inflammations of the tonsils, and so forth. That this plant is the pellitory of the wall (Parietaria officinalis) has been long pretty generally acknowledged. See Parkinson, Gerard, and Sprengel. Galen ascribes the same medicinal virtues to it as Dioscorides; and Aëtius and Oribasius treat of it in nearly the same terms. It is the muralis of Celsus, who recommends the juice of it, added to ceruse, as an application to the gout. (iv, 24.) It may be proper to mention that Dioscorides (l. c.), Pliny (H. N. xxii, 19), and Apuleius (81), also recommend it as an application in cases of gout. The Arabians give the pellitory exactly the same characters as the Greeks do. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 335) and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. 536.) The Arabians call it herba vitri, because glass vessels were cleaned with it. It is now excluded from the Dispensatory, but held a place in it down to a late date. See Quincy, Hill, and Rutty. That the former species of helxine described by Dioscorides was a species of Convolvulus has long been known. See Matthiolus and Parkinson. Dodonæus makes it the niger, and Sprengel the arvensis. Dioscorides briefly states of its medicinal virtues, that it is laxative. (iv, 39.) It is not treated of, as far as we have discovered, by Galen, Aëtius, or Oribasius. The Arabians treat of it as a species of Volubilis, by the name of acfin. See Serapion (De Simpl. 41); Mesue (De Simpl. 24.) Both agree with Dioscorides in making it to be laxative. See further [App.]