Κιρκέα,
Circea, Enchanter’s Nightshade; its root, which is desiccative and fragrant, when drunk with wine, cleanses the uterus. Its fruit, when taken in gruel, promotes the formation of milk.
Commentary. The commentators are much divided respecting it. Sprengel inclines to the Cynanchus niger. Lobelius took it to be the Solanum Dulcamara. One thing is certain, that it was quite different from any known species of the modern genus Circæa. See Parkinson (351.) Both Galen and our author, in treating of it, borrow from Dioscorides, the former of these professedly. We have not been able to detect it in the Mat. Med. of the Arabians.
Κίσσηρις,
Pumex, the Pumice-stone, is detergent, and more particularly of the teeth, not only in power, but also by its asperity. It is also joined to the medicines used for the incarnation of ulcers, and to the abstergent plasters applied to the skin. If burnt, its parts became finer, but it is then pungent; but if washed it lays aside its pungency.
Commentary. There can be no doubt that it was Pumice. Pumice, according to the latest analysis, is found to contain silica, argil, magnesia, soda, oxyd of manganese, and some water. For an account of it, see Pliny (H. N. xxxvi, 42.) He recommends it in diseases of the eyes. It appears evident, however, that he had copied from his contemporary, to whom he is so frequently indebted, we mean Dioscorides, who gives a similar description of pumice, and also recommends it in diseases of the eyes, more especially in opacity of the cornea, and likewise as an ingredient in applications to sores, and as a dentifrice. (v, 124.) Galen, after some preliminary discussion whether pumice be a metal, a stone, or an earth, proceeds to state its medicinal properties, in which he agrees with Dioscorides, most especially commending it as a dentifrice. (De Simpl. ix.) We may just mention in this place that modern authorities do not think so highly of this substance as a dentifrice. See Jameson’s ‘Mineral.’ (i, 333.) The Arabians under this head merely copy from Dioscorides and Galen. See in particular Serapion (De Simpl. 417.) Pumice anciently was used for polishing the leather with which books were bound. (Catullus, Epig. i.) Theophrastus (De Lapidibus), states that pumice is formed by the action of fire; and M. Dolomieu suspects that it is a vitrified granite or gneiss. The pumice, for some time past, has ceased to hold a place in our Dispensatory. Neither is it to be found in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia.
Κιστὸς ἤ Κίσσαρος,
Cistus, Rock-rose; it is an astringent shrub, and of gently cooling powers. Its leaves and shoots are so desiccative as to agglutinate wounds; but the flowers are of a more drying nature, being about the second degree, and hence when drunk they cure dysenteries and all kind of fluxes. Externally they relieve putrid ulcers.
Commentary. Stackhouse marks it simply as the Cistus, L., called by Miller the Rock-rose (Index to Theophrastus.) Woodville calls it the C. Creticus (Medical Botany.) Dioscorides describes two species of it, which probably are the C. salvifolius and C. villosus. Galen particularly commends the former in uterine diseases. He also treats under this name of a much more celebrated species of the cistus, namely, the Ladaniferus, of which we will have to give some account under [Λάδανον]. Aëtius and Oribasius are the copyists of Galen. The Arabians treat separately of the Cistus and Ladanum, recommending the former as a powerful astringent, both in external ulcers and in those of the intestines and womb. Avicenna speaks favorably of it in deafness and other affections of the ear. (ii, 2, 111.) Serapion would appear to have confounded it with the κισσὸς (ivy); or at least he has given a very confused account of it in his chapter on the Ivy. (De Simpl. 41, 42.) Rhases does not appear to notice it separately from the Landanum (Ladanum) (Cont. l. ult. iii, 67.) The two species of cistus treated of under this head have long ceased to hold a place in our modern Dispensatories.