Erinos, Water-basil, is an aquatic herb, two drachms of the fruit of which with four drachms of honey, when rubbed in stops defluxions of the eyes. Its juice is also a remedy for earache.
Commentary. That it is a species of Campanula has been long agreed upon. Columna held it to be the C. Rapunculus or Rampions, but Sprengel names it C. Erinus. It is the echinos of Galen, as is obvious from the similarity of the descriptions of the two articles. Few of the other authorities notice it. Our author merely abridges Dioscorides (iv, 29.) The rapunculus or rampion is still cultivated as a salad. See Loudon (Encycl. of Garden. 734.)
Ἑρμοδάκτυλος,
Hermodactylus, Hermodactyl; the root of it is possessed of purgative properties, and also the decoction. It is given for affections of the joints in rheumatism, but it is bad for the stomach.
Commentary. We cannot afford room here to discuss fully the much agitated question respecting the ancient hermodactylus, and beg to refer to what we have said on the subject in the Appendix to Dunbar’s Lexicon. See also particularly the commentators on Mesue and Dioscorides. It is to be remarked that our author has entirely omitted to notice the Κολχικὸν of Dioscorides by name, and that the only article which he has in place of it is the Ἑρμ. This is a presumptive proof of the identity of these two medicines. Serapion moreover, in his chapter on Hermodactylus, gives the words of our author in this place along with Dioscorides’s account of the colchicum. Accordingly, Bergius, Tournefort, Humelbergius, and Geoffroy are decidedly of opinion that they were identical. Prosper Alpinus, in like manner, says of it “hermodactylus qui est radix colchici Græcorum.” (De Med. Meth. iii, 9.) See also Hill’s Mat. Med. On this side of the question we further beg to quote the authority of Dr. Paris: “The active ingredient of the Eau médicinale has been discovered to be the Colchicum Autumnale or meadow-saffron; upon investigating the properties of this medicine, it was observed that similar effects in the cure of the gout were ascribed to a certain plant called hermodactylus by Oribasius and Aëtius (Paulus Æg.?), but more particularly by Alexander of Tralles, a physician of Asia Minor, in the fourth century; an inquiry was accordingly instituted after this unknown plant, and upon procuring a specimen of it from Constantinople it was actually found to be a species of colchicum.” (Pharmacologia, 58.) We have already given a full account of the administration of hermodactylus in gout. ([Book III, 78.]) Alexander of Tralles, as far as we know, is the earliest authority that treats of the hermodactylus by name, and he recommends it for the cure of arthritic diseases. (xi.) Our author is the only one of the Greek writers who admits it into the Materia Medica. The Arabians treat of it fully, but some of them confusedly, by mixing up the ancient descriptions of the ephemeron and colchicum with it. Thus Serapion, after quoting, as already stated, Dioscorides’s account of the colchicum, gives the opinions of various Arabian authorities, all of whom concur in representing it to be a calefacient herb, and most of them in recommending it in diseases of the joints. (De Simpl. 194.) Mesue recommends it as a phlegmagogue in diseases of the joints, when given internally with cumin, ginger, pepper, myrobalans, &c.; and externally in the form of a cataplasm. He also states it to be a good application to foul ulcers. (De Simpl. vii.) Avicenna quotes no Greek authority in his chapter on Hermodactylus but Paulus, from which it may be inferred that he did not identify it with the colchicum of Dioscorides, like Serapion. He recommends it especially in gout, both internally and in the form of plaster. (ii, 2, 343.) Rhases refers to no other Greek authorities on this head except Paulus and Alexander, but quotes the opinions of several Arabians, all of whom agree in recommending hermodactylus in gout and foul ulcers. An anonymous authority makes it to be aphrodisiac. (Cont. l. ult. 362.) See also Haly Abbas (Pract. ii, 43.) It is particularly to be remarked that the Arabian authorities all notice three varieties of the hermodactyl root, the white, the red, and the black; and restrict the medicinal use of the H. to the first of these, and condemn the two others as being deleterious. Nicholaus Myrepsus (i, 1) and Actuarius (De Compos. Med. i), however, prescribe also the red, which the learned Fuchsius, in his annotations on the former, sets down as being the behen rubrum. We know not what are his grounds for this opinion. It is the white variety which has been always used medicinally. See Boerhaave, Quincy, and Pereira. We would beg particularly to refer our readers who wish to obtain the modern literature of this subject, to the Materia Medica of Pereira (p. 949.)
Ἕρπυλλος,
Serpyllum, Wild Thyme, is heating, so as to promote the urinary and menstrual discharge.
Commentary. All agree that the Thymus Serpyllum is possessed of diuretic and emmenagogue powers. Dioscorides recommends it in tormina, convulsions, &c., and as an alexipharmic. The others, like our author, treat more briefly of it in general terms. Serapion and Avicenna borrow freely from Dioscorides. The Serpyllum held a place in our Dispensatory with its ancient characters down to a very recent date. See Quincy and Rutty (Mat. Med.) The latter, however, questions its identity with the ancient Serpyllum.
Ἐρυθρόδανον,
Erythrodanum, Madder, is the Rubia Tinctorum. Being sour and bitter, it purges the spleen, liver, and kidneys, so as to occasion a discharge of bloody urine. It acts as an emmenagogue, and cleanses the sordes of the skin.